Student Experience

We teach students to Design with Empathy for their user, have Logic to their solutions, and have the appropriate Aesthetics for the brand and user.

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Facilities

Our facilities allow you to bring your designs to life using the latest technologies and equipment. At the Academy, you will find yourself sketching in 3D, modeling with high-end tools and 3D printers, and restoring one-of-a-kind vintage cars, all without ever leaving the Industrial Design building.

3D Printing Lab expand_more

The 3D printing lab is a great place for students to experiment with physical form to prototype cutting-edge wearables and other alternative physical interfaces. Both small-scale and oversize 3D printing is available for presentation, mock-up, and display. Students can provide files for visualizing ideas both flat and form-based.

Metal Shop expand_more

The metal shop expands students opportunities to realize their projects and explore the potentials of different material expression and technique. Students can learn a variety of metal fabrication processes. Craft precision metal parts in our full featured metal shop. Machine lathes, milling machines, disc grinders, rollers, and formers are all at your disposal.

Virtual Reality Workstations expand_more

This VR Room is used by students to analyze their projects (Digital 3D Models) in immersive environments throughout the creative process:

Set up the package and proportions of their designs
Develop and evaluate multiple design directions in one environment
Evaluate different colors, materials, and finishes of their final design
Show the final design in context

Spray Booth expand_more

With a custom-built negative pressure spray booth large enough to hold a full-sized automobile, discover one of the best-equipped painting facilities in the county.

Wood Shop expand_more

Fabricate objects and jigs in both natural and artificial wood in our wood shop. Work with band saws, drill presses, jointer, planer, miter saws, panel saw, wood shapers, and table routers. Two wood lathes and two isolated sanding rooms with spindle and disc sanders and one more lathe for working foam plastics give you the control to polish your designs. The wood shop also features four SawStop table saws as part of our ongoing commitment to safety.

Large Format Printers expand_more

Our in-house lab technicians will be able to assist you with the high resolution printing of your large-format presentation boards using these cutting-edge printers.

Computer Labs expand_more

You will use the latest software packages on regularly updated Dell computer workstations connected to Wacom Cintiq interactive pen displays.

Collaborations

Audi x Design Innovation: Redefining Rugged Luxury

In a groundbreaking collaboration with Audi, students from Interior Architecture, Fashion, Interaction, Graphic, and Industrial Design came together to reimagine rugged luxury for the iconic brand. Tasked with envisioning the future of premium adventure, they designed immersive experience centers, cutting-edge homes, and visionary vehicles—crafting bold, forward-thinking concepts that redefine how future Audi clients will live, move, and explore.

NASA

The Academy has enjoyed an eight-year relationship with NASA. Each year, the space program sponsors a class so students can figure out how to address the outstanding problems they face with astronauts’ space travel. One recent semester was focused on habitation or travel to Mars.

Multiple images for the various collaborations

San Francisco Auto Museum

The SF Auto Museum presents a tantalizing glimpse into the history of the art and design of automobiles. Displaying cars from this expansive collection, the museum preserves an integral piece of international automotive culture.

VISIT SITE

Events

Spring Show

Academy of Art University’s famous Spring Show is a remarkable event where potential employers from various industries come together to review the impressive work of graphic design students. This prestigious showcase provides students with the invaluable opportunity to present their projects, network with industry professionals, and potentially secure employment. At the Spring Show, students can display their creativity and skills, making meaningful connections that
can help launch their careers successfully.

ALL EVENTS

Alumni and Student Interviews

Danny Castaño

School of Industrial Design