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To become an industrial designer, one needs a bachelor’s degree and an internship. Industrial design includes product, packaging, eco, exhibition, and graphic design. A good program teaches drawing, design, color theory, mechanical engineering, and 3D modeling. Internships help students choose a major, and portfolios showcase their work to employers. Jobs are mostly in big cities, and graduates start with paid internships and work their way up to managing projects and departments.
To become an industrial designer, it is necessary to obtain a bachelor’s degree in industrial design and complete an internship in the specialty of interest. Industrial design traditionally means product design, but over the years it has expanded to include packaging design, eco design, exhibition design, and even some graphic design. Many industrial design students enter school not knowing what field they want to enter and let the content of their courses guide them in the right direction. Other students enter school with a definite idea of what they want to do and often change their minds and choose a different major before graduation. There is an option for everyone who wants to become an industrial designer.
A good industrial design program will be comprehensive and assume that the student knows nothing about the subject. The first year is spent learning the basics of drawing, design and color theory, and the second year is spent honing these skills in life drawing and technical drawing. The third year is spent learning mechanical engineering as well as various 3D design and modeling software. The fourth year is spent primarily on graduate projects, portfolios and internships, as well as adapting projects to suit whatever major the student is gravitating towards.
Internships are usually completed during the fourth year and are invaluable tools in determining which major to choose. Schools usually require a six-month internship, but additional internships allow students to experience multiple areas of interest. It’s a chance to get a first-hand look at work environments, job roles, and officially become an industrial designer.
A student who wants to become an industrial designer will complete many projects during school, from concept to model, as if they were a client. Often, local businesses will sponsor a project, and the student whose project is chosen will be able to see their idea brought to life. The student’s best designs and drawings go into a portfolio that is displayed to interested employers in a portfolio review, usually held after graduation. The portfolio review is a chance for the student to showcase four years of hard work and maybe even land a job.
It can be difficult to find industrial design jobs, especially in small towns. The biggest centers of industrial design are located in New York, San Francisco, London and Dubai, where big companies and constant development demand skilled designers of all types. Many companies that make physical products (as opposed to virtual products and services) maintain a small industrial design team, and these companies can be anywhere. A school with a good industrial design program will usually offer job placement assistance right after graduation.
The first job after graduation is usually more of a paid internship where the new graduate spends time learning to apply school skills in a real design office. Responsibilities gradually increase, and after a few years a promotion may be undertaken that would involve a large share of a project. After five years, the employee is eligible to manage small projects, and after 10 years, he can even be promoted to head of the design department.
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