What Do Commercial and Industrial Designers Do (including Their Typical Day At Work)

Job Description

Commercial and Industrial Designers develop and design 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. They also prepare sketches of ideas, detailed drawings, illustrations, artwork, or blueprints, using drafting instruments, paints and brushes, or computer-aided design equipment.

Other tasks include:

• 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.
• Develop industrial standards and regulatory guidelines.
• Research production specifications, costs, production materials, and manufacturing methods and provide cost estimates and itemized production requirements.

We asked Commercial and Industrial Designers how satisfied they are with their job. Here is what they said.

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67% of them said they were satisfied with their job and 44% said they find that their job makes the world a better place or helps to make someone else’s life better.

Typical Day At Work

On a daily basis, Commercial and Industrial Designers prepare sketches of ideas, detailed drawings, illustrations, artwork, or blueprints, using drafting instruments, paints and brushes, or computer-aided design equipment. They confer with engineering, marketing, production, or sales departments, or with customers, to establish and evaluate design concepts for manufactured products.

A typical day for a Commercial and Industrial Designer will also include:

• Modify and refine designs, using working models, to conform with customer specifications, production limitations, or changes in design trends.
• Research production specifications, costs, production materials, and manufacturing methods and provide cost estimates and itemized production requirements.
• Supervise assistants’ work throughout the design process.
• Develop manufacturing procedures and monitor the manufacture of their designs in a factory to improve operations and product quality.
• Direct and coordinate the fabrication of models or samples and the drafting of working drawings and specification sheets from sketches.

We asked some Commercial and Industrial Designers a few questions to find out what else does their work day look like. Here is what we found.

	Do you have telephone conversations everyday in this job?	77% said yes
	How important is it to work in a team in this job?	48% said very important
	Do you have group discussions everyday in this job?	82% said yes
	Do you talk or work with customers everyday in this job?	32% said yes
	Do you have to deal with angry customers everyday in this job?	1% said yes
	Do you have to make decisions everyday in this job?	36% said yes

Other responsibilities

Besides their typical day, Commercial and Industrial Designers also design graphic material for use as ornamentation, illustration, or advertising on manufactured materials and packaging or containers. They may also develop industrial standards and regulatory guidelines.

On a weekly to monthly basis, Commercial and Industrial Designers Investigate product characteristics such as the product’s safety and handling qualities, its market appeal, how efficiently it can be produced, and ways of distributing, using, and maintaining it. They might also Participate in new product planning or market research, including studying the potential need for new products.

In addition, they Supervise assistants’ work throughout the design process.

Although specific duties may vary, many of them Read publications, attend showings, and study competing products and design styles and motifs to obtain perspective and generate design concepts.

To some Commercial and Industrial Designers, it is also their responsibility to Coordinate the look and function of product lines.

Working life

More than 40 hours per week

Irregular work schedule that changes depending on weather conditions, customer demand or contract duration.

In a typical work week as a Commercial and Industrial Designer, you can expect to work more than 40 hours per week.

Is this right for me

People who are suitable for this job tends to like working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules..

They also like starting up and carrying out projects. They like leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

You can read more about these career personality types here.

Explore other careers

http://www.bls.gov/OOH/arts-and-design/industrial-designers.htm

http://www.idsa.org/

http://nasad.arts-accredit.org/