Industrial design is categorized into four main areas: product design, environmental design, communication design, and design management. It encompasses various disciplines, including form design, mechanical design, circuit design, fashion design, urban planning, interior design, architecture, UI design, graphic design, packaging design, advertising, animation, exhibition design, and web design.

Also known as industrial product design, this field integrates psychology, sociology, aesthetics, ergonomics, mechanical engineering, photography, and color theory. Unlike traditional arts, craftsmanship, or production processes, industrial design is a multidisciplinary fusion of technology, functionality, and aesthetics, shaped by industrial development and labor division.

At its core, design is pure, serving as a bridge between technology and an aspirational lifestyle. Industrial design is not merely a commercial pursuit but also a cultural expression that requires dissemination and impact.

工业设计分为产品设计、环境设计、传播设计、设计管理4类；包括造型设计、机械设计、电路设计、服装设计、环境规划、室内设计、建筑设计、UI设计、平面设计、包装设计、广告设计、动画设计、展示设计、网站设计等。工业设计又称工业产品设计学，工业设计涉及到心理学，社会学，美学，人机工程学，机械构造，摄影，色彩学等。工业发展和劳动分工所带来的工业设计，与其它艺术、生产活动、工艺制作等都有明显不同，它是各种学科、技术和审美观念的交叉产物。

​

设计性质是纯洁的，是设计师藉由对生活的美好诉求通过技术的手段延伸到产品上，从而延伸到人们的生活中去。工业设计，不是单纯的以一种商业为目的的商业活动，它还是一种文化，且需要传播。