This page is the Web-only portion of the library guide for industrial design (too big to fit in SimpleText!). For print resources in the library (and there are a lot) and links to the library catalog please see the other part of this guide.
Searching the Web can be overwhelming. If you are using the Internet for research you want to choose sites that meet the standards of accuracy, currency and authority.
With just a few good Web sites, you should be able to find many other web sites by looking for links and resources lists within the sites listed below. The sites included here were chosen not only for their relevance and reliability, but for their links to many other authoritative sites. For example, on the Materials Research Society site page, click on "Materials Gateway" for links to materials sites.
AnthroSources
http://ovrt.nist.gov/anthroindex.html
"AnthroSources is a collection of databases, visual access resouces and other resource material for anthropometry (the science of human measurement) professionals and standards developers in the anthropometry community. The primary resources are AnthroKids a freely available data collection of the only survey of anthropometric measurements of children ever taken in the United States and AnthroGloss (head and body) a VRML based 3D access mechanism for anthropometric landmark names." quoted from the Web page
Consortium on Green Design and Manufacturing, University of California, Berkeley
http://cgdm.berkeley.edu/
"A Multi-Disciplinary Research and Educational Partnership Between Academia, Industry and Government."
A message to the webmaster of this site did not go through, but the links are pretty good.
CORE77 Design Magazine and Resource
http://www.core77.com/
So much great stuff, how do you even describe it? The Material Connexion Web site has a lengthy description among their "Industry Links."
Design Management Institute
http://www.dmi.org/
"Founded in 1975 and based in Boston, Massachusetts, the Design Management Institute is a non-profit organization dedicated to demonstrating the strategic role of design in business and to improving the management and utilization of design. The Institute's programs assist design managers in becoming leaders in their profession, as well as educate and foster an international interaction among design managers, organizational managers, public policy makers and academics." source: About DMI, 1/30/2001
Environmental Design Research Association
http://www.edra.org/
"The Environmental Design Research Association (edra) is an international, interdisciplinary organization founded in 1968 by design professionals, social scientists, students, educators, and facility managers. The purpose of edra is the advancement and dissemination of environmental design research, thereby improving understanding of the interrelationships between people, their built and natural surroundings, and helping to create environments responsive to human needs."--from "About edra". edra offers a Student Paper and Design Awards and holds an annual conference.
How Stuff Works
http://www.howstuffworks.com/
The title says it all. A commercial site with a good bit of advertising, but still a great place for basic information on anything technical.
IDSA: Industrial Designers Society of America
http://www.idsa.org/
The leading American professional organization for industrial design.
Intute: Science, Engineering and Technology
http://www.intute.ac.uk/sciences/
"Intute: Science, Engineering and Technology is a free online service providing you with access to the very best Web resources for education and research, evaluated and selected by a network of subject specialists. It covers the physical sciences, engineering, computing, geography, mathematics and environmental science. The database currently contains 33352 records."
For materials science: look under "Internet Catalogue" on the left and select "Browse"; select "Engineering"; select "Materials Science and Engineering".
Product Development and Management Association
http://www.pdma.org/
"The Product Development and Management Association (PDMA) is the premier global advocate for product development and management professionals. Our mission is to improve the effectiveness of individuals and organizations in product development and management. This is accomplished by providing resources for professional development, information, collaboration and promotion of new product development and management." source: About PDMA, 5 Sept 2007
Material Connexion
http://www.materialconnexion.com/
"Material ConneXion is the largest global resource of new materials. Our Library houses over 3,500 new and innovative materials representing eight categories: polymers, glass, ceramics, carbon-based materials, cement-based materials, metals, natural materials and natural material derivatives. We feature truly cutting-edge materials and applications. Complete Library information is accessible via the Internet, using
Material ConneXion's database." source: About Material Connexion, 5 Sept 2007. The UArts Libraries subscribe to Material Connexion. To access it, use the link from the Research Tools and Resources page.
Materials Research Society
http://www.mrs.org/s_mrs/index.asp
"The Materials Research Society is an organization of materials researchers from academia, industry, and government that promotes communication for the advancement of interdisciplinary materials research to improve the quality of life."--from About MRS. Check out their Resources and Links and their online interactive exhibit, Strange Matter.
MatWeb
http://www.matweb.com/
"MatWeb, the FREE materials information database with data on 26,023 materials including metals, plastics, ceramics, and composites." source: MatWeb banner, 04/08/2002.
Universal Design Education Online
http://www.udeducation.org/
"This web site supports the teaching and study of universal design. It also provides a place where educators can interact with each other. Our goal is to develop a community of learners who exchange information for the benefit of all." Quoted from Purpose of This Site. Includes instructional materials, universal design articles, an annotated bibliography, and links to related resources.
U.S. Green Building Council
http://www.usgbc.org/
"The U.S. Green Building Council is the nationšs foremost coalition of leaders from across the building industry working to promote buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places to live and work." Extensive set of resources, including the Delaware Valley Green Building Council, the Philadelphia-area chapter.
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Send questions or remarks about this page to Sara MacDonald, Public Services Librarian, SMacDonald@uarts.edu.
Last updated 26 March 2008 sjm
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