The Interdisciplinary Design: Design and Engineering Senior Capstone Studio course at Georgia Institute of Technology introduces industrial design and engineering students to an efficient, collaborative practice.

On this programme, radical collaboration happens across university boundaries. Industrial design students are teamed with up to five different engineering majors – biomedical, mechanical, electrical, computer and aerospace – to work on real-world problems sourced in industry and humanitarian design endeavours.

In teams of four to six, across various design and engineering majors, students are tasked with working on a 15-week term project that incorporates a human-centred design process, including customer discovery, stakeholder analysis, problem definition, ideation, prototyping, testing and evaluation in context.

Client projects are diverse throughout the course. From Fortune 500 companies and startup endeavours, to non-profit international humanitarian design and pro-bono artistic endeavours, teams are challenged to engage intimately with customers, stakeholders, underrepresented groups and production supply chains to find the optimum solution that serves everyone involved.

Clients include Coca-Cola, Delta, General Motors, Hyundai, USAID, Northrop Grumman, Third Rail Theatre and the Atlanta Opera.

School: School of Industrial Design, Georgia Institute of Technology
Course: Interdisciplinary Design: Design and Engineering Senior Capstone Studio
Type: Undergraduate
Location: Atlanta, GA, USA
Course dates: August 2025 to May 2026
Application deadline: 16 January 2026

Find out more about the course and apply ›

What will I learn during this course?

– Ability to generate appropriate form and aesthetics and understanding of iterative design and manufacturing process
– Evidence of developed skills in 2D, 3D and 4D mediums and an ability to use and apply various technologies
– Ability to apply human factors knowledge and measurement of the human body
– Ability to conduct research and generate insights
– Translate insights/needs into design requirements, understanding of appropriate value and aesthetics and safety
– Communicate via sketching, diagramming and other graphic collateral
– Understanding of the operation of design beyond the classroom

What are the requirements?

– Senior undergraduate in industrial design

What facilities and resources are available?

– The School of Industrial Design has a complete range of facilities that include 3D printing, scanning, metal forming, sewing, electronic assembly and testing

What career prospects can I expect upon graduating?

Students can expect entry-level positions in industrial design related roles, from user experience and interaction design, customer discovery and design research, as well as traditional product and service design.

Who teaches this course?

– Wayne Li, professor of the Practice of Design and Engineering, School of Industrial Design

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