Industrial Designer
Quick Facts
Median Salary$59,208
Most Common EducationBachelor's degree
Projected 10-Year Growth-1.46%
Assessment MatchTake the Assessment
What They Do
An Industrial Designer designs products for companies and creates design ideas for products that are functional and visually appealing. Creates designs for product packaging or exhibits, or contributes graphic design work for industrial design projects. Creates new product designs or works to improve existing products, including consumer or industrial products.
Core Tasks:
- 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.
- Confer with engineering, marketing, production, or sales departments, or with customers, to establish and evaluate design concepts for manufactured products.
- Present designs and reports to customers or design committees for approval and discuss need for modification.
- Research production specifications, costs, production materials, and manufacturing methods and provide cost estimates and itemized production requirements.
- Direct and coordinate the fabrication of models or samples and the drafting of working drawings and specification sheets from sketches.
- Develop manufacturing procedures and monitor the manufacture of their designs in a factory to improve operations and product quality.
- Investigate product characteristics such as the product's safety and handling qualities, its market appeal, how efficiently it can be produced, and ways of distributing, using, and maintaining it.
- Participate in new product planning or market research, including studying the potential need for new products.
- Read publications, attend showings, and study competing products and design styles and motifs to obtain perspective and generate design concepts.
- Fabricate models or samples in paper, wood, glass, fabric, plastic, metal, or other materials, using hand or power tools.
What to expect as an Industrial Designer
1Earn a Bachelor's degree
63% of people achieve this level of education.
2Gain skills and experience
See Industrial Designer related courses on Tallo
3Land a job
230 openings for Industrial Designers
Career Progression
in United States (Nation)
The career progression is an interactive way to explore careers related to Industrial Designer. Click on each career to see its associated salary, job availability, skills, and more.