Industrial Design? Confused... help!

[Forecast]

Hi Everyone. I have a question.

I'm going to be a senior in high school next year and I'm currently in RISD's summer pre-college program (Drawing major). Although I don't have to decide my major until after Foundations year, I thought illustration was the only art that I could probably do well in (I have strong technical skills, but felt uncomfortable with the restraints of illustration although I love drawing). Most of my work is in pen and ink, and I love working in detail.

Recently, my 3D Basic Design teacher here at RISD (who is OCD, and a bit of a hardass) was really impressed with my precision and "level of order in my craft" and actually remembered my recent project out of 86 students -- not because it was any good -- but because it was "impeccably neat & precise". This is my first time working in 3D and all the materials are foreign to me (hot glue, gold wire, reed, foamcore).

Anyway, yesterday she came up to me while I was working on reed & wire with pliers, and picked up a part of my sculpture that I had finished the skeleton for. She asked me if I was thinking about art school and I said yes, and then she paused and said, "With this kind of work, I'm surprised why they heck you're in Drawing. Have you thought about architecture or ID?"

I'm confused as to what she meant (I later found out ID meant Industrial Design). She said Drawing doesn't need this much precision and that I should try architecture or ID (my dad's an architect, but I'm not really interested in that and it involves my worst subject, math) but I've been looking into ID and I don't see how it involves precision. Do any of you have any experience in ID?

What do you think I'll be good at? I'm confused as to where I stand, because I'm definately an artist but I don't fit in with the "art school" stereotype (I'm rigid & orderly & anal, but bad at mathematics) and feel confused as to what I might actually like... illustration or fine arts was the only art I thought you could do.


Thanks to all who reply :)

[moroi]

hiya, I'm an industrial design major myself. OCD? Technically precise? Rigid? Orderly? Welcome to the major. :)

Drawing/sketching for ID does involve precision, after all your designs are being handed off to the engineer/model maker to "make it work". But this doesn't mean they always are. In the beginning stages sketches are often loose and full of energy while you're trying to come up with ideas.

Also, sketching is just one part of the skills needed by an IDer, and you learn a lot in school. (User research, model making, software, etc etc). The orderliness/precision mindset comes most in handy when you're making models. The tasks we do are kind of diverse in school, and aren't always a reflection of what you will be doing when you get a job. (For example, most refined models are made by companies/designers specifically for model-making)

Here is a site full of student & professional portfolios that'll give you an idea of what ID is like:

Coroflot (http://www.coroflot.com/public/individual_search_results.asp?specialty=4)
You can even refine the search by school. Which is good, because you want to go somewhere that's producing work you like. RISD was high-ranking in the past for ID, but in recent years I haven't heard much about what's coming out from their department. ArtCenter is of course amazing, but their program has a strong focus on transportation design (which, I don't know how interested in that you are...) Carnegie Mellon has been great too, but I got the impression they're more research based than some in focus. Also there's CCAD that always puts out consistently good work. And, although not an art school, I was impressed by VTech's student portfolio at this past year's regional conference. Lastly, there's my own school. I don't want to advertise it too much because obviously I'm biased. ;) But if you have any specific questions about our program let me know. (I go to SCAD and am very, very happy with my choice)


EDIT:

This forum board will be able to help you waaaaay better than me:
ID Schools (http://boards.core77.com/viewforum.php?f=1)

[Forecast]

Wow, thanks a ton! :)