In 2010 Innovation Design Engineering (IDE) will celebrate its 30th year. This period has seen a dramatic change of approach in the world of industrial design: it is no longer a purely object-orientated activity. The research, strategy, experience, system – indeed everything around, before, after and supporting the product proposition – is now within the designers' influence. In IDE we are looking for a new type of designer who can innovate masterfully in areas of this broad spectrum. Whether it is experimental exploration, market-focused product innovations or projects driven by new business models and commercial planning. Our remit is: 'To fully exploit creativity, to deliver social benefits through design, and to achieve commercial success through innovation'.
To achieve this aim IDE takes advantage of the skills and cultures of two very different organisations: a predominantly technical university (Imperial College London) and a college of art and design (Royal College of Art). The result is the rigour and precision of science, technology and engineering in combination with the inspirational and creative aspects of design. The course fosters a collaborative approach involving multidisciplinary team working and encourages external commercial involvement. We see IDE as a cutting-edge product design, experimentation and enterprise discipline in which our graduates work at the centre of complex, demanding projects with an emphasis on prototyping and proving propositions.
Graduates will head into diverse creative careers as consultants, innovators, entrepreneurs, freelancers or within corporations, where we hope that they will take their eclectic mix of experiences, knowledge and creative power. Design is a verb, not a noun.
Download a PDF version of the IDE Department Handbook (available soon).
A copy of the full RCA Handbook and Regulations 2009 is available here.
Open Days for IDE 2010/11 applicants will take place on 12 November and 10 December 2009. Please note you need to arrive at 2pm on the day. Please email the Department Administrator for further details.
+44 (0)20 7590 4342
ide@rca.ac.uk
IDE on YouTube