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Commercial and Industrial Designers
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.
Other titles employers use
Design Engineer · Designer · Industrial Designer · Mechanical Designer · Mold Designer · Product Design Engineer · Product Designer · Product Development Engineer
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- 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.
- Confer with engineering, marketing, production, or sales departments, or with customers, to establish and evaluate design concepts for manufactured products.
- Present designs and reports to customers or design committees for approval and discuss need for modification.
- Research production specifications, costs, production materials, and manufacturing methods and provide cost estimates and itemized production requirements.
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to creative, practical and analytical work.
- Creative
- Making, designing, writing, or performing without one set answer
- Practical
- Building, repairing, using tools, or working outdoors
- Analytical
- Investigating questions, testing ideas, and solving problems
Skills and strengths
What you would get good at.
Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.
Core skills
- Active Listening
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Complex Problem Solving
- Speaking
- Operations Analysis
Subjects to know
- Design
- Engineering and Technology
- Production and Processing
- Mechanical
- Computers and Electronics
Useful strengths
- Fluency of Ideas
- Originality
- Near Vision
- Oral Comprehension
- Written Comprehension
Working day
Picture yourself doing it.
These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.
| Measure | Out of 5 | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Close to other people | 2.9 | Largely your own space |
| On your feet | 2.0 | Mostly seated |
| Talking face to face | 5.0 | Continuous — the job is conversations |
| Working with your hands | 3.0 | Little of the day |
Preparation
How people prepare for this work.
Employers usually ask for a bachelor's degree. Other routes may also lead into the field.
- A four-year degree 68%
- A certificate or some college 16%
- A two-year degree 12%
- High school or less 4%
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Graphics or photo imaging software
- Object or component oriented development software
- Computer aided design CAD software
- Web platform development software
- Development environment software
- Video creation and editing software
- Desktop publishing software
- Analytical or scientific software
Opportunity near you
See where this work is growing.
Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.
- People doing this work
- 5,500
- Job openings each year
- 380
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- 3.8%
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 5,500 | 380 | 3.8% |
| Michigan | 3,300 | 230 | 3.1% |
| New York | 2,560 | 0 | — |
| Florida | 2,100 | 160 | 13.5% |
| Ohio | 1,780 | 120 | 2.3% |
| Texas | 1,550 | 120 | 20.2% |
| Utah | 1,200 | 100 | 25.0% |
| New Jersey | 1,050 | 70 | 4.0% |
| Missouri | 1,020 | 70 | 6.3% |
| Minnesota | 1,000 | 70 | 6.4% |
| North Carolina | 930 | 70 | 8.1% |
| Mississippi | 840 | 60 | 18.3% |
| Tennessee | 810 | 60 | 12.5% |
| Georgia | 770 | 60 | 13.2% |
| Illinois | 770 | 50 | 2.7% |
| Iowa | 740 | 50 | 8.8% |
| Virginia | 610 | 40 | 3.4% |
| Colorado | 570 | 40 | 11.8% |
| Pennsylvania | 540 | 40 | 1.9% |
| Wisconsin | 540 | 40 | 10.2% |
| Washington | 520 | 40 | 8.3% |
| Oregon | 450 | 30 | 15.4% |
| Maryland | 370 | 30 | 2.8% |
| Rhode Island | 370 | 30 | 5.7% |
| South Carolina | 370 | 30 | 8.8% |
| Indiana | 280 | 20 | 3.7% |
| Connecticut | 260 | 20 | 4.0% |
| Louisiana | 260 | 20 | 8.3% |
| Massachusetts | 260 | 20 | 4.0% |
| Idaho | 230 | 20 | 21.1% |
| Oklahoma | 220 | 20 | 4.8% |
| Arizona | 180 | 10 | 12.5% |
| Maine | 180 | 10 | — |
| Vermont | 170 | 10 | — |
| South Dakota | 160 | 10 | 14.3% |
| Nebraska | 150 | 10 | 7.1% |
| New Hampshire | 150 | 10 | 7.1% |
| Alabama | 130 | 10 | 8.3% |
| Kansas | 130 | 10 | 8.3% |
| Kentucky | 120 | 10 | — |
| New Mexico | 100 | 10 | 11.1% |
| Montana | 90 | 10 | 12.5% |
| District of Columbia | 40 | 0 | — |
| Delaware | 30 | 0 | — |
| North Dakota | 30 | 0 | 50.0% |
Career to college
Build a path toward this work.
Start with a related major, then compare colleges where students complete that field.
Where to study
Colleges with strong activity in these fields.
Start with program size, admission, and likely cost. Open a college for the full picture.
Savannah College of Art and Design
- Degrees each year
- 755
- Admit rate
- 84%
- Annual cost after aid
- $49,000
Southern New Hampshire University
- Degrees each year
- 662
- Admit rate
- 96%
- Annual cost after aid
- $37,000
Fashion Institute of Technology
- Degrees each year
- 633
- Admit rate
- 58%
- Annual cost after aid
- $20,000
The New School
- Degrees each year
- 496
- Admit rate
- 63%
- Annual cost after aid
- $56,000
Pratt Institute-Main
- Degrees each year
- 369
- Admit rate
- 53%
- Annual cost after aid
- $49,000
Virginia Commonwealth University
- Degrees each year
- 322
- Admit rate
- 93%
- Annual cost after aid
- $21,000
Art Center College of Design
- Degrees each year
- 296
- Admit rate
- 75%
- Annual cost after aid
- —
Kent State University at Kent
- Degrees each year
- 261
- Admit rate
- 87%
- Annual cost after aid
- $17,000