Art Careers / Product and Industrial Designer
What Does an Industrial Designer Do? An Art Career for Kids
Curious about this job? Here is what the work looks like, a typical day, the tools, where people do it and how to get started, plus a small activity so you can try it yourself.
What an industrial designer does
A product designer, also called an industrial designer, invents the look and shape of things people use every day, like toys, chairs, bikes, headphones and cars. They make sure products are useful, safe and nice to look at.
Real-world examples: Jony Ive, longtime lead designer at Apple.
A day on the job
- Research how people use a product
- Sketch and draw ideas, then model them on a computer
- Build prototypes, sometimes with 3D printers
- Present designs and work with engineers and factories
Tools of the job
- Sketchbook and markers
- 2D and 3D design (CAD) software
- 3D printer
- Foam, cardboard and clay for models
- Measuring tools
- Computer
Where they work
- Design offices and studios
- Manufacturing companies
- Testing facilities and factories they visit
The path in 4 steps
Start now
- Redesign an everyday object, like a backpack or lunchbox
- Build models with cardboard and tape
- Take apart an old (safe, unplugged) gadget with an adult to see how it works
In your teens
- Take art, shop, engineering or robotics classes
- Learn a free 3D modeling program
- Enter design or maker challenges
Training
A bachelor's degree is usually required, often in industrial design, fine arts, engineering or architecture. Programs teach drawing, 3D modeling and how things are manufactured, and students build an electronic portfolio.
Build a portfolio
Process pages showing research, sketches, models and the final product design.
Skills that help
- Sketching
- 3D thinking
- Problem solving
- Understanding materials
- Presenting ideas
Try this job
A small taste of the real work, using things you already have.
Pick something at home that annoys people, like a toothbrush holder that tips over. Draw three ideas to fix it. Choose the best one and build a quick model from cardboard, tape and paper. Test it! Product designers build quick models like this before anything is made for real.
Related art careers
Learn more
For pay, job outlook and training details, read the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook page for this kind of work.
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What does an industrial designer do?
A product designer, also called an industrial designer, invents the look and shape of things people use every day, like toys, chairs, bikes, headphones and cars. They make sure products are useful, safe and nice to look at.
How do you become an industrial designer?
A bachelor's degree is usually required, often in industrial design, fine arts, engineering or architecture. Programs teach drawing, 3D modeling and how things are manufactured, and students build an electronic portfolio.
What skills does an industrial designer need?
Sketching, 3D thinking, Problem solving, Understanding materials and Presenting ideas.
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