About Our BFA Program

School of Industrial Design

About Our BFA Program

School of Industrial Design Student Gallery

It is the objective of the School of Industrial Design to establish the preeminent design program in the country by achieving the following: placing students in industry-leading firms; maintaining top professionals teaching their trade; increasing exposure to the design and business community by participating in and organizing events and workshops; providing students with a technical skill base and a problem-solving ability that will keep them employable.

Potential Careers: Product Designer, Toy Designer, Furniture Designer, and Transportation/Automotive Designer

BFA Program Learning Outcomes

School of Industrial Design

Graduates of the School of Industrial Design will meet the following student performance criteria:

1. Verbal Skills / Specific Terminology

   • Ability to speak and listen effectively, using industry-specific terminologies.

2. Writing Skills

   • Ability to read and write effectively.

3. Graphic Skills/Page Layout

   • Ability to use appropriate representational media, including freehand drawing and computer technology, in order to convey essential formal elements at each stage of the programming and design process.

4. Drawing Skills

   • Ability to create artwork with perspective accuracy, compositional effectiveness, and controlled value.

5. Sketch Skills

   • Ability to visualize design intentions for the purpose of design communication, executed in timely manner.

6. Digital Sketching

   • Ability to visualize design intentions for the purpose of design communication in a timely manner.

7. Rendering Skills

   • Ability to draw the design intentions accurately including all details including material indications.

8. Digital Rendering Skills

   • Ability to draw the design intentions by using digital tools accurately, including all details of material indications.

9. Competence in Drafting Skills

   • Ability to create accurate two-dimensional orthographic drawings following all drafting standards such as layout, line weight, dimensioning, sectioning, and so forth.

10. Surface Development Skills

    • Ability to create 3-dimensional surfaces accurately based on the plans realized as 2-dimensional orthographical drawings, sketches, and renderings. Ability to further refine the surfaces by judging its quality for the design intentions.

11. Digital Surfacing Skills

    • Ability to create 3-dimensional surfaces, using digital tools, accurately based on the plans realized as 2-dimensional orthographical drawings, sketches, and renderings. Ability to further refine the surfaces by judging its quality for the design intentions.

12. Fundamental Design Skills

    • Ability to use basic industrial design principles in the design of products, toys and furniture.

13. Design Execution Skills

    • Ability to complete a design project with high level of quality that suits its intention.

14. Research / Analytical Skills

    • Ability to gather, assesses, record, and applies relevant information in Industrial Design coursework.

15. Critical Thinking Skills

    • Ability to raise clear and precise questions, use abstract ideas to interpret information, consider diverse points of view, reach well-reasoned conclusions, and test them against relevant criteria and standards.

16. Collaborative Skills

    • Ability to recognize the varied talent found in interdisciplinary design project teams in professional practice and work in collaboration with other students as members of a design team.

17. Human Behavior (Psychology)

    • Understanding of the theories and methods of inquiry that seek to clarify the relationship between human behavior and the physical environment.

18. Human Diversity

    • Understanding of the diverse needs, values, behavioral norms, physical ability, and social and spatial patterns that characterize different cultures and individuals and the implication of this diversity for the societal roles and responsibilities of designers.

19. Ergonomics

    • Functionality based on anthropometrics and human factors.

20. Understanding of Trends (Social / Consumer)

    • Ability to recognize movements in social demographics, consumer patterns, fashion, aesthetics and environment and incorporate these trends into elements of design.

21. Use of Precedents

    • Ability to incorporate relevant precedents into design projects.

22. Grasp of Historical Content

    • Ability to employ historical research as part of the design process.

23. Systematic Thinking

    • Employ structured thought processes and design development processes.

24. Process Familiarity

    • Acquaintance with mechanical processes required to complete coursework.

25. Understanding of Technical Aspects of Fabrication

    • Working grasp of skills required to complete fabrication portion of course work.

26. Understanding of Technical Aspects of Finishing

    • Working grasp of skills required to complete finishing portion of coursework.

27. Understanding of Technical Aspects of Painting

    • Working grasp of skills required to complete painting portion of coursework.

28. Organization and Management of Skills

    • Application of appropriate skills to problem solving with regard to fabrication finishing and painting.

29. Organization and Management of Materials

    • Knowledge and use of appropriate materials in solving model making project problems.

30. Work Ethic

    • Consistent application of self to course work.

31. Timeliness of Project Completion

    • Assigned project completed on deadline.

32. Compliance with Project Staged Deadlines

    • Consistent progress toward final deadline by meeting individual project deadlines.

33. Understanding of Manufacturing Aspects

    • Ability to identify manufacturing methods and feasibilities

34. Understanding of Business Aspects

    • Ability to address business plan, return of investment (ROI) and implications

35. Understanding of Marketing Aspects

    • Ability to identify customer needs, market strategies and potential market opportunities.

36. Designers in Leadership Roles

    • Understanding of the need for designers to provide leadership in the development design process and managing project intents to delivery.

Academy of Art University Learning Outcomes

Graduates of the Academy of Art University will demonstrate the ability to:

1. Produce a body of work suitable for seeking professional opportunities in their chosen field of art and design.
2. Solve creative problems within their field of art and design, including research and synthesis of technical, aesthetic, and conceptual knowledge.
3. Communicate their ideas professionally and connect with their intended audience using visual, oral, and written presentation skills relevant to their field.
4. Execute technical, aesthetic, and conceptual decisions based on an understanding of art and design principles.
5. Evaluate work in their field, including their own work, using professional terminology.
6. Recognize the influence of major cultural and aesthetic trends, both historical and contemporary, on art and design products.
7. Learn the professional skills and behaviors necessary to compete in the global marketplace for art and design.

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