Searching

Career Exploration

Commercial and Industrial Designers

Also called: Design Engineer, Designer, Industrial Designer, Product Designer

What they do:

Design and develop manufactured products, such as cars, home appliances, and children's toys. Combine artistic talent with research on product use, marketing, and materials to create the most functional and appealing product design.

On the job, you would:
  • Prepare sketches of ideas, detailed drawings, illustrations, artwork, or blueprints, using drafting instruments, paints and brushes, or computer-aided design equipment.
  • Modify and refine designs, using working models, to conform with customer specifications, production limitations, or changes in design trends.
  • Evaluate feasibility of design ideas, based on factors such as appearance, safety, function, serviceability, budget, production costs/methods, and market characteristics.
On the job, you'll need:

Engineering and Technology

  • design
  • product and service development

Manufactured or Agricultural Goods

  • manufacture and distribution of products

Math and Science

  • arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics
  • physics

Arts and Humanities

  • English language

Basic Skills

  • listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions
  • reading work related information

Problem Solving

  • noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it

People and Technology Systems

  • thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one
  • figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it

Ideas and Logic

  • come up with lots of ideas
  • create new and original ideas

Verbal

  • communicate by speaking
  • listen and understand what people say

Artistic

People interested in this work like activities that include creating, designing, and making your own rules.

  • Attention to Detail
  • Initiative
  • Dependability
  • Analytical Thinking
  • Cooperation
  • Persistence

Computer aided design CAD software

  • Autodesk Revit
  • Dassault Systemes SolidWorks

Video creation and editing software

  • Adobe After Effects
  • Kapwing

Graphics or photo imaging software

  • Adobe Creative Cloud software
  • Trimble SketchUp Pro

Video courtesy of CareerOneStop.

Job Outlook

The job outlook for this position is Average.

New job opportunities are likely in the future.

Median Annual Salary: $75,910

Education

Bachelor's degree or some college is usually needed.