It's a common question: What exactly do industrial designers do?
In essence, they are the creative minds behind the products in our daily lives. From the chair you sit on to the car you drive, from the tools you use to the smartphone in your hand – industrial designers meticulously craft these items to be functional, user-friendly, and visually appealing.
📍Celebrate #NationalIndustrialDesignDay with us on March 5 by recognizing the visionaries who shape the products you love! 📐🪑🚗🛠📱🆔
Design connects us.
This NYCxDESIGN Festival 2026, IDSA is hosting three events exploring how listening, taste, movement, atmosphere, and community shape the way we experience the world around us.
MAY 15 | 6-9pm
“Listening Connects Us: A Circular Design Celebration”
An evening at Bang & Olufsen SoHo, hosted by @idsa_nyc , exploring sound, movement, and circularity through panel conversation, contemporary dance, and a live listening party.
MAY 16 | 3-5pm & 6-8pm
“Taste Makers: Women In Food Design”
A conversation at MOFAD, hosted by @womenindesignnyc , with women working at the intersection of food, hospitality, multisensory experience, and social innovation, followed by WID NYC's Sip & Belong meetup.
Details at
#NYCxDESIGN #IndustrialDesign #IDSA #CircularDesign #FoodDesign #WomenInDesign #ExperienceDesign #DesignCommunity
This is where design is heading.
The 2026 IDEA jury—42 leaders across disciplines—are reviewing nearly 2,000 submissions.
And according to Jury Chair Phnam Bagley, the lens is shifting:
– Complexity is now the baseline
– Silos are breaking down
– Purpose is no longer optional
– The human touch is gaining value
– Design is global by default
This isn’t just recognition. It’s a signal of what matters next.
Meet the jury shaping what comes next.
/idea-jury-2026/
@phnambagley
#IDEA2026 #IndustrialDesign #DesignFuture #DesignCulture #DesignExcellence #IDSA #ProductDesign #DesignLeadership
Becoming a Designpreneur: Part 10
Updated Date: April 9, 2026 | 6pm EST
Virtual Event
This session has been rescheduled to April 9.
What does it really take to think, and operate, like a designpreneur?
Join John Arnott and Caterina Rizzoni with featured guest Luis Angarita for a look into the mindset behind design-led innovation.
A globally recognized product innovator and entrepreneur, Luis brings decades of experience helping startups and companies turn ideas into meaningful, market-ready solutions.
Whether you’re building your own venture or driving innovation within an organization, this conversation will challenge how you think, and how you create.
Registration required. Save your spot. Link in bio.
#IDSA #designpreneur #industrialdesign #designinnovation
#designthinking #entrepreneurship
Only three days left to be heard at IDC2026.
Submissions are still open for the 2026 International Design Conference and Education Symposium in Pasadena.
This year’s theme—The Authenticity Project—invites designers, educators, and researchers to explore how genuine expression, identity, and ethical responsibility shape the future of design.
Two ways to participate:
📄 Call for Abstracts — IDC Education Symposium
Submit a full paper, visual paper, workshop, panel, or poster exploring authenticity across design education, practice, research, and interdisciplinary work.
Deadline: March 20
🎤 Call for Speakers — IDC Conference
Lead a conversation through a keynote, panel, or interactive workshop.
Deadline: March 31
Together, these sessions create the dynamic exchange of ideas that defines IDC.
Submit and learn more:
/conference-details/2026-idc-education-symposium/
#IDSA #IndustrialDesign #IDC2026 #DesignEducation #DesignLeadership
🚨 The March Edition of IDSA’s designUpdate Is Here!
Industrial designers—this one’s for you.
The latest issue of designUpdate is packed with opportunities, insights, and ways to stay engaged with the IDSA community.
In this issue:
🏆 IDEA Deadline Extension
🌍 Industrial Design Day
🎤 IDC Speakers & Abstracts
🏅 IDSA Awards & Fellows Nominations
📝 Member Survey
📢 Apply for the IDSA Board
🚀 Designpreneur Part 10
📍 Southern District Conference
💻 Webinar with KeyShot
🔗 Check out the March issue and stay connected with everything happening across IDSA. https://conta.cc/4rsZOZV
⏰ The deadline has been extended.
Great work deserves recognition.
For over 45 years, the International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) has recognized impactful design—work that shapes industries, improves lives, and moves innovation forward.
You now have until March 16 to submit.
Enter IDEA 2026 → idsa.org/idea
#IDEA2026 #IndustrialDesign #DesignAwards #DesignInnovation #IDSA
Today is National Industrial Design Day.
Since 1919, when industrial design emerged to shape products for mass manufacturing, our profession has continually evolved.
From physical products to services, systems, and interaction design, industrial designers don’t just respond to the future.
We design it.
Now it’s your turn. Show us on Instagram or Linkedin how you are shaping what’s next: #ShapeWhatsNext
Post a story or feed post:
-1 image of your work (sketch, prototype, process, finished product, research, etc.)
-Write a short caption finishing this sentence “I’m shaping what’s next in Industrial Design by…”
-Include: #ShapeWhatsNext #IDDay2026
-Tag:
--Instagram: @idsadesign
--Linkedin: Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA)
Let’s show the world what’s next and who’s building it.
Ready to shape the future with a national behind you?
Join IDSA.
#NationalIndustrialDesignDay #IndustrialDesign #ShapeWhatsNext #IDDay2026
We have launched our 2026 IDSA Member Survey, to better understand the motivations, challenges, career paths, and aspirations of designers across our community. This work will help us align programming, resources, and member benefits with the realities of today’s practice.
Whether you are a student, educator, consultant, in-house designer, leader, or somewhere in between, your perspective matters. If your title isn't "designer," but you are involved in the Industrial Design field, we want to hear from you.
The survey takes just a few minutes to complete, and your input will directly inform future strategy and initiatives.
The deadline to participate is March 13th, fill out our survey today. Link in bio.
Thank you for helping shape what’s next for IDSA.
#IDSA #IndustrialDesign #MemberSurvey #DesignCommunity
Call for Thought Leaders: IDC 2026 – Pasadena
IDSA is looking for speakers ready to help shape the future of industrial design.
At the heart of this year’s event is The Authenticity Project, an initiative challenging our industry to redefine its role in a rapidly shifting world.
We’re seeking sessions that:
• Address AI, climate responsibility, and global impact
• Rethink evolving career pathways
• Challenge assumptions and move design forward
• Deliver clear, actionable outcomes
This isn’t just another presentation slot, it’s an opportunity to contribute to meaningful progress across the profession.
Submit your voice. Lead the conversation. Help define what’s next.
Learn more, link in bio.
#IDC2026 #DesignCommunity #FutureOfDesign #IDSA #IndustrialDesign #Pasadena #California
What does it mean to be unconventional right now?
At this 2026 Be Unconventional Deep Dive, we’re bringing together designers who are challenging norms, rethinking process, and building momentum in unexpected ways.
Meija is one of the voices stepping into that conversation.
If you’re ready to:
• Question the default
• Try something different
• Connect with professionals who are designing what’s next
This is your space.
Be unconventional with us.
Register now, link in bio. ✨
#BeUnconventional #DeepDive #IDSA #DesignLeadership #WomenInDesign
Join us at tomorrow’s deep dive. It’s not about proving design has value.
It’s about: • Getting design out of the delivery lane • Getting into decision rooms • And not losing your soul in the process
Value of Design is a virtual Deep Dive for designers ready to shift from execution to influence.
Through keynotes, real-world case studies, panels, and applied workshops, we’ll explore how design moves upstream—into strategy, leadership, and measurable impact.
No fluff. No theory without application.
Just the tools and language to lead differently.
Virtual
February 19 | Register at IDSA.org
Move from proving value to driving it.
#DesignLeadership #ValueOfDesign #IndustrialDesign #DesignStrategy #CreativeLeadership DesignManagement HumanCenteredDesign IDSA
