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How do I get a job related to industrial design?
I'm in high school and in the Industrial Design major at my school. What jobs can I strive for in that field? #design #industrial-design
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Alea’s Answer
Hi Sidney!
I studied product design and mechanical engineering, a combination that I think is a little bit similar to industrial design! There are lots of jobs that you can find in the field, but it definitely depends where your interests lie. I really enjoyed the customer inquiry portion of product design, while my friend who studied the same thing was enamored with SolidWorks and CAD. I decided to pursue a field in UX Research and Design so that I could spend more time learning about the people who would use what I designed. I thought that I would really miss developing physical products, but I have enjoyed the digital side very much. My friend joined a company where she designs furniture for department stores using CAD!
Moving forward, I would look at different descriptions online for product design jobs, industrial design jobs, product engineering jobs, and maybe even some UX jobs! Think about what kinds of tasks you enjoy the most, and make a list of the job descriptions that include them! Then find people who do those things, and talk to them about their day to day work. :)
Good for you for searching for this information early! It took me a long time to figure out what I loved to do, and I think it's great that you are already taking an active role in the job discovery process. :)
Best of luck, Alea
I studied product design and mechanical engineering, a combination that I think is a little bit similar to industrial design! There are lots of jobs that you can find in the field, but it definitely depends where your interests lie. I really enjoyed the customer inquiry portion of product design, while my friend who studied the same thing was enamored with SolidWorks and CAD. I decided to pursue a field in UX Research and Design so that I could spend more time learning about the people who would use what I designed. I thought that I would really miss developing physical products, but I have enjoyed the digital side very much. My friend joined a company where she designs furniture for department stores using CAD!
Moving forward, I would look at different descriptions online for product design jobs, industrial design jobs, product engineering jobs, and maybe even some UX jobs! Think about what kinds of tasks you enjoy the most, and make a list of the job descriptions that include them! Then find people who do those things, and talk to them about their day to day work. :)
Good for you for searching for this information early! It took me a long time to figure out what I loved to do, and I think it's great that you are already taking an active role in the job discovery process. :)
Best of luck, Alea
Updated
Leroy’s Answer
Hi Sidney, having worked with industrial designers, and an area of personal interest, it's a creative roll. ID firms are usually small companies or just the founder/designer. They work with mid size to multinational companies designing some of their product lines. I find most companies outsource this task, rather than being an in house resource, so look for the smaller firms where you are.
It's never too early to start learning an industry standard rendering program, and explore if it is something you really enjoy, and what you like to design. Would be great to get an internship or even work for free in the summer to gain that initial experience and build a portfolio of product/designs you contributed to.
It's never too early to start learning an industry standard rendering program, and explore if it is something you really enjoy, and what you like to design. Would be great to get an internship or even work for free in the summer to gain that initial experience and build a portfolio of product/designs you contributed to.
Updated
Wendy’s Answer
Hi Sidney L.,
My suggestion would be to look up the top industrial design companies and then look at each of their websites. You can find information on the company itself, find information and background on the leaders of the company, and previous jobs they have held. You can also look at careers and job postings on their websites to get an idea of different positions and jobs. If you can find partnerships on their websites, that will also give you an idea of jobs and positions related to industrial design.
Hope this helps and all goes well for you Sidney!
My suggestion would be to look up the top industrial design companies and then look at each of their websites. You can find information on the company itself, find information and background on the leaders of the company, and previous jobs they have held. You can also look at careers and job postings on their websites to get an idea of different positions and jobs. If you can find partnerships on their websites, that will also give you an idea of jobs and positions related to industrial design.
Hope this helps and all goes well for you Sidney!
Updated
Jonathan’s Answer
I'm a lead industrial designer at a fortune 500 company, and wouldn't have gotten here if I didn't get my foot in the door through internships at quality companies.
To get your foot in the door, you'll need very solid core skills including sketching, CAD modelling, rendering, etc. Softer skills like a taste for aesthetics, ability to solve problems to make intuitive user experiences, and understanding of research will be key to standing out and showing that you won't just be a commodity - you can actually add value to the team.
As you rise up in the industry, you eventually may use core skills like CAD and rendering less often, but you'll still need a good foundation to provide direction to team members and understand how to put together a project plan.
It's a very rewarding industry, but because so many people are interested in it, you'll need to be passionate and excited about solving problems through great user experience, great aesthetic sensibility, and ideally have a knack for things like mechanical engineering or research to stand out.
Core skills are best learned through youtube, getting feedback on your work from experienced professionals or professors, and LOTS of time practicing.
Once you have some skills and portfolio pieces, you'll likely need to get an undergrad or grad degree to be taken seriously by employers. Design is a lot of fun, but only the top students will end up in quality companies doing ID work, due to how competitive the field is. However, ID can be a great stepping stone into other fields, like UX design, user research, product management, or even entrepreneurship.
Good luck!
To get your foot in the door, you'll need very solid core skills including sketching, CAD modelling, rendering, etc. Softer skills like a taste for aesthetics, ability to solve problems to make intuitive user experiences, and understanding of research will be key to standing out and showing that you won't just be a commodity - you can actually add value to the team.
As you rise up in the industry, you eventually may use core skills like CAD and rendering less often, but you'll still need a good foundation to provide direction to team members and understand how to put together a project plan.
It's a very rewarding industry, but because so many people are interested in it, you'll need to be passionate and excited about solving problems through great user experience, great aesthetic sensibility, and ideally have a knack for things like mechanical engineering or research to stand out.
Core skills are best learned through youtube, getting feedback on your work from experienced professionals or professors, and LOTS of time practicing.
Once you have some skills and portfolio pieces, you'll likely need to get an undergrad or grad degree to be taken seriously by employers. Design is a lot of fun, but only the top students will end up in quality companies doing ID work, due to how competitive the field is. However, ID can be a great stepping stone into other fields, like UX design, user research, product management, or even entrepreneurship.
Good luck!