Product Design: The major you’ve never heard of but always wanted to pursue

Background: optional read
When I was high school, robotics was my passion, it was a cause I could get behind and a mindset I would champion. When I went to college, I was enrolled in the mechanical engineering program at a well known research university. I discovered in my first semester that shockingly, I wanted nothing to do with engineering. I felt like there was a disconnect with what I had been learning in FIRST, I was asking myself, “where is the building, teamwork, and innovation?!” Fortunately, I was able to discover exactly what I was looking for.

Product design, also known as industrial design, has been around since the 1920s and essentially is the art and science of producing a plan for an item that is intended to be manufactured and sold. If you’re scratching your head still, let me break it down for you. 

You see that object next to you? Yeah, pick it up. Have you ever wondered why that object was the way it was? Why the button was put there or why it’s shaped like that? Well, someone did, and they were most likely a product designer. A product designer not only considers the feasibility and mechanics behind a product, but also the user experience and aesthetic. Right now, this may seem silly, but it’s becoming a BIG deal around the world. In fact, NEA expects employment for product designers to jump to about 29% in the next few years, which is equal to the demand for nurses and computer scientists combined. Plus, a product designer can end up in just about any field, from toys to medical devices, people are creating innovative solutions.

By now, I hope I have your attention. Just like robotics, product design is that perfect blend of engineering, business, and design. It isn’t for everyone, but if you find yourself interested in more than just one component of FIRST, it may be time to consider product design for yourself. If you still don't think product design is like robotics, take a look at a project I made last year for a class called Toy Product Design.

ADVENTURE CLIMB

Adventure Climb is an alternative to a playground ladder in which the user can adjust the position of each step by rotating panels with an internal nesting gear. This design allows for the panels to rotate when not in use, but remain fixed in place when a load is applied.

This idea went from idea to concept to a fully functioning prototype within three months and was created by six students. Everyone brought something to the table, but ultimately we had to work together to design and develop our product, which is intended to be on playgrounds.

This class gave me the opportunity to explore a variety of software like SolidWorks, the Adobe Suite, and Rhino as well as explore tons of fabrication techniques like a CNC router, plasma cutter, and laser cutter. If I stuck with a traditional engineering degree, I doubt I'd get to experience all of these tools until maybe my senior year, but I'm so happy to say that this is what I get to do every​ semester until I graduate.

This blog was written by Claudia Dube. If you are interested in blogging for FIRST Ladies, click here to sign up on the schedule.