Industrial Design Engineering - Fontys University

The programme
Coffee machines, phones, medical devices; these all need to be ‘designed’. When designing these products, lots of questions need to be asked and answered; What does the customer need? How does the customer expect the product to look? How can the product be manufactured? What materials should be used? How can it be tested beforehand? How should it be brought to market?

The study programme BSc Industrial Design Engineering helps you answer these questions. This unique study programme responds to the growing demand for ID engineers from the design and manufacturing industries.
The focus of the programme is complete design process of new products:
-User-centred design
-Concept development
-Marketing, branding and consumer behaviour
-Form Studies and aesthetics
-Model making in wood, metal and plastics
-Prototype building and testing
-Product engineering and production
-And of course; your own personal and professional development

Within this study programme, you will learn about the process of designing new products. From concept development and prototyping to production and bringing a product to markets. So, you need to acquire knowledge and skills in a wide range of topics, like aesthetics, production methods, materials, and user-centred-research. You will analyse existing products and learn to design and build your prototypes. You will also learn the commercial aspects involved in bringing a product to market.

Applying theory to practice
From day one, you will apply the theory into practice. Every semester, you work on at least one project and learn to implement your ideas using different machines found in our design and engineering workshops, like our CNC laser cutter and 3D printers. You will also experience working with diverse materials ranging from wood, metals, and plastic.
Many of the projects you work on are in co-operation with companies like Canon or Philips. Such companies are always interested in valuable Industrial Design Engineering solutions, and they often ask Fontys students to collaborate on live projects of value to the company.

Career prospects
The business field has an increasing demand for BSc graduates in the field of Industrial Design Engineering. After graduation, you could, among others, work as a: Product Developer / Product Designer / Design Engineer / Design Consultant / Research and Development Manager
Some of the partner companies of Fontys her Industrial Design Engineering programme - who are looking for people with these skills - are Philips, Canon, Ahrend, Heras, Bosch, Vogels, and VDL.