How to become an Industrial Designer

An industrial designer is the one who develops the concepts for manufactured products, such as cars, home appliances, and toys, engages in sales, improving the product designs, aesthetics and usability of the product. Industrial designing is an allied field of design engineer and artist. A bachelor's degree in engineering, architecture or industrial design makes the aspirant qualified for this field. Industrial designers create product design and development of visually appealing and user-friendly artistic and engineering technique for business development. The role of industrial designer is to observe model and test their designs, for items like furniture and appliances.

Industrial designer is the combination of art, business, and engineering to make products of daily use. The function, aesthetics, production costs, and usability of products are kept in mind by Industrial designers during the development of new product concepts. The Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) is a membership based non-profit organization that promotes the practice and education of industrial design.

The roles and responsibilities includes;

• To coordinate and research with marketing department to prepare all designs
• To perform all activities for field research and prepare all prototype models for industrial products 
•  To determine requirements for designs by consulting with clients
• To create physical prototypes of their designs
• To examine and manufacture materials requirements to determine production costs

Industrial designers require analytical skills to use logic and reasoning to study consumers and recognize the need for new products. Artistic ability enables them to formulate their initial ideas into sketches and prototypes. There is no industry unaffected by the technological revolution. Computer skills enable them to utilize softwares that allows development of designs and prototypes in more efficient ways. Creativity is the biggest virtue of an artist, it equips the designer to be innovative and integrate the new and existing techs to produce new products. Mechanical skills enable industrial designers to understand how products are engineered, at least for the types of products that they design.

Industrial designers determine the need, size, and cost of a product, anticipate production issues, develop alternatives, evaluate options, and implement solutions, all of which calls for problem solving skills. And interpersonal skills are required to work in teams and build relationships with clients and colleagues who specialize in related disciplines.

Salary of an Industrial designer depends largely upon their institute or university from which the degree is attained, academic qualification and the level of work experience they have achieved. The annual start salary of Industrial designer from prestigious institutes is 2.5 lacs. With some good experience Industrial designer can earn 12.25 lacs.

To enroll into an Industrial Designer course, it is essential for the aspiring candidate to clear entrance exams conducted by various educational institutes. Most widely conducted entrance exams JEE Main, IIT JEE, JEE (Advance), BITSAT.

• Design departments of manufacturing firms.
• Consulting firms
• University
• Company
• Industry and Commerce
• School