Pushing Visual Boundaries as an Illustrator
Abby Ouellette '19 BFAMassArt alumna Abby Ouellette ’19 explores girlhood, nostalgia, and editorial illustration as a bold, boundary-pushing freelance illustrator.
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Industrial Design Faculty & Department Administrators
Brian Ferreira, '25 BFA, Industrial Design
Splash Temp, Rendering, 2024
Designing Her Future: How Scholarship Support Fuels Rachel Buckley’s Entrepreneurial Dreams
Rachel Buckley
'25 BFA Industrial Design
- Student
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MassArt Industrial Design student Rachel Buckley shares her dreams of becoming an entrepreneur and how scholarship support empowers her as a nontraditional student.
As a nontraditional student, scholarship support ensures that Rachel can continue building the skills and confidence to create innovative designs and realize her entrepreneurial ambitions.
As giving season approaches, please consider making a gift of any amount to support unique and innovative changemakers like Rachel, so they can complete their education and make their mark on the world.
Having any kind of scholarship support means the world to me because I really want to be here… I’m on the right path and I’m doing what I was meant to do.Rachel Buckley ’25 BFA Industrial Design
Ceramicist & Alum Sam Kim Creates One-of-a-Kind Awards for MassArt’s 2024 Common Good Award Honorees
Sam Kim
'18 BFA
- Alumni
Photo courtesy of Sam Kim
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On Saturday, December 7, 2024, community members gathered to honor individuals fostering positive change at the second annual MassArt Common Good Awards.
In keeping with the tradition of honoring each recipient with a unique award, this year’s honorees recieved custom-made, inscribed ceramic pieces by Korean-American artist and designer Sam Kim, a 2018 graduate of MassArt’s Industrial Design and Ceramics program. Kim’s innovative approach to slipcasting transforms a process traditionally used for mass production into one that creates distinctive, one-of-a-kind pieces.
Kim discovered his passion for ceramics while studying Industrial Design at MassArt, where he was drawn to clay’s malleable and moldable nature. His work seamlessly blends the precision of industrial design with the expressive possibilities of clay, resulting in pieces that are both functional and visually dynamic.
Slipcasting, a process involving liquid clay poured into molds, serves as the foundation of Kim’s practice. He challenges its conventional use by carefully layering and stacking molds to ensure each piece is unique. His aesthetic is defined by what he terms “offsets”—intentional slants and geometric contours that combine curves with sharp cuts. These features add movement and tension to his work, transforming a traditionally uniform process into a method for creating truly personal and distinctive objects.
In addition to his artistic practice, Kim co-founded Slow Hands Studio in Lowell with his studio partner, Leena Cho. Together, they have built a creative space dedicated to producing thoughtfully designed ceramics and exploring new possibilities in the medium. Outside the studio, Kim draws inspiration from his everyday rituals, whether brewing the perfect cup of coffee, cycling through the city, exploring new technologies, or playing video games.
Kim’s work has been featured in exhibitions such as Lines of Korea, Cultural Context, and the State of Clay Biennial. His custom-designed pieces for the MassArt Common Good Awards reflect his dedication to craftsmanship and his vision for pushing the boundaries of ceramic design.
More Alumni stories
MassArt Alum Alex Small-Butera Wins Emmy for Animation
Alex Small-Butera '08 BFAAlex Small-Butera sat down for an interview to explain about how he and Lindsay got from here to there, rising in their careers to receive this mark of achievement from Hollywood on their ability as animators, as artists.
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Brian Ferreira, '25 BFA, Industrial Design
Sam: Health Monitoring, 3D Modeled Render, 2023
Kurt Kindermann, '24 BFA, Industrial Design
8C Espresso Machine, Keyshot Rendering, 2023
Industrial Design students have access to our Auxiliary Fabrication Studio, Model Shop, and a studio space within a collaborative work environment.
The Industrial Design studios, located on the tenth floor of the Tower building, are well-equipped with resources that mimic a professional workspace, giving our students a hands-on learning experience. Here are some of the primary resources you will use:
- Dedicated Studio Space: Each student gets their own studio space, a place to work independently that also encourages collaboration and teamwork.
- Classroom-Studio Integration: Many classes are taught right in the studio, providing a real-world work environment experience.
- Computer Lab: Our computer lab is equipped with industry-standard computers and the latest design software. These computers are connected to Cintiq computer drawing screens, allowing students to work digitally, a critical skill in modern design.
- 3D Printers: We have six 3D printers for rapid prototyping, allowing students to bring their digital designs to life and experiment with different ideas.
- Model Shop: This is where students can build physical prototypes of their designs, learning to work with various materials.
- Soft Goods Development Area: This space is dedicated to projects involving fabrics and soft materials, providing students with a wide range of design possibilities.
- All-School Workshop and Fabrication Labs: These facilities offer advanced manufacturing technologies like laser printing, water jet printing, CNC milling, and plasma cutting. Students can experiment with different materials and techniques, which is essential for their growth as versatile designers.
With these resources, you will be well-prepared for success in the professional world, with practical skills and hands-on experience with cutting-edge tools and technologies used in the industry.
Check out What Our Students are Making
Brian Ferreira, ’25 BFA, Industrial Design
Splash Temp, Rendering, 2024
Brian Ferreira, ’25 BFA, Industrial Design
Sam: Health Monitoring, 3D Modeled Render, 2023
Kurt Kindermann, ’24 BFA, Industrial Design
8C Espresso Machine, Keyshot Rendering, 2023
Lucas Gruner, ’23 BFA, Industrial Design
Citymapper Kiosk, Render, 2020
Calder McKay, ’20 BFA, Industrial Design
Rotating Bench, Furniture, 2019
Farid Mokarimanshadi, ’19 BFA, Industrial Design
FORALL, Furniture, 2019
Farid Mokarimanshadi, ’19 BFA, Industrial Design
DOPA, Furniture, 2019
Farid Mokarimanshadi, ’19 BFA, Industrial Design
Sidebed Drawer, Furniture, 2019
Austin Robichaud, ’21 BFA, Industrial Design
Fluid Salt and Pepper Shakers, Object, 2019
Sam Kim, ’18 BFA, Ceramics, Industrial Design
Symmetry, Sculpture, 2019
Adam Smith, ’18 Certificate, Industrial Design
Braun Bluetooth Speaker, Model, 2016
Alexander Bandazian, ’15 Certificate, Industrial Design
Sunshower Light Therapy, Model, 2015
Elena Talleos, ’16 BFA, Industrial Design
Reciprocating Power Saw, Model, 2015
Hali Graber, ’17 BFA, Industrial Design
Redesign of Powered Handsaw, Model, 2016
Chloe Derraugh, ’17 BFA, Industrial Design
Orthopedic Saw, Model, 2016
Judith Anderson
Professor, Industrial Design
Gregory Cook
Adjunct Professor, Industrial Design
Frank Criscione
Assistant Professor, Industrial DesignLars Fischer
Professor, Design Innovation
Neil Madramootoo
Adjunct Professor, Industrial Design
Yolanda McLean
Administrative Assistant, Design DepartmentsJames Read
Chair, Design Innovation
Heather Reavey
Associate Professor, Industrial DesignAlice Stanne
Administrative Assistant, Design DepartmentsLaura Woolpert
Visiting Lecturer, Industrial DesignCreate impactful products and experiences that combine eye-catching design, performance, safety, and efficiency.
Industrial Design at MassArt is dedicated to nurturing holistic, human-centered designers. Our BFA program equips students to create impactful solutions for products, services, and environments across diverse industries and non-profit sectors. You will develop essential skills such as concept sketching, rendering, and prototyping and gain experience with computer-aided design (CAD) and the importance of Manufacturing and material processes, ergonomics, and human factors in design.
Through collaborations with industry professionals and alumni, you’ll receive invaluable critique and guidance, preparing you for the transition into the field. Our partnerships with leading organizations in and around Boston allow you to apply your skills in real-world settings, expand your professional network, and deepen your understanding of the industrial design profession.
A cornerstone of our program is the Senior Thesis project, a two-semester capstone that empowers you to delve deeply into your design interests and produce innovative, self-directed work that reflects your individual creative vision and professional aspirations.
Farid Mokarimanshadi, ’19 BFA, Industrial Design
FORALL, Furniture, 2019
Alexander Bandazian, ’15 Certificate, Industrial Design
Sunshower Light Therapy, Model, 2015
Graduate with skills and expertise that prepare you to succeed as an accomplished industrial designer.
An Industrial Design education from MassArt prepares you to design products, services, and experiences that people around the world use every day. Here are just some of the concepts, skills, and career opportunities that our students gain during their time here.
Industrial Design is a multifaceted discipline that combines art, science, and technology to improve the human experience through well-designed products. At MassArt, we prepare the next generation of designers to face the challenges of our rapidly changing world, remaining at the forefront of innovation through thoughtful, human-centered design solutions.
Alumni Success
MassArt’s industrial design program graduates are making significant impacts across a wide spectrum of industries, working with internationally recognized brands such as Nike, Google, Bose, Shark Ninja, Reebok, and Apple. Our curriculum emphasizes visual and verbal communication, ensuring you can effectively explain the value of your designs to business partners, communities, and individuals.
BFA Learning Outcomes
Students who complete the Industrial Design BFA program are expected to be able to demonstrate the following learning outcomes, which are necessary and part of successful entry into professional design practice.
- The history of industrial design, including the influence of various works and ideas on the evolution of design study and practice over time and across cultures.
- User experience, human factors, applied ergonomics, contextual inquiry, user preference studies, and usability assessments.
- How the products and systems you design are developed, realized, and distributed; what makes them valuable; and how they’re related to environmental and societal issues and responsible design.
- Professional design practices and processes, including ethical behaviors and intellectual property issues such as patents, trademarks, and copyrights.
- Basic business practices and their relationship to industrial design as well as the ability to investigate and reconcile needs related to entrepreneurship, marketing, engineering, manufacturing, servicing, and ecological and social responsibility in the process associated with specific design projects.
- Designing products and experiences that perform specific tasks and solve predetermined problems.
- Using technologies and tools associated with multi-dimensional design representation, development, dissemination, and application.
- Researching, defining, and communicating about problems, variables, and requirements in the design process; conceptualizing and evaluating alternatives; and testing and refining solutions, including the ability to synthesize user needs in terms of value, aesthetics, and safety.
- Communicating concepts and specifications in verbal, written, and multiple media at levels ranging from abstraction and sketches to detailed multi-dimensional, functional, and visual representations.Collaborating and working effectively in interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary teams.
- Field research and experience
- Internships
- Collaborative programs with professional and industry groups
- International experiences
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