Industrial designers develop new styles and designs for products ranging from pencil sharpeners and dishwashers to automobiles. Some specialize in package design or the creation of trademarks; others plan the entire layout of commercial buildings such as supermarkets. A recent trend in industrial design is the shift away from physical products and toward software ranging from cell phone apps to desktop programs and websites.
Industrial designers combine artistic talent with knowledge of materials and production methods. Teamwork is necessary in this field, and input from many people goes into a finished product. Working closely with engineers, production personnel, and sales and marketing experts, industrial designers thoroughly research a product. They prepare detailed drawings, then a scale model of a new design. After approval of a design, a full-scale working model is built and tested before production begins.
Design is not one but a number of different fields. Industrial designers develop and design countless manufactured products like cars, home appliances, computers, stethoscopes, filing cabinets, fishing rods, pens, and piggy banks, among many others. They combine artistic talent with research on product use, marketing, materials, and production methods to create the best and most appealing design and to make the product competitive with others in the marketplace.
Most industrial designers work for large manufacturing firms where they fill day-to-day design needs and work on long-range planning of new products or for design consulting firms that service a number of industrial companies. Some do free-lance work or work for architectural and interior design firms. A few teach in colleges and universities or art schools.
Places of Employment and Working Conditions
Industrial designers work for manufacturing firms in all parts of the United States. Industrial design consultants work mainly in New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.
Designers frequently adjust their workday to suit their clients, meeting with them evenings or on weekends when necessary. They may transact business in clients' homes or offices, in their own offices, or in other locations such as showrooms.
Industrial designers usually work regular hours but occasionally work overtime to meet deadlines. A five-day, 35-hour to 40-hour week is usual with occasional overtime necessary to meet deadlines.
Qualifications, Education, and Training
Creativity, artistic talent and drawing skills, the ability to see familiar objects in new ways, and communication skills are necessary. An industrial designer must be able to design to meet the needs and tastes of the public, not just to suit his or her artistic ideas.
High school should include courses in art, mechanical drawing, and mathematics.
Four- to five-year programs in industrial design are offered by art schools, technical schools, and colleges and universities, such as Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles. Most large manufacturing firms require a bachelor's degree in industrial design.
Some schools require the submission of samples of artistic ability before acceptance into their industrial design programs. After graduation, job applicants are expected to show a portfolio of their work to demonstrate their creativity and design ability.
Potential and Advancement
This is a relatively small field with very limited growth expected in the foreseeable future. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that the demand for industrial designers will grow by a mere 2% between 2014 and 2024. Job opportunities will be best for college graduates with degrees in industrial design.
Nearly two-fifths of designers are self-employed, a much higher proportion than in most occupations. Salaried designers are found in a number of different industries, depending on their design specialty. Most industrial designers, for example, work for consulting firms or for large manufacturing companies.
Industrial designers may be promoted to supervisory positions with major responsibility for design of a specific product or group of products. Those with an established reputation sometimes start their own consulting firms.
Income
Earnings of self-employed designers vary greatly, depending on their talent and business ability, but generally are higher than those of salaried designers. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salary of all industrial designers in 2015 was $67,130.
Related Jobs
Related jobs include architects, drafters, desktop publishers, computer programmers, graphic designers, software developers, and interior designers.
