**Abstract**

Rapid prototyping, especially in the form of 3D printing, has pervaded over key aspects of design engineering since the start of this millennium. Today, rapid physical model making has applications in engineering, architecture, design, and fine art. While 3D printing today is mostly about prototyping of design as a precursor to production, not many have studied the use of 3D for industrial design in detail. With core responsibilities for three important nodes of user experience, namely function, human factors (ergonomics) and the aesthetics and emotion, 3D printing has been playing a major role in the process of industrial design. This chapter elucidates this through examples leading the reader to think about the future practice of rapid physical model making in industrial design. The chapter concludes by mentioning future scenarios that industrial design may take with constant innovations in 3D printing.

**Keywords:** Industrial design, form and function, rapid physical models, 3D printing

## **1. Introduction**

Industrial design as a profession started around 100 years ago, stemming from the fact that the end of the eighteenth century saw two developments which required an entirely different approach to products. Firstly, products were no longer 'artefacts' but products themselves. Secondly, the emergence of the concept of mass consumption which sounded the end of 'industrial art' which was more interested in the decorative elements of the product rather than the appropriate aesthetics for the product which considers both the function and form. According to the Conran Directory of Design [1], it was in 1910, in Germany, when an architect named **Peter Behrens** took complete charge of the all aspects of the appearance of an industrial corporation for AEG, designing everything from products such as table fans and electric kettles to posters to the interior design of the building itself (**Figure 1**) 1 that the first signs of industrial design as a profession.

With new materials and production methods emerging at the end of the 19th century, the thought of formalising design education programme, separate from arts and handicrafts, began to take shape in Europe. It is with the founding of the **Bauhaus** in Weimar, Germany in 1919 by **Walter Gropius**, that design as a profession for the modern world became recognised. Bauhaus in its short life spanned a design philosophy which still has influence today. On the other side of the Atlantic,

<sup>1</sup> Source–left: http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2007/deutscher-werkbund-tobauhaus-an-important-collection-of-german-design-n08459/lot.46.html Source–right: https://www.ft.com/content/a0d0b9b8-4245-11e8-97ce-ea0c2bf34a0b

**Figure 1.** *Industrial design for AEG by Peter Behrens.*

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**Figure 3.**

*Rapid Physical Models: A New Phase in Industrial Design*

Design [1], industrial design has passed through mass consumption (beginning of consumer age), the modern movement (the romance of the machine), the style era, modern renaissance, the language of objects (symbolism and consumer psychology) till the 1980s. Since then, the postmodern era has seen some radical design movements such as the Memphis and Deconstructivism. Significant and iconic

*Lowey's redesign of Gestetner duplicator; first use of clay to model the form (source: https:// collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O322014/gestetner-duplicator-duplicator-loewy-raymond-fernand/#).*

The biggest effect of industrial design, right from its earliest beginnings, has been the use of physical models during the design process. Stephen Bayley [1] writes that, 'In his first major job, in 1929 for the English reprographic machine manufacturer Sigmund Gestetner (**Figure 3**), he fused the spirit of the times with 50 lbs of clay and made the first piece of office equipment to rely on streamlining'. Why did Lowey use clay? He himself explains that, 'And because Gestetner needed the design so quickly, there was no way to work in steel. I kept as close to the skeleton as possible to be efficient' [2]. Since then, physical models, to check not only the aesthetics, but also the ergonomics, function and dimensional fit of products, have

Industrial designers have been using physical models in the design process in many ways. What started off as a means to portray form and aesthetics in a threedimensional format, physical models have evolved to be used for many intentions and purposes during the different stages of design. Towards the mid-1980s, the design process was more stabilised with distinctive and accepted stages as ideas

progressed through as shown by the simplified diagram in **Figure 4**.

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.88788*

products of each phase are seen in **Figure 2**.

been used extensively in industrial design.

**2. Physical models in industrial design**

**Figure 2.** *Industrial design through different phases/movements.*

several key players such as Norman Bel Geddes, Walter Dorwin Teague, Henry Dreyfuss, Harold Van Doren and **Raymond Lowey**, each from different background started plying their trade as consultant designers around the same time.

Industrial design, since then, has traversed through several phases, more or less following the progress of technology in varied fields, including materials and manufacturing, computer science & engineering and information technology to where it is today. According to Stephen Bayley, the editor of the Conran Directory of *Rapid Physical Models: A New Phase in Industrial Design DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.88788*

*Design and Manufacturing*

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**Figure 2.**

**Figure 1.**

*Industrial design for AEG by Peter Behrens.*

*Industrial design through different phases/movements.*

several key players such as Norman Bel Geddes, Walter Dorwin Teague, Henry Dreyfuss, Harold Van Doren and **Raymond Lowey**, each from different background started plying their trade as consultant designers around the same time. Industrial design, since then, has traversed through several phases, more or less following the progress of technology in varied fields, including materials and manufacturing, computer science & engineering and information technology to where it is today. According to Stephen Bayley, the editor of the Conran Directory of

**Figure 3.** *Lowey's redesign of Gestetner duplicator; first use of clay to model the form (source: https:// collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O322014/gestetner-duplicator-duplicator-loewy-raymond-fernand/#).*

Design [1], industrial design has passed through mass consumption (beginning of consumer age), the modern movement (the romance of the machine), the style era, modern renaissance, the language of objects (symbolism and consumer psychology) till the 1980s. Since then, the postmodern era has seen some radical design movements such as the Memphis and Deconstructivism. Significant and iconic products of each phase are seen in **Figure 2**.

The biggest effect of industrial design, right from its earliest beginnings, has been the use of physical models during the design process. Stephen Bayley [1] writes that, 'In his first major job, in 1929 for the English reprographic machine manufacturer Sigmund Gestetner (**Figure 3**), he fused the spirit of the times with 50 lbs of clay and made the first piece of office equipment to rely on streamlining'. Why did Lowey use clay? He himself explains that, 'And because Gestetner needed the design so quickly, there was no way to work in steel. I kept as close to the skeleton as possible to be efficient' [2]. Since then, physical models, to check not only the aesthetics, but also the ergonomics, function and dimensional fit of products, have been used extensively in industrial design.
