Industrial Design Careers

An upcoming career in the field of designing, in terms of number of job opportunities, industrial design is all about adding value to the goods produced in industries. This value addition is achieved by means of making a product user-friendly by improving its design. Industrial designers are employed for the same. Industrial designers possess different qualities which enables them to create something new out of dull-looking gadgets. They need to have creativity, technical skills and should be able to understand the client's point of view, in order to design an attractive as well as a useful product.

According to the data gathered by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 48,000 jobs available for industrial designers in the year 2006. It is estimated that the number of jobs in this sector will grow by 7% till 2016. However, owing to stiff competition in the market, one has to be well prepared in order to survive in the field of industrial design.

Study Industrial Design

Those who want to make a serious career out of industrial designing should at least have a Bachelor of Industrial Design degree. One can go in for a masters too, however, graduation is the minimum qualification for an entry-level industrial designer. An industrial designer should be well versed with technical subjects in order to understand engineering principles, industrial material & processes and ergonomics. Along with technical knowledge, the designer should be adept in different mediums of communication such as print media, electronic media, photography, etc. Now let us have a look at the different courses incorporated in industrial design.

Industrial Design Courses

Following is the list of subjects taught in a degree program for industrial design.

• Basic Industrial Design Studio I & II
• Graphic and Industrial Design Fundamentals
• Computer Imaging in the Design Process
• Intermediate Industrial Design Studio Series
• Professional Practice in Industrial Design
• Advanced Industrial Design Studio Series
• Human-Centered Design
• Contemporary Manufacturing Processes I & II
• Advanced Digital Design Processes
• Ideation I & II

Industrial Design Profession

Once a person completes the course, he is capable of handling different technologies. He is taught to apply creativity in a manner that provides innovative solutions to industrial problems. The skill of sketching comes in handy, when an industrial designer needs to put down his ideas on paper, without losing much time. Computer proficiency helps the designer handle different software. The written and verbal skills that are polished during the course of the degree program, help in communicating with clients in an effective manner.

It is advisable to complete an internship program before the degree course gets over. A summer job too helps in gaining enough experience and to become 'industry-ready'. Co-op is an internship program which has a provision for students to work in alternate semesters of the degree course. Thus, a student passes out with an experience of at least a year.

Industrial Design Careers

An industrial designer can work in different posts in various industries. Following are some of the examples of the designations and their respective work settings.

• Industrial Designer - Design Firm
• Multimedia Designer - Entertainment Industry
• Product Designer - Automotive Industry
• Interface Designer/Developer - Software Industry
• Product Developer - Consumer Products Industry
• Exhibit Designer - Museum

Industrial Design is a growing field, and is important for the development of innovative ideas. Industrial designing not only helps manufacturing firms increase their sale, but also gives designers a platform to display their skills. Thus, the Industrial Design sector has unleashed a win-win formula which gives ample scope for creativity to foster.