Industrial Design

Industrial Design students are carefully selected by the Designer-in-Residence to allow for a free exchange of ideas while bringing out the strengths of each student. Our program is best suited to experienced, hands-on makers. The work undertaken over the course of a student’s two years of study is focused on self-initiated research supported by hands-on mentorship and peer-to-peer opportunities and projects. Students develop the skills needed to undertake critical analysis through group seminars, challenging readings, and ongoing writing that help articulate individual concerns and the ideas of others.  

We host ongoing visits with top professionals in a variety of industries, allowing our students to see many models of practice. This provides professional connections and helps students shape their career paths as they leave Cranbrook. 

The department regularly travels to leading design companies, local studios, and workshops. We also often participate in exhibitions, both locally and in other cities, such as the International Contemporary Furniture Fair in New York, where students gain invaluable exposure and are immersed in the field of contemporary design.

Industrial Design regularly hosts visits with leading designers from around the world. These visitors meet with students, lead discussions and seminars, present lectures on their professional practice, and use the studio as a testing ground for new ideas. This might take the form of short-term assignments, material explorations, and demonstrations of traditional and emerging processes. Group dinners in the studio provide another way to engage with these visitors and provide the opportunity for students to have informal conversations that often lead to personal connections and professional development opportunities. 

In addition to our ongoing visitors, the Industrial Design department also hosts the annual Knoll Lecture in Design. Established in 2004 in honor of Florence Schust Knoll Bassett, who studied at the Academy before launching the successful Knoll furnishings company, the lecture series brings the world’s most innovative designers and thinkers to Cranbrook’s campus to speak about their practice.

Industrial Design provides a combination of individual studios and communal spaces with vaulted ceilings and natural light.  Each student receives a semi-private studio space, and the department is equipped to support a wide variety of materials, processes, and equipment. Working at the intersection of craft and design, the studio has a model shop that provides an excellent resource for prototyping work and developing new ideas.  

 Dedicated facilities in Industrial Design are further supported by the shared resources and workshops of the Academy – providing designers with access to advanced fabrication equipment, digital tools, and skilled technicians.