With the changing dynamics of the world, the need for innovative sustainable products and designs is on a rise. This has opened fresh avenues and given rise to new-age career courses. One such popular course is Industrial Design, which includes Transport design, Product design and Digital design.
Career opportunities
Every object that an individual touches and feels on a daily basis is the result of a design process. Industrial Design is the professional practice of designing products, devices, objects, and services used every day by millions of people across the globe. As a consumer, one is aware of and understands the importance of having a well-designed and user-friendly product.
Industrial designers are qualified to understand the technical and visual aspects of products and apps. Some common tasks include conceptualising and creating products and researching different methods to complete product designs. Having a strong understanding of this enables products to be manufactured in both the right quantity and quality. It is essential that designers also have mechanical skills. A typical training includes various modules related to design engineering, design research and design pipeline including human factors and usability engineering, ergonomics, anthropometry, data driven computational design and analytics, design for sustainability, economic optimisation of emerging product technologies and circular activities. Participants also develop certain software skills for digital product visualisation, product styling, solid and surface modelling among others.
The role of a designer is to ensure that the products have a convenient design and are easy to use. This makes industrial designers very crucial in today’s day and age, as they help resolve everyday issues. Industrial designers often blend art with engineering. They are required to have analytical and problem-solving skills. Overall, an industrial designer must come up with user-centred and human-factored design solutions or systems to create better product opportunities.
To become an industrial designer, one needs to have formal training in design. Those interested in a career must take up courses in drawing, drafting, and computer-aided industrial design (CAID) early. Many colleges in India and abroad offer both postgraduate and undergraduate courses in Industrial Design. It is crucial that a student begins to curate his portfolio with samples of sketches and designs to showcase his/her creative sense and ideas.
Industrial Design is a vast field with many types of designers working across several sectors. Individuals need to learn the basics of industrial design before choosing their path based on their interest and skills. Industrial Design is now looked at as a strategic problem-solving device that is crucial for the smooth functioning of businesses and the building of innovative products. Thus, now it is a lucrative career option for students.
The writer is CEO of Rubika India
