This article presents the experience gained over several years of updating industrial design course content due to the incorporation of 3D printing and additive manufacturing technologies initially, followed by the more recent integration of generative design and artificial intelligence technologies.

The approach to incorporating these new contents has focused on the final years of undergraduate studies and master's programs. This work has been developed at the National Distance Education University (UNED), a distance learning university, with significant collaborations from professors at on-site universities.

Specifically, the results of incorporating these contents into courses such as solid modeling and industrial design, both final-year undergraduate subjects in engineering studies, are presented. At the master's level, particularly in the Master’s Degree in Design Engineering offered at UNED, the outcomes of incorporating these contents into subjects such as concurrent engineering, virtual models and simulation, design optimization, and innovation in industrial design are discussed.

It is important to highlight that the incorporation of these contents has been very well received by students, who have recognized the potential that these technologies offer from the outset.

Among the various improvements observed in these subjects, it is notable that, in addition to better preparation, the success rate of the courses has also improved, providing a solid justification for the content updates implemented.

Keywords: Learning by project, Industrial design, 3D printing, Generative design, Artificial intelligence.