We live in a world that is influenced by design. Urban developers, architects, fashion designers, graphic designers and industrial designers are just some of the professionals that participate in the creation of the world around us.

We all enjoy the results when designers get it right; but when they get it wrong, we all suffer.

One of the professions that is enjoying a boom at the moment is that of Industrial Design. In a street that has been properly designed we find bus shelters, garbage bins, sign posts, lights, benches and many other items go to make up the urban landscape. In our homes we find furniture, white goods, bathroom fittings, sound equipment, vases and table settings among many other objects that have been designed.

We are so used to cars, airplane seats and stereo systems in daily use that we can forget that somebody invested the effort and time to design them.

Nevertheless when we have to choose between a number of different options, the design factor is normally the one that is most important to us. We tend to prefer a make or model that seems to be the most attractive.

We only have to think about the enormous competition in the market for digital cameras.

Even among models with the same functionality there is a huge range of different designs. And simply because there is not much to choose between functions, we tend to choose on the basis of design. The same thing happens with sound systems: within a range of similar prices and characteristics, we will choose model that manages to attract us.

Whether it is a wristwatch, a fountain pen, a tennis racquet, a telephone or a briefcase, we will generally choose on this same basis – we will prefer one particular design over another. The person who is responsible for all this is the Industrial Designer.

This discipline is growing in importance, and at a faster rate than others. Today there are some 4,000 official faculties of Industrial Design and the number is increasing all the time. This is not only due to the broad horizons that this profession opens up, but also because it is one of the few professions where excellence is international. A Panamanian Industrial Designer can be working on a commission for a British company with production facilities in India and which distributes its products worldwide. To give a specific example, the Finnish company Nokia hires industrial designers in Chile, the products that they design are manufactured in different parts of Asia, and they are marketed to the whole world.

Another very interesting factor is their interaction with other disciplines. For example, they work with medical professionals on the design of wheel chairs, medical instruments, artificial joints, facilities for therapy and rehabilitation, many different types of prosthesis, etc. In the field of education this cooperation influences the design from children’s toys to school furniture; in the automotive industry, the look of the vehicle is produced by industrial designers who have produced unmistakable models for manufacturers such as Volkswagen, Fiat or Mercedes Benz.

We can also go on to mention some lines and products that have become icons of world design such as Apple computers, Mont blanc pens, Barcelona chairs and the Sony Walkman.

In his daily routine the Industrial Designer combines the worlds of Art, Technology and Marketing. His position requires him to evaluate everything from the raw materials tothe production systems, warehousing, transport, the way a product is displayed and the consumer reaction to it. He is person of great creativity with a broad range of knowledge who operates at an international level and can work just as easily in a major industry as in a small garage workshop.

Some countries are immediately identified with industrial design: Scandinavian countries, Italy and Japan are prime movers in this field. This was not always the case, and came about because of the value they placed on traditional design and because they established teaching institutions where design skills were developed that set them apart from the rest. We shouldn’t assume that the existence of established industries is a pre-requisite for industrial designers to exist; production facilities may exist in other parts of the world. Neither should we assume that a long tradition of design is needed in order for somebody to be a successful designer; points of reference can be found in other countries, and in all likelihood the same will apply to consumers for the products that you will design.

This profession is one of the most important in the context of the free trade agreements that are being established among the world’s regions and nations.

The Industrial Designer can be said without fear of contradiction to be a professional by definition; he is one of the few who really fits in with the concept of globalization. The big political movements that are crossing frontiers will place even more importance on this type of designer and will result in even greater demand for their services.

In terms of their place in Panama, this country has declared itself a committed advocate of globalization and the Industrial Designer is one of the professions that will be called upon to