Industrial design is the design process applied to products that will be manufactured through mass production. It is a creative act to determine and define the form and characteristics of a product before it is manufactured. In contrast, manufacturing consists entirely of repetitive, often automated replication. This distinguishes industrial design from craft-based design, where the form of the product is largely determined by the creator of the product at the same time as his creative behavior.
All manufactured products are the result of the design process, but the nature of this process can take many forms. It can be carried out by individuals or teams, such a team can include people with different expertise (such as industrial designers, engineers, business experts, etc.). It can emphasize intuitive creativity or calculated scientific decision-making, and usually emphasizes both. It may be affected by various factors, such as materials, production processes, business strategies, and popular social, commercial or aesthetic attitudes. Industrial design, as an applied art, usually focuses on the combination of aesthetics and user-centric considerations, but it also often provides solutions to issues such as form, function, physical ergonomics, marketing, brand development, sustainability, and sales.
Industrial design studies function and form—and the connection between products, users, and the environment. Generally, industrial design professionals are engaged in small-scale design, rather than the overall design of complex systems such as buildings or ships. Industrial designers usually do not design motors, circuits, or gears that make machines move, but they may influence the technical aspects through usability design and formal relationships. Usually, they work with other professionals, such as engineers who focus on product mechanics and other functions, to ensure functionality and manufacturability, and work with marketers to determine and meet customer needs and expectations.