The School of Industrial Design was formed and began operations in September 1973, upon the recommendation of an Advisory Committee formed by Professor Donald A.George and Professor Douglas Shadbolt. Under the guidance of its first director, Professor Willem Gilles, the program was based on the guidelines of the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (ICSID) and continues to evolve in parallel with ICSID tenets.

In September 2006, the School welcomed its 34th class of students. In April 2007, it will graduate its 31st class with a cumulative total of 610 graduates, the largest number of any industrial design program in Ontario and Canada.

The School of Industrial Design’s undergraduate program continues to maintain strong ties with other Carleton University units including the Eric Sprott School of Business, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Department of Psychology, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, School of Architecture, Technology, Society and Environment Studies program, and the School of Information Technology. This allows it to continue to provide the widest educational opportunities in industrial design.

In his assessment of the School as part of the last Integrative Review, James Kaufman, external appraiser from Ohio State University, reported, This [undergraduate] program meets and exceeds many programs that I am familiar with in North America. Generally it compares to and may be included in a listing of the top ten public university programs of Industrial Design in North America.