It’s rare, but possible, that you’re spending this Thanksgiving with a bunch of other industrial designers, rather than non-design-savvy family members who don’t really get what you do. If that’s the case, then you have a rare opportunity to have long, drawn-out discussions about design with your peers in a non-office setting. The addition of alcohol can make the discussion more lively.
Here are some topics to get you started:
1. If Dieter Rams were to “sell out,” which organization or product should he do a cross-licensing deal with:
A. The L.A. Rams
B. The All-New 2019 Dodge Ram
C. Mola Ram, antagonist of “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom,” for the 35th Anniversary DVD set
D. Battering Rams: A new set of pancake and crepe-making tools to be produced by Braun
E. Dieter RAM: A series of flash drives with modernist designs
2. Fact: Most experts agree that Industrial Design is the best of all design professions. Rank these other fields in order from second-best to worst.
- Architecture
- Fashion Design
- Graphic Design
- Interior Decoration
- Interior Design
- Mechanical Engineering
- Sewage Sluice Gate Maintenance Technician
- Living life as a rabbit
3. What was Apple’s best product?
- The original iMac
- The original iPod
- The original iPhone
- The original iPad
- That cube-shaped computer
- The titanium PowerBook
- The Macbook Air
- The Mac Pro
“All of Apple’s products are awesome–no YOU shut up. I will kill you”
4. What was Apple’s worst product?
- The original iMac
- The original iPod
- The original iPhone
- The original iPad
- That cube-shaped computer
- The titanium PowerBook
- The Macbook Air
- The Mac Pro
- “All of Apple’s products suck–no YOU shut up. I will kill you”
Random Short Topics
- Stuffing: A payload system for gravy
- Which Thanksgiving foods have the best and worst UX?
- Shop applications for electric carving knives
- If redesigning a turkey from scratch, where would you start?
- What series or line of products could be named after root vegetables and still gain consumer acceptance?
- In an end-of-the-world zombie-type scenario, which common studio tools would make the best survival weapons?
Bonus Minefield Question:
“Women are underrepresented in Industrial Design because ___________. The best way to reverse this would be _____________.”
https://www.core77.com/posts/81165/Thanksgiving-Dinner-Table-Discussion-Topics-for-Industrial-Designers-Part-2-If-Other-Industrial-Designers-are-Present