Industrial Design

Industrial Design is an inherently collaborative enterprise; whether the partnership is with industry, a community, or a craftsperson, the reciprocal relationship thrives because each party brings something unique to the project. The outstanding resources of the greater Detroit area offer exciting opportunities for support. Additionally, we travel locally and internationally for cooperative workshops with designers, artists and producers and regularly present exhibitions of student work globally.

Iteration is an integral component in the design process and the Industrial Design program propels students to establish and refine their own individual methods of refinement. Material exploration and process-based evolution have been hallmarks of the program since the 1940s. Today’s students continue that ethos of experimentation and our program encourages them to transcend existing means of production and explore new methods of creating.

The collaborative and production-oriented nature of the Industrial Design program is optimal for students with a background in design and object making. The curriculum is predominantly self-driven and studio-based, supported by direct mentorship of the Artist-in-Residence, Visiting Artists, industry partners and the larger community of peers at Cranbrook Academy of Art.

Visiting artists play an important role in the Industrial Design curriculum, representing a range of professional approaches. Visitors give lectures, participate in student critiques, host reading seminars, provide 1:1 studio visits and conduct working demonstrations. The close-knit scale of the program affords ample room for spontaneous discussion and feedback. At the beginning of each school year, a selected visiting artist or group directs a participatory workshop introducing students to outside producers and opportunities.

The Industrial Design program also hosts the annual Knoll Lecture in Design, established in 2004 in honor of Florence Schust Knoll Bassett, who studied at the Academy before becoming a driving force of the Knoll furnishings company.

Located adjacent to the landmark Saarinen house and Eliel Saarinen’s home office, the Industrial Design studios are housed in what was originally the drawing studio of the Cranbrook Architecture department. A freight elevator connects the main studio floor to the Industrial Design model shop, providing 24/7 access to a wood shop, extended workspace and a spray booth. An adjacent clean shop includes upholstery resources, cutting tables and 3D Printers. Students in the program also have access to the Central Materials Lab, including extensive wood and metal shops, and the Central Media Lab, housing large inkjet printers, a seamless photo studio and various cameras and other technology for checkout, as well as Cranbrook Academy of Art’s library and extensive permanent collections of Cranbrook Art Museum and the Center for Collections and Research.