Industrial design is an artistic line of work that centers around the creation of manufactured items; it takes into account the problems in retrieving and using materials available and in determining the means of producing the item. Industrial design focuses on both the design of the actual product, such as a cereal box or a shampoo bottle, and also on the graphic design that attracts consumers to that product. Industrial designers are frequently categorized alongside commercial designers. In effect, industrial design professionals are enlisted to merge the best traits of such disciplines as art, business, and engineering toward the end of developing products that are considered to be functional, attractive, and beautiful. Despite the reverence for aesthetic appeal, industrial designers must also be concerned with safety and environmental sustainability.

Industrial designers first work by getting to know their clients' wants and needs extremely well before beginning a project. They then conduct research on the end users for a given project, or the context in which the product will be presented. Designers specify details like product size, weight, color, necessary materials, cost points, and specifications for ease of use and safety based on information gleaned from market research, client meetings, and consultations with manufacturers.

Education for industrial design careers demands a bare minimum of a bachelor's degree in a relevant field, such as engineering. Those who are serious about industrial design will not stop here, instead opting to push for a master's degree diploma. Computer aided design, also known as CAD, is indispensable knowledge for these designers, and they should seek out as much coursework in this discipline as possible, as well as courses that boost their communication and sketching skills. Steadily increasing numbers of industrial design hopefuls are in fact pursuing master's in business administration degrees to balance with their artistic training.

Career Specializations

There are no official specializations found in the career field for industrial designers. Most of these professionals opt to concentrate on one particular style or family of product for their work. Automobiles, office supplies, food products, toys, and tools are among the product types that serve as concentrations for industrial designers. As industrial design education is expansive, candidates will hone in on their specialty via work on the job. 

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Degree Levels

• Bachelor's Degree in a Relevant Field: 4 years to complete
• Master's Degree in a Relevant Field: 2-3 years to complete
• Master of Business Administration in Industrial Engineering: 2-3 years to complete

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Education & Certification Requirements

The minimum degree to earn for a career in industrial design is the bachelor's diploma. An actual major in industrial design would be most apt for an undergraduate, but other satisfactory choices include architecture, engineering, and product design. The classes one can expect to take at this level include computer aided design, industrial materials and processes, and a few classes in math and psychology. The best bachelor's programs will also provide students with internship opportunities, extremely valuable in fashioning a career in this field. Master's degrees and MBA diplomas are becoming more and more common for industrial design candidates to earn because the industry has begun to focus on how products play important roles in the business plan of a company or firm. 

Yet another highly important aspect of the preparation of an industrial design hopeful is the development, and incremental perfecting, of a portfolio representative of a candidate's work and professional output; this document will serve as a creative calling card for potential employers. No certification is required to take part in the industrial design sector. Developing expertise in project management, accounting, marketing, and strategic planning is another way of standing out from the crowded field. Earning business and entrepreneurial credentials also comes in handy for those designers with an eye for eventually setting out on their own. (BLS)

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Salary Information

Industrial designers armed with a bachelor's degree can only expect around $30,000 in yearly salary. With the attainment of higher-level diplomas, this salary can rise to nearly $60,000 per year, the typical annual pay for experienced and well-qualified designers. Those professionals who work their way to the top of the heap are rewarded with nearly $100,000 annually. Those designers who tout the most credentials, whose portfolios are excellent, and whose education is prestigious and comprehensive have a far easier time reaching six-figure status. (BLS)

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Job Outlook

For industrial design, reports indicate that employment is anticipated to increase at an average rate. Estimates specify that this growth in demand will factor in at nine percent by the year 2018. Several companies are beginning to outsource their industrial design work, located near where the raw materials are found, in order to save money on production fees. Talent is not a distinction in industrial design, as most candidates looking for positions are quite skilled. The best way to distinguish oneself from the herd is by nurturing one's talent with a master's or MBA degree, copious internships, and a good deal of coursework in strategic planning and communication skills; a combination of these traits helps to bring about the adaptability that employers are hungry for in their new industrial design hires. (BLS)

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Related Careers

Although they would appear not to be related at first glance, interior design and industrial design are actually quite in sync with one another. Interior designers, like their industrial brethren, are enlisted to work for a client with the aim of developing a space that satisfies their imaginings for it. Business sense is also important for both of these design paths, as is the development of a solid and attractive portfolio. 

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