Student Life
Georgia Tech’s School of Industrial Design distinguishes itself through its commitment to the end-user and its multidisciplinary approach to problem-solving. But beyond the books, our students are some of the closest knit on campus. Sharing long studio hours and innovating together creates long-lasting bonds among our grads.
Designer Values
The School of Industrial Design is unique on Georgia Tech's campus, and so are its students. They stand out in a crowd of engineers for plenty of reasons. Here's just a few:
- They're curious problem-solvers. They like a challenge and want to find unique ways of solving problems and showing off their skills.
- They're perfectionists. They get so drawn into their projects and so hyper-focused that they're willing to spend extra hours to make their work truly amazing.
- They're a family. They see the same friends they made in freshman studio class in every class they take for four years. It's harder to say the same as an engineering student, whose classes can sometimes include hundreds of students.
- They're diverse. Industrial design students love to brag about their 69% female, 31% male student body ratio. They also come from many ethnic backgrounds. They are extroverts and introverts and understand that most creative people are a mix of both.
- They're nerds and not afraid to show it. They all have different design inspirations and support each other's tendency to geek out. Whether it's being really into tinkering, or being good at CAD work or getting their bliss doing 3D printing and metal work, industrial design students accept each other.
Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA)
IDSA represents the largest and oldest member-driven industrial design organization in America, serving both students and professionals. On the local scale, IDSA at Georgia Tech caters directly to students, providing both an integral link to the professional society and a fun, social outlet for students through valuable events and programs such as portfolio workshops, sketch nights, and alumni networking.
We’re a small, casual organization that’s focused on making good friends, representing Georgia Tech, and landing jobs. We’re open to everyone, ID or not, so feel free to get involved and spread the word.
Interaction Design Association (IxDA)
IxDA Georgia Tech is a chapter of the Interaction Design Association, a global network dedicated to the professional practice of interaction design: designing the integration of digital content into people’s lives with a definite interest in form and a main focus on behavior. Everyone’s welcome, whether you're a designer, engineer, programmer, or just a student. We can all learn something from each other.
IxDA is a novel kind of "un-organization" in that there is no cost for membership. IxDA relies on its passionate members to help serve the needs of the international Interaction Design community. With more than 100,000 individuals and over 200 local groups around the world, the IxDA network actively focuses on interaction design issues for practitioners, no matter their levels of experience.
IxDA was founded in 2003 and incorporated as a not-for-profit in late 2005. IxDA provides many opportunities to get involved with the interaction design community both locally and internationally. Learn more about how you can participate at IxDA.org.
Take a Virtual Tour
Ready to experience what it's like to be a fellow Industrial Design Yellow Jacket? Whether you want the large-scale feel of a virtual campus visit or the close connection of a one-on-one meeting, we're committed to providing an experience that's customized just for you.
Have a VR headset or Google Cardboard? You can use these devices to take the VR tour on your mobile device.