To work as an industrial designer, you must first obtain a bachelor’s degree in industrial design and then complete an internship in your chosen specialty. Product design has traditionally been the focus of industrial design, but it has expanded to include packaging, green design, exhibit design, and even some graphic design in recent years. Many industrial design students go to school unsure of which field they want to pursue and rely on the content of their classes to guide them. Other students go to school with a clear idea of what they want to do, only to change their minds and choose a different major before graduation. Everyone who wants to work as an industrial designer has a variety of options.
A good industrial design program will be thorough and assume that the student has no prior knowledge of the field. The first year is dedicated to learning the fundamentals of drawing, design, and color theory, while the second year is dedicated to honing those skills in life drawing and technical drawing. Mechanical engineering, as well as various design and 3-D modeling software, are covered in the third year. The fourth year is spent primarily on graduate projects, portfolios, and internships, as well as tailoring projects to the student’s chosen specialty.
Internships are usually completed during the fourth year and can help you decide which specialty to pursue. A six-month internship is usually required schools, but additional internships allow students to try out different areas of interest. It’s a chance to get a firsthand look at the work environment, job responsibilities, and become an industrial designer.
During school, a student aspiring to be an industrial designer will work on a variety of projects, from concept to model, as if for a client. Local businesses frequently sponsor projects, and the student whose project is chosen gets to see their vision come to life. The student’s best projects and drawings are collected into a portfolio, which is then displayed for prospective employers at a portfolio review, which is usually held after graduation. The portfolio review is an opportunity for the student to showcase four years of hard work and possibly land a job.
Industrial design jobs can be hard to come by, particularly in small towns. Large corporations and constant development necessitate skilled designers of all types in New York, San Francisco, London, and Dubai, which are home to the world’s largest industrial design centers. Many companies that make physical products (as opposed to services and virtual products) employ a small industrial design team, and these firms can be located anywhere. A good industrial design program will almost always provide job placement assistance shortly after graduation.
The first job after graduation is usually more of a paid internship, during which the new graduate learns how to apply what they learned in school in a real design office. Responsibilities are gradually increased, and after a few years, a promotion that entails significant participation in a project may be offered. After five years, the employee is qualified to manage small projects, and after ten years, the employee may be promoted to the design department’s head.