What is Industrial Design? Definition, Career Opportunities, Subjects, Top Recruiters, Salary

What is Industrial Design?

Industrial design deals with working on the design of products and services with the end goal of improving their appearance and functionality. In that sense, industrial design is a wide area that covers many other design specialisations such as product design, interior design, transportation design, etc.

Industrial Design Definition

The Industrial Designers Society of America defines Industrial Design as a profession that deals with designing products, objects, and services of everyday use. An industrial designer is involved in various stages of the product development cycle, working towards improving the appearance, functionality, and manufacturability of a product.

Industrial Design Examples

The examples of industrial design can be found everywhere, from the office to the home. Given below are a few examples -

• Mobiles and electronic gadgets

• Kitchen appliances

• Tables, chairs, and other furniture

• Office and home interiors

• Automobiles and cars

Importance of Industrial Design

The importance and benefits of industrial design can be understood through the following points -

• Greater Aesthetic Appeal: Industrial design involves creating good-looking products that appeal to the users through their physical appearance.

• Improved Functionality: Not only looks, but industrial design also aims to improve the work efficiency of the product/service to get the tasks done in the most effective manner

• Customer Satisfaction and User Experience: The end goal of the industrial design process is to provide a satisfying experience to the end user by delivering superior value through a mix of aesthetics and functionality.

Industrial Design vs Product Design

As stated earlier in the article, industrial design is a broader area that includes many design specialisations. While product design is a branch of designing that focuses on improving the appearance and functionality of physical and digital items, industrial design focuses not just on physical and digital products but also includes services, user experience, and the manufacturing process.

How to Become an Industrial Designer?

Aspirants in India can become industrial designers by pursuing B.Des and M.Des programmes that offer specialisation in various areas of design. Some of the top design colleges in India also offer an industrial design degree with specialisation in Industrial Design. One such college is the VIT School of Design, which offers VIT B.Des admissions in the Industrial Design programme.

Industrial Design Curriculum

The core industrial design curriculum typically involves the following subjects given in the table below.

Industrial Design Degree Subjects

Industrial Design Admission Process

The industrial design admission process into colleges that offer industrial design courses is similar to other specialisations. The steps are given below

• Register and appear for the design entrance exam of the desired institute
• Shortlisted candidates will be called for a studio test/ personal interview or a portfolio review round
• Publication of final merit list of shortlisted candidates based on the scores in the entrance exam and performance in the studio test/interview
• Completion of admission formalities, such as document verification and payment of admission by the candidate to secure admission

Industrial Design Jobs and Salary in India

Industrial design jobs are available in a variety of industries due to the wide application of industrial design, through the examples above.

Career Opportunities in Industrial Design

One can get several job profiles in industrial design as it is a broad area. The career opportunities in Industrial design include roles as a product designer, design engineer, or strategist. Candidates can also look at niche areas such as transport design, game design, or more.

The industrial designer's salary details are given in the table below as per available data from AmbitionBox, a popular platform for jobs.

Industrial Designer Salary in India

Top Recruiters in Industrial Design

Industrial designers are in demand across large and small-scale companies. The industrial design recruiters include major tech companies such as Google, Microsoft, TCS, and Infosys, which regularly hire professionals in industrial design roles. Recruiters also span other industries such as capital goods manufacturing, vehicle manufacturers, and electronic goods manufacturers.