Almost everything you use on a day-to-day basis had to be designed. Industrial and product designers are responsible for creating that product you love. As an industrial and product design major, you’ll learn exactly how to do that.
Education
On your way to an industrial and product design major, you’ll learn the skills you need to design and refine everyday products like telephones, cars and furniture. You’ll study the fine points of packaging and become a materials expert, while building 3D models and learning computer-aided design. Courses you’ll take include the history of industrial design, CAD skills, introduction to marketing, model making and visual communication. In high school, it helps to take courses like business, computer aided design (CAD), precalculus, physics and geometry.
Questions to ask
Be sure to ask if the program is accredited. You could design a lot — are there different concentrations like furniture or transportation available? Would you be using updated and current technology? Are there chances to study abroad or travel to other places in the country to get hands-on experience?
Salary
According to College Board, industrial designers make better money than most other types of designers. The 2012 U.S. Board of Labor Statistics show that an industrial designer made an average of $59,610.
For more information about careers in design, take the Careers in Computer Aided Design Drafting course at NextStepAcademy.com
