Special Topics in Industrial Design.

Special Topics in Industrial Design.

Organizations have increasingly become aware of the value of inclusive and accessible design of their digital products and services for people with disabilities. Beyond the ethical value of providing equal access for everyone, the increased market share and legal requirements for organizations have rapidly made individuals with knowledge in digital accessibility a tremendous asset to them. Acquiring a foundational knowledge of accessibility in the digital arena can offer a competitive advantage when entering your career field. This online course provides strategies and resources to address accessibility challenges of today. You will learn from nationally respected subject matter experts sharing real-life experiences about the importance of digital accessibility. ID 4823 is a five-week, online pre-recorded course that will consist of video lectures, 
weekly class activities, video resources, and readings. The weeks in this course begin on Monday and end on Sunday.

Speculative Assistive Futures explores assistive device design through the lens of the social, medical, and functional models of disability. The course critically examines technology abandonment, investigating the systemic and structural barriers that shape access, adoption, and long-term use of assistive technologies. Through speculative-participatory workshops with people with disabilities, students engage in co-design processes to create assistive devices that prioritize accessibility, empowerment, affordability, and stigma reduction, while balancing functionality, adaptability, and aesthetic integration. By combining hands-on design with critical inquiry, the course encourages students to envision alternative, more inclusive futures for assistive technologies.

Topics of current interest in Industrial Design.

In this course, you'll learn the fundamentals of 3D modeling and product visualization. Using tools like Fusion 360 and KeyShot, you’ll explore the same digital workflows that professional industrial designers use to design, develop, and bring their concepts to life.

This course offers an in-depth exploration of human-centered design methods, focusing on how to identify, understand, and prioritize the needs of diverse communities, such as local, organizational, and user groups, to inform effective design solutions. Through applied projects and hands-on exercises, students will engage a range of research and design methods, integrating theoretical perspectives from the behavioral and social sciences with design practice. The course prepares students to address real-world design challenges while maintaining a strong focus on the people and communities impacted by their work.