Become an Industrial Designer

Working as an industrial designer, someone who designs products and objects with aesthetics and function in mind, can be a rewarding career for artistic individuals who are good at conceptualizing ideas and bringing them to life. In order to become an industrial designer, work on developing your artistic ability, then pursue a related degree and learn essential skills. Get an internship while you study to start building up your experience, then put together a portfolio and apply for jobs in a sector that interests you. After you’ve worked designing products for a few years, choose a path to advance your career, such as teaching or starting your own business.

Steps

Acquiring an Education and Skills

1. Develop your artistic ability. Take art classes to grow your drawing, sketching, and illustration skills. These are essential skills for industrial designers to have, as they must be able to sketch design ideas and express designs with illustrations that will later be turned into actual prototypes.
   • Industrial designers must be comfortable drawing both by hand and using computer programs. You can practice using programs like Adobe Illustrator and CorelDRAW to get comfortable with computer-based art.
2. Get a degree in industrial or product design, architecture, or engineering. Opt for a bachelor’s degree program in industrial design or product design to get the most relevant education. Choose a program in architecture or engineering if you cannot attend a university that offers an industrial or product design degree. Sign up for the degree program and pass all the required courses to earn your degree.Template:Greenbox: '''Tip''': Some programs may require you to complete basic art and design courses before allowing you into the full program. You might also be required to provide samples of drawings to prove your artistic ability.
   • An industrial design or product design program is ideal because it will include a wide variety of relevant courses like drawing, computer-aided design and drafting (CADD), 3D modeling, business, manufacturing methods, and industrial processes and materials.
3. Learn how to use computer-aided design software. Take courses that teach you how to use CAD software and 3D modeling software. These are essential tools in the day-to-day work of an industrial designer.
   • These types of software programs are used to create preliminary digital designs and visualize concepts for clients and managers. The designs can then be easily modified and optimized as the ideas change and product prototypes are tested.
4. Work on your analytical and problem-solving skills. Do math problems, play brain games, and join a debate club to develop your analytical and problem-solving abilities in your free time. Take additional elective university courses in math, debate, or other analytical subjects.
   • As an industrial designer, you need to use logic and reasoning to understand client and consumer needs and decide how to meet them. You must be able to anticipate potential issues with products, come up with alternatives and options, and provide solutions.
5. Grow your interpersonal and communication skills. Take communication-based courses, such as writing or public speaking courses, to develop your written and verbal communication skills. Practice your interpersonal skills while doing group projects for different courses in your degree program.
   • Good interpersonal skills will allow you to effectively communicate with and work with clients and colleagues.

Gaining Experience and Finding a Job

1. Look for an internship or placement while you study. Search for an industrial design company or an independent industrial designer in your area. Ask if you can complete an internship or placement for them to start getting experience while you study.Template:Greenbox: '''Tip''': Internships and placements can also lead to full-time jobs after you complete your degree program, so make sure to do your best work to make yourself stand out.
   • Many university programs can also help you find an internship while you are enrolled in a degree program. Talk to your professors or the head of your department about the opportunities that are available to you.
2. Take part in any available industrial design competitions or exhibitions. Look out for competitions and exhibitions that are being held at your university or in your area. Submit design work to any available competitions or exhibitions to get more experience for your portfolio.
   • You can search online using keywords like “industrial design exhibitions” to pull up lists of events happening all over the world. If there are no events near you, consider finding one that you can afford to travel to.
3. Read design journals to keep up with industry trends and technologies. Search online for free design journals to read and subscribe to. Read them regularly to keep your knowledge current and supplement what you learn in your coursework and during any internships.
   • This will help you learn about the very latest developments in the industry that may not yet be integrated into your degree program or internship work, such as the use of new recyclable and sustainable materials.
4. Put together a professional portfolio of all your design work. Compile all your best design work from course projects, internships, extracurricular design events, and any other experiences. Try to include a variety of examples that demonstrate the breadth of your design and creative ability.
   • It’s a good idea to have both a printed portfolio and a digital version that you can show and send to potential clients and employers.
   • Make sure to highlight any special achievements like awards or recognitions you received during your studies or from your participation in events.
5. Apply for jobs at firms if you want to work with varied clients. Search online for industrial design firms and consultancies in the area you want to work and look at their job openings. Submit your resume and portfolio for any job openings that appeal to you.
   • You can also search job sites or LinkedIn using terms like “entry-level industrial designer” and the name of a city where you want to work to pull up a broader list of job opportunities. Then, browse the postings to find openings at firms and consultancies.
   • Another search you could try on a search engine is something like “top industrial design firms.” This will pull up lists of some of the most renowned industrial design companies so you can read about them and get an idea of some you might like to work for.
6. Send applications to product manufacturers if you want to become specialized. Look for job openings at industrial and domestic product manufacturing companies, car manufacturers, and retail companies if you are interested in working on a specific type of product or in a specific field. Send your resume and portfolio to any companies that interest you try and get hired.
   • Some examples of well-known product manufacturers that employ industrial designers and product designers are Coca Cola, Amazon, Specialized Bicycle Components, and Ford Motor Company. Almost any big brand you can think of uses industrial designers to create their products.
   • There are also industrial design jobs in the public sector in which you will design things like equipment used by public services, such as the police force, fire department, and ambulance services.

Working and Advancing Your Career

1. Collaborate with clients and colleagues to design products. Listen to clients and managers to understand the needs for a product. Sketch initial concepts then generate mockups using CAD software and 3D modeling software. Implement any final requests from clients or managers before moving products into the engineering and manufacturing stage.
   • Remember that it’s your job to design products that both meet the vision of the client or company and provide a good experience for the end user. You may encounter situations where you need to compromise in order to come up with a final product that satisfies everyone involved and will work well for users.
2. Work up to a supervisory role if you want to stay in the same company. Work hard and provide good results for the company and clients in order to set yourself apart from your peers. Apply for supervisory positions like chief designer or design department head when jobs open up to advance your career if you want to stay at the company you work at long-term and make more money.
   • Keep in mind that it usually takes about 5 years of experience to move up into a more senior position with management responsibilities.
3. Become a teacher or professor if you want to educate industrial designers. Apply for teaching positions at design institutes, colleges, or universities if you want to move from working in industrial design to teaching it. These types of employers usually prefer candidates who have at least 5 years of experience in the industry.
   • If you are serious about a career in education, consider getting a master’s degree in industrial design or product design. You could also take a master’s program in a related area that you want to teach if you want to shift gears, such as graphic design or interior design.
4. Start your own business if you want to be more independent. Start your own industrial design firm or independent consultancy if you want to be your own boss. This will allow you much more flexibility with your time and how much money you earn.Template:Greenbox: '''Tip''': If you want to start your own business, it helps to have a knack for business and sales, otherwise it will be difficult to get clients or you will have to hire someone else to handle that part of the business.
   • Self-employed industrial designers even have the potential to earn more than their senior-level counterparts who work at companies. However, it all depends on how much you want to work, the type of work you want to do, and the clients you acquire.

References

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