Although producers have always sought to improve their products and better satisfy the consumer, only during the 20th century, when the number and kind of consumer products grew enormously, did industrial design become a separate field, which sought to create a harmonious relationship between the user, product and the environment.
此外，更直接的壓力來自近年國際間對智慧財產的保護。在今天，要讓產品順利外銷，只有兩樣法寶：自己發明新產品，或取別人的發明自行設計、自創品牌。