Concept art, entertainment design, and industrial design

[Faeruithir]

Hello
I am currently a sophomore studying industrial design at RISD. So far i like it, and i've had it in my head that im gonna be a product designer for awhile. But as i think about it...do i really want to design toothbrushes and things for a career? I know designers design lots of cool things but sometimes...they just design the most mundane objects. I really enjoy making things too, which is party why i got into industrial design, but i feel like i can work on that on my own.

I've been looking at concept art and stuff for a long time now. It always interests me to see the art behind movies and games and stuff. It struck me that maybe, i dont wanna design toothbrushes for a living and i want to design crazy robots and cars and things. The question is...is industrial design a suitable path for this? its too late for me to switch majors now...but i can take illustration courses as non major credits. When i applied to schools i was accepted to Art Center and RISD. I chose RISD because i wanted more of a college feel and it was not practical to go to art center due to housing and transport issues...perhaps i made the wrong choice?

So i guess the question is how can i continue with my industrial design education while still maintaining possibilities for a career in concept art or entertainment design?

[kedrew]

It struck me that maybe, i dont wanna design toothbrushes for a living and i want to design crazy robots and cars and things. The question is...is industrial design a suitable path for this?

I always thought ID was pretty interesting stuff. Couldn't you also design fun stuff like toys, playgrounds, furniture, phones, vehicles, next gen gaming hardware...etc? Is'nt it your job to redesign something familiar into something never seen before?

[Matsign]

I think you're in a great position. It is more about the work you want to do (personal) and if you can apply what you're learning in ID for entertainment purposes.

[PinkPrincess]

Faeruithir, have you voiced your concerns or talked about your specific goals to your professors at RISD? My bet is that many of them have hands-on experience in the working ID field, and could offer you advice or direct you to some resources for personal research. Perhaps you could speak with your academic advisor as well, maybe they would allow you to custom tailor your degree program a bit, and take some classes outside of the typical ID-major path (unless you can already accomplish this through wintersession?).

There are "boring" and "fun" jobs in any career field, and worries about changing majors is common for many college students. Keep building toward your goals, let yourself take chances, and make use of all of the resources you have available to you while you're in school. Good luck!

[Jasper_]

Many of the most successful concept artists today have majored in industrial design, Syd Mead being one of them.

[Faeruithir]

Thanks for the advice guys.

Im going to finish this year and try and do some personal work during the summer and see how it turns out. I'll continue on the ID path next year and take all my advanced studios and stuff to see how i like it and maybe also take some illustration courses as non major studios.