Industrial Design

The Authority for Industrial Design

What comes to mind when you come across the word authority? Your boss? The President? Government, power, abuse? These may be some of the things that you think of when encountering the term but let’s try to be more accurate here. We’re going to check with the ‘authority’ on such matters – the dictionary.

The American Heritage Dictionary gives us the following definitions for the term: (1) the power to enforce laws, exact obedience, command, determine, or judge; and (2) one that is invested with this power, especially a government or body of government officials. Three out of five. Not bad.

Authority exists in the world to keep things in check. The common authorities we know of are – the government, to keep the citizens in check; policemen, to keep criminals in check; parents, to keep crafty, noisy, and annoying children in check. What about, say, industrial design? What might the authority for that be?

International Council of Societies of Industrial Design

The International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (ICSID) is a non-profit, non-government organization founded in 1957 by 12 professional design associations. Set on protecting and promoting the industrial design community, it is devoted to the recognition, success, and growth of design and the people involved in it.

Industrial Design Defined

What is industrial design, anyway? Well, it deals with the overall appearance of a product – both aesthetic and functionality – and the manipulation of said aspects to create new designs out of old designs to be mass produced for the world market.

According to ICSID, “design is a creative activity whose aim is to establish the multi-faceted qualities of objects, processes, services and their systems in whole life-cycles. Therefore, design is the central factor of innovative humanization of technologies and the crucial factor of cultural and economic exchange.”

The ICSID is among the many organizations that help designers like yourself learn more about your craft and about your fellow designers. More importantly, organizations like these will help keep you aware of the rights you have as a designer.

So, if you’re the budding designer, visit our site today for more information about industrial design and the rights protecting your creations.