Design Degrees Online

Flexible, imaginative, innovative and able to collaborate with other disciplines, industrial designers must respond to rapid commercial and technological change. Increasingly designers are called upon to take a proactive role within industry and become involved in strategic decision making. MA Industrial Design encourages the anticipation and initiation of change in all areas of industrial design: consumer-durable products; capital goods; transport; packaging; sanitary ware; furniture for private, corporate and public environments; architectural space; interface design; design management; and strategies for corporate and governmental development.

The relationships between industrial designer, manufacturer, retailer, purchaser and end-user are continually renegotiated, demanding greater flexibility and a wider knowledge of industry and commerce. Managerial skills are often as important as the engineering and creative skills required to develop design concepts. There is a strong emphasis on self-directed and peer-group learning within the course. This is reinforced by the diverse mix of cultures and backgrounds represented by our students.

Central Saint Martins has long been at the forefront of design education and continues to play a leading role in shaping industrial design as a discipline.

Flexible, imaginative, innovative and able to collaborate with other disciplines, industrial designers must respond to rapid commercial and technological change. Increasingly designers are called upon to take a proactive role within industry and become involved in strategic decision making. MA Industrial Design encourages the anticipation and initiation of change in all areas of industrial design: consumer-durable products; capital goods; transport; packaging; sanitary ware; furniture for private, corporate and public environments; architectural space; interface design; design management; and strategies for corporate and governmental development.

The relationships between industrial designer, manufacturer, retailer, purchaser and end-user are continually renegotiated, demanding greater flexibility and a wider knowledge of industry and commerce. Managerial skills are often as important as the engineering and creative skills required to develop design concepts. There is a strong emphasis on self-directed and peer-group learning within the course. This is reinforced by the diverse mix of cultures and backgrounds represented by our students.

Central Saint Martins has long been at the forefront of design education and continues to play a leading role in shaping industrial design as a discipline.

Employment opportunities:
Sales
Interior Designer
Manufacturer’s representative
Furniture, window treatments
Wall coverings, floor coverings
Kitchen dealerships
Residential retail sales
Contract design – commercial furniture
Dealerships

Opportunities for learning extend beyond the classroom. Field trips to major market cities provide students with on-the-spot communication with industry representatives and opportunities to visit showrooms and production centers.

Local employers that have hired Kirkwood Interior Design graduates:
Ar-Jay Building Center
Pioneer Workplace Solutions
Expressions Custom Furniture
Frohwein’s Office Dealership

Program graduates may qualify for ASID (American Society of Interior Designers) allied membership with this program’s 45 semester credit hours of technical interior design course work. A student ASID chapter is available. For information on ASID allied membership, please contact the program coordinator.

Apparel Design and Merchandising
The apparel and textile industry is one of the largest employers in the United States as well as in the world. Excellent career opportunities exist for people who have knowledge of the fast-paced world of fashion, who understand textile product development, and who also possess keen business skills. Examples of positions include:

Fashion Marketing Specialist

Functional Clothing Designer

Manufacturer’s Representative

Merchandise Manager

Pattern Designer/Patternmaker

Piece Goods/Fabric Buyer

Product Developer

Quality Assurance Analyst

Retail Promotion/Management

Visual Merchandiser