Industrial designers develop the design concepts behind manufactured products, such as cars, furniture, and computers. The various industrial designer careers include those of the product developer, product designer, and exhibit designer. Industrial designer careers are available in a number of industries, including automomotive, software, and entertainment.
Generally, industrial designer careers require a person to have a bachelor's degree in industrial design. An industrial designer must be able to think creatively to develop new product ideas and to think practically to figure out how the product will function and operate safely and efficiently. The role of an industrial designer is to create items that solve a problem people face in everyday life.
Industrial designer careers require excellent communication skills, as designers often work with engineers to come up with products. An industrial designer will also need to learn to use computers to design products. He should be mechanical and have the ability to understand how products function.
Industrial designer careers usually require a person to specialize in one particular industry. For instance, a product designer may work in the automotive industry and may focus entirely on designing the interior of a car. He could also work in the computer industry and spend his days designing a laptop that is easy to use, cost effective, and that looks appealing.
An exhibit designer is another one of the industrial designer careers. Exhibit designers plan the displays and exhibits put up at museums, art galleries, and zoos. An exhibit designer is responsible for developing the natural habitat in each animal's cage at the zoo as well as the arrangement of each animal's cage. In museums, exhibit designers arrange the artwork or artifacts in a way that allows visitors to the museum to get the most benefit from touring the exhibition.
Another industrial designer career is that of the multimedia designer. A multimedia designer works in the entertainment industry, using building sets, props, and costumes for a theatrical production or a film or television show. The designer may be responsible for special effects in a movie or may develop the graphics used in a video game.
A person interested in a career in industrial design may also consider becoming a product developer. Product developers are responsible not only for designing new products, but for studying market trends and analyzing the cost of the new product and what people will most likely be willing to pay for it. Once the product comes to market, a product developer is responsible for advertising the item.