Industrial Designer

Design and develop manufactured products, such as cars, home appliances, and children's toys. Combine artistic talent with research on product use, marketing, and materials to create the most functional and appealing product design.

On the job, you would:

Prepare sketches of ideas, detailed drawings, illustrations, artwork, or blueprints, using drafting instruments, paints and brushes, or computer-aided design equipment.
Modify and refine designs, using working models, to conform with customer specifications, production limitations, or changes in design trends.
Evaluate feasibility of design ideas, based on factors such as appearance, safety, function, serviceability, budget, production costs/methods, and market characteristics.

Important Qualities

Analytical skills. Industrial designers use logic or reasoning skills to study consumers and recognize the need for new products.

Artistic ability. Industrial designers sketch their initial design ideas, which are used later to create prototypes. As such, designers must be able to express their design through illustration.

Computer skills. Industrial designers use computer-aided design software to develop their designs and create prototypes.

Creativity. Industrial designers must be innovative in their designs and the ways in which they integrate existing technologies into their new product.

Interpersonal skills. Industrial designers must develop cooperative working relationships with clients and colleagues who specialize in related disciplines.

Mechanical skills. Industrial designers must understand how products are engineered, at least for the types of products that they design.

Problem-solving skills. Industrial designers determine the need, size, and cost of a product; anticipate production issues; develop alternatives; evaluate options; and implement solutions.

Personality

A3	Your Strengths	Importance	Characteristics of this Career
		97%	Attention to Detail - Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
		81%	Initiative - Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
		80%	Dependability - Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
		79%	Analytical Thinking - Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
		78%	Cooperation - Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
		76%	Persistence - Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
		74%	Adaptability/Flexibility - Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
		74%	Innovation - Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems.
		70%	Achievement/Effort - Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
		68%	Integrity - Job requires being honest and ethical.
		67%	Leadership - Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.
		64%	Independence - Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
		64%	Concern for Others - Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
		61%	Stress Tolerance - Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.
		58%	Self-Control - Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.

A3	Your Strengths	Importance	Strengths
		95%	Artistic - Work involves creating original visual artwork, performances, written works, food, or music for a variety of media, or applying artistic principles to the design of various objects and materials. Artistic occupations are often associated with visual arts, applied arts and design, performing arts, music, creative writing, media, or culinary art.
		61%	Enterprising - Work involves managing, negotiating, marketing, or selling, typically in a business setting, or leading or advising people in political and legal situations. Enterprising occupations are often associated with business initiatives, sales, marketing/advertising, finance, management/administration, professional advising, public speaking, politics, or law.

A3	Your Strengths	Importance	Values of the Work Environment
		67%	Achievement - Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
		67%	Relationships - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
		61%	Working Conditions - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
		61%	Recognition - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.
		61%	Independence - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
		56%	Support - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.

Aptitude

A3	Your Strengths	Importance	Abilities \| Cognitive, Physical, Personality
		72%	Originality - The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
		72%	Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
		72%	Fluency of Ideas - The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
		69%	Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
		69%	Visualization - The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
		69%	Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
		69%	Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
		69%	Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
		66%	Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
		66%	Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
		66%	Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
		63%	Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
		60%	Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
		56%	Visual Color Discrimination - The ability to match or detect differences between colors, including shades of color and brightness.
		53%	Category Flexibility - The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
		53%	Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
		53%	Selective Attention - The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
		53%	Flexibility of Closure - The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.

A3	Your Strengths	Importance	Skills \| Cognitive, Physical, Personality
		59%	Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
		57%	Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
		57%	Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
		57%	Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
		57%	Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
		55%	Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
		55%	Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
		55%	Operations Analysis - Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
		54%	Systems Evaluation - Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
		54%	Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
		54%	Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
		52%	Technology Design - Generating or adapting equipment and technology to serve user needs.
		52%	Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
		52%	Persuasion - Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.

Job Details

Responsibilities

Draw detailed or technical illustrations.

Coordinate construction or installation activities.

Develop artistic or design concepts for decoration, exhibition, or commercial purposes.

Collaborate with others to develop or refine designs.

Present work to clients for approval.

Collaborate with others to develop or refine designs.

Monitor current trends.

Conduct research to inform art, designs, or other work.

Estimate costs for projects or productions.

Draw detailed or technical illustrations.

Coordinate design activities.

Build models, patterns, or templates.

Conduct market research.

Develop promotional strategies or plans.

A3	Your Strengths	Importance	Attributes & Percentage of Time Spent
		100%	Electronic Mail - How often do you use electronic mail in this job?
		100%	Face-to-Face Discussions - How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?
		99%	Indoors, Environmentally Controlled - How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions?
		93%	Work With Work Group or Team - How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job?
		92%	Telephone - How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
		85%	Importance of Being Exact or Accurate - How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?
		85%	Spend Time Sitting - How much does this job require sitting?
		85%	Contact With Others - How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?
		82%	Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results - What results do your decisions usually have on other people or the image or reputation or financial resources of your employer?
		77%	Frequency of Decision Making - How frequently is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization?
		76%	Time Pressure - How often does this job require the worker to meet strict deadlines?
		75%	Deal With External Customers - How important is it to work with external customers or the public in this job?
		69%	Structured versus Unstructured Work - To what extent is this job structured for the worker, rather than allowing the worker to determine tasks, priorities, and goals?
		68%	Freedom to Make Decisions - How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?
		67%	Importance of Repeating Same Tasks - How important is repeating the same physical activities (e.g., key entry) or mental activities (e.g., checking entries in a ledger) over and over, without stopping, to performing this job?
		66%	Coordinate or Lead Others - How important is it to coordinate or lead others in accomplishing work activities in this job?
		63%	Sounds, Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable - How often does this job require working exposed to sounds and noise levels that are distracting or uncomfortable?
		60%	Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets - How much does this job require wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets?
		57%	Responsibility for Outcomes and Results - How responsible is the worker for work outcomes and results of other workers?
		55%	Level of Competition - To what extent does this job require the worker to compete or to be aware of competitive pressures?
		52%	Exposed to Hazardous Equipment - How often does this job require exposure to hazardous equipment?
		88%	Duration of Typical Work Week - Number of hours typically worked in one week.

A3	Your Strengths	Importance	Tasks & Values
		89%	Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment - Providing documentation, detailed instructions, drawings, or specifications to tell others about how devices, parts, equipment, or structures are to be fabricated, constructed, assembled, modified, maintained, or used.
		85%	Making Decisions and Solving Problems - Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
		85%	Working with Computers - Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
		84%	Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates - Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
		80%	Getting Information - Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
		74%	Thinking Creatively - Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
		73%	Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards - Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
		72%	Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events - Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
		72%	Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships - Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
		68%	Documenting/Recording Information - Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
		68%	Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings - Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
		68%	Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work - Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
		68%	Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge - Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
		67%	Communicating with People Outside the Organization - Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
		65%	Processing Information - Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
		61%	Analyzing Data or Information - Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.

What Industrial Designers Do

Industrial designers work primarily in offices, but they may travel to the places where the products are manufactured.

Industrial designers develop the concepts for manufactured products, such as cars, home appliances, and toys. They combine art, business, and engineering to make products that people use every day. Industrial designers consider the function, aesthetics, production costs, and usability of products when developing new product concepts.

Duties

Industrial designers typically do the following:

Consult with clients to determine requirements for designs
Research the various ways a particular product might be used, and who will use it
Sketch ideas or create renderings, which are images on paper or on a computer that provide a visual of design ideas
Use computer software to develop virtual models of different designs
Create physical prototypes of their designs
Examine materials and manufacturing requirements to determine production costs
Work with other specialists, such as mechanical engineers and manufacturers, to evaluate whether their design concepts will fill needs at a reasonable cost
Evaluate product safety, appearance, and function to determine if a design is practical
Present designs and demonstrate prototypes to clients for approval

Some industrial designers focus on a particular product category. For example, they may design medical equipment or work on consumer electronics products, such as computers and smart phones. Other designers develop ideas for products such as new bicycles, furniture, housewares, and snowboards.

Other designers, sometimes called user interface designers or interaction designers, focus on the usability of a product, such as an electronic device, and ensure that the product is both simple and enjoyable to use.

Industrial designers imagine how consumers might use a product and test different designs with consumers to see how each design looks and works. Industrial designers often work with engineers, production experts, and market research analysts to find out if their designs are feasible. They apply the input from their colleagues’ professional expertise to further develop their designs. For example, industrial designers may work with market research analysts to develop plans to market new product designs to consumers.

Computers are a major tool for industrial designers. Industrial designers use two-dimensional computer-aided design and drafting (CADD) software to sketch ideas, because computers make it easy to make changes and show alternatives. Three-dimensional CAD software is increasingly being used by industrial designers as a tool to transform their two-dimensional designs into models with the help of three-dimensional printers. If they work for manufacturers, they also may use computer-aided industrial design (CAID) software to create specific machine-readable instructions that tell other machines exactly how to build the product.

Work Environment

Industrial designers held about 32,400 jobs in 2022. The largest employers of industrial designers were as follows:

Manufacturing	34%
Wholesale trade	15
Specialized design services	9
Architectural, engineering, and related services	9
Self-employed workers	5

Work spaces for industrial designers often include work tables for sketching designs, meeting rooms with whiteboards for brainstorming with colleagues, and computers and other office equipment for preparing designs and communicating with clients. Although industrial designers work primarily in offices, they may travel to testing facilities, design centers, clients’ exhibit sites, users’ homes or workplaces, and places where the product is manufactured.

Work Schedules

Industrial designers who are self-employed or work for firms that hire them out to other organizations may need to adjust their workdays frequently in order to meet with clients in the evenings or on weekends. In addition, they may spend some of their time looking for new projects or competing with other designers for contracts.

Getting Started

Education:

68%

Bachelor's Degree

15%

Some College Courses

How to Become an Industrial Designer

A bachelor’s degree in industrial design, architecture, or engineering is usually required for entry-level industrial design jobs.

Industrial designers typically need a bachelor's degree to enter the occupation. They also need an electronic portfolio with examples of their design projects.

Education

A bachelor’s degree is usually required for entry-level industrial design jobs. Common fields of degree include fine arts, engineering, or architecture. Most industrial design programs include courses in drawing, computer-aided design and drafting (CADD), and three-dimensional modeling, as well as courses in business, industrial materials and processes, and manufacturing methods.

The National Association of Schools of Art and Design accredits more than 360 postsecondary colleges, universities, and independent institutes with programs in art and design. Many schools require successful completion of some basic art and design courses before granting entry into a bachelor’s degree program. Applicants also may need to submit sketches and other examples of their artistic ability.

Many programs provide students with the opportunity to build a professional portfolio of their designs from classroom projects, internships, or other experiences. Students can use these examples of their work to demonstrate their design skills when applying for jobs and bidding on contracts for work.

Advancement

Experienced designers in large firms may advance to chief designer, design department head, or other supervisory positions. Some designers become teachers in design schools or in colleges and universities. Many teachers continue to consult privately or operate small design studios in addition to teaching. Some experienced designers open their own design firms.

Job Outlook

Employment of industrial designers is projected to grow 2 percent from 2022 to 2032, about as fast as the average for all occupations.

About 2,200 openings for industrial designers are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.

Employment

The need for new and innovative designs, especially for hi-tech products, is expected to support demand for industrial designers. However, projected employment declines in some manufacturing industries may offset this expected growth.

Contacts for More Information

For more information about industrial designers, visit

Industrial Designers Society of America

For more information about accredited college-level programs in art and design, visit

National Association of Schools of Art and Design

Similar Occupations

This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of industrial designers.

Occupation	Job Duties	Entry-Level Education	Median Annual Pay, May 2022
Architects	Architects plan and design houses, factories, office buildings, and other structures.	Bachelor's degree	$82,840
Desktop Publishers	Desktop publishers use computer software to design page layouts for items that are printed or published online.	Associate's degree	$47,910
Drafters	Drafters use software to convert the designs of engineers and architects into technical drawings.	Associate's degree	$60,400
Graphic Designers	Graphic designers create visual concepts, using computer software or by hand, to communicate ideas that inspire, inform, and captivate consumers.	Bachelor's degree	$57,990
Industrial Engineers	Industrial engineers devise efficient systems that integrate workers, machines, materials, information, and energy to make a product or provide a service.	Bachelor's degree	$96,350
Interior Designers	Interior designers make indoor spaces functional, safe, and beautiful by determining space requirements and selecting essential and decorative items.	Bachelor's degree	$61,590
Art Directors	Art directors are responsible for the visual style and images in magazines, newspapers, product packaging, and movie and television productions.	Bachelor's degree	$105,180
Fashion Designers	Fashion designers create clothing, accessories, and footwear.	Bachelor's degree	$76,700
Software Developers, Quality Assurance Analysts, and Testers	Software developers design computer applications or programs. Software quality assurance analysts and testers identify problems with applications or programs and report defects.	Bachelor's degree	$124,200

Industrial Designer

What they do: