Industrial design internships are available in manufacturing, visual art, and high technology industries. They can focus on product design, visual displays, or software user interfaces. Interns work closely with engineers, sales, and marketing personnel, and may complete a single project or work on smaller tasks.
Industrial design is an interdisciplinary field that combines skills from art and graphic design, product design and engineering. Work is available in a variety of industries, including manufacturing, visual art and high technology. Many advanced degree programs in industrial design require students to complete an internship as part of the curriculum, and these positions may be paid or offered for course credit only. An intern in this field at a manufacturing facility would primarily focus on product design and packaging. Internships in industrial design can sometimes focus more on visual arts, designing visual displays or displays in a variety of areas. Finally, software and technology positions may involve creating user interfaces or manuals for software applications.
Internships in industrial design in manufacturing involve working closely with engineers, as well as sales and marketing personnel, to design and develop requirements documents for new products. They can also help ensure that the company’s product line, literature, and packaging maintain consistent branding and messaging. These industrial design internships usually last a summer, during which time the focus can be on a single project to develop a new product or redesign an existing one. Industrial design students who are also interested in engineering, design or manufacturing may find this type of internship beneficial.
In some cases, industrial design internships may be more focused on visual art than product design. Designers working in department stores, for example, can develop visual product displays. They can also help with lighting design, signage, layout and planning for new stores. In museums or art galleries, industrial designers often work in teams to create exhibits. Interns in this area would help with all these activities and may also be given smaller projects to complete independently. This type of internship may be more suitable for students with an artistic talent.
A third area where industrial design internships may be available is with high technology companies. Employees in these types of jobs are primarily responsible for designing user interfaces for software products and would work closely with software engineers to do this. Interns can help with the development of user interface documents, which describe the basic functions and navigation of a software program. They may also be responsible for developing product documentation and packaging. While designers typically don’t write user manuals, they may be responsible for developing templates to ensure consistency across a company’s product line. Those with an interest in technology may be interested in a software design internship.
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