A recession-proof vocation

prasheel suryawanshi

The marketing and production industry needs skilled professionals who can read the needs of the customers and design the products cost-effectively. Here, the importance of an industrial design degree comes into picture. This rapidly changing field of technology and design has necessitated the need for talented industrial designers. This has resulted in the emergence of a plethora of courses that are solely designed to serve the purpose. 

Industrial design involves the use of a blended form of applied science and applied art in order to improve the ergonomics, usage, and aesthetics of a product. It is also used to improve the marketability and production of products. It is the process of design which is applied to products manufactured through mass production. 

The key characteristic is that the design remains separate from manufacturing. It means that the creative act that determines and defines a product’s form and features takes place before the product is actually created. The manufacturing of the product is, often, repeated automated replication.

All products that are manufactured are a result of the process of designing, but the process’ nature can take various forms. It lays emphasis on the intuitive creativity of the designer or the calculated scientific process of decision-making. Most times the emphasis lies on both at the same time which is influenced by various factors like materials, processes of production, the strategy of the business etc.

Work profile 

The main job of an industrial designer is to design products which are beneficial for both, the market and the customers. The task includes — creating and executing design solutions which can be used for various issues related to the form, usage, marketing, physical ergonomics, sales, and brand development of the product. To create new products, an industrial designer works with various specialists, like materials scientists, marketers, accountants and engineers. 

When a project begins, the designers start with a client meeting. During the meeting they make suggestions on how current products can be improved to the product planning team. They also discuss about bringing new products into existence. 

Scope

The fields of technology and design are always changing at a rapid pace. This widens the scope for  Industrial Design. The field has a considerable amount of job security as firms, generally, try to avoid switching their industrial designers. This is due to the fact that the job needs a long-term stability to achieve the productivity maximisation goals. 

Industrial designers usually have a background in science. When they gain experience in this domain they gain the opportunity to become a part of the management of the firm that they work for.

Moreover, this career option’s outlook is usually positive during the recession. Even when economic conditions are unfavourable, corporations often try to lower their cost of production by hiring industrial engineers and industrial designers.

Job prospects

Industrial design engineers have the following opportunities in the field:

n Designers

n Business Director

n Project manager

n Senior designer

n Lecturers

Industrial designers also have to work with the market research department in order to assess the product performance characteristics needed by the customers. Together, they also establish visual characteristics, which provide an edge to the sales team in the marketplace.

Industrial design engineers are actively involved in the processes of designing, modelling, testing and in the production of prototypes. 

They work alongside engineers, model-makers and designers to carry out research to devise a design proposal.

Apart from becoming an industrial designer and an industrial engineer, most postgraduates also appear for NET and teach the subject in universities.

Salary

Generally, the average salary of an Industrial Designer is around Rs 7.5 lakh per annum. For this job, experience has an average effect on income. After about 20 years’ experience in this domain, many people move on to other jobs.

Getting in

There are various courses that are solely designed to train students in this domain. The multiple industrial designing courses that are offered by different institutes enable an aspirant to gain relevant and detailed knowledge of the field. Some of the following are offered as degree and diploma courses by various institutes in India:

• Bachelor of Design or B.Des.
• Bachelor of Engineering or B.E.
• Bachelor of Technology or B.Tech.
• Bachelor of Science or B.Sc.
• G.D.P.D. or Graduate Diploma Program in Design
• P.G.D.P.D. or Post Graduate Diploma Program in Design
• Master of Design or M.Des.
• Master of Engineering or M.E.
• Master of Technology or M.Tech.
• Master of Science or M.Sc.

— The writer is vice-chancellor, Avantika University