Skills
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Overview
Industrial designers shape ideas for manufactured products by combining aesthetics, user needs, materials, engineering constraints, production feasibility and market relevance.
In job descriptions, look for design sketches, product concepts, CAD or 3D modelling, material choices, ergonomics, market research, prototypes and collaboration with engineers.
Explore this occupation
Search jobsWhat the work can involve
Industrial designers turn product ideas into forms that can be made, used and sold. Work moves between sketches, briefs, CAD or physical models, material choices, ergonomics, market research and discussions with engineers about production constraints.
Skills and specializations
Useful skills include design sketching, ideation, design specifications, material suitability, trend research, market research and presenting proposals. Specializations can form around packaging, consumer products, ceramics, toys, ergonomic products, CAD modelling or prototype development. The difference is visible in the problems handled, the records produced and the people who rely on the result.
Salary context
Salary context depends on product complexity, project ownership, prototype responsibility, manufacturing knowledge, client contact, deadlines and whether the role shapes concept strategy or mainly prepares design documentation. Work close to production launch usually carries broader responsibility.
Career paths
Development can move toward senior product design, design management, user research, CAD specialization, prototype leadership, packaging design or product strategy. Progress depends on a portfolio showing manufacturable ideas, clear material reasoning and cooperation with engineering and marketing teams.
Good to know
Read vacancies for product category, expected design tools, prototype work, manufacturing contact and who approves concepts. Check whether the role is about original ideation, adapting existing products, preparing specifications, presenting to clients or solving production feasibility issues.
Editorial note
This guide is editorial career context. It is not official labour-market statistics or role-specific salary data.
Where might this occupation occur?
This occupation may occur in several kinds of economic activity. Here are some examples and other occupations that may be found in the same areas.
Manufacture of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers
This is one example. Another occupation in this activity is automotive designer.
Explore this activityManufacture of furniture
This occupation may also occur in this activity. Another occupation there is furniture designer.
Explore this activityIndustrial product and fashion design activities
Another possibility is this activity. Other occupations there include furniture designer, model maker and footwear designer.
Explore this activityThese examples offer an overview but do not show every economic activity where the occupation may occur.
About this information
The selection is based on how occupations are connected to economic activities in ESCO and NACE. Only a few examples are shown to make the information easier to use. The occupations were selected because they are close in occupation area and important skills. The examples are not a ranking. They do not show where most people work, where demand is highest, or which occupation is best suited to a particular person.
Map overview
Click the map to search for industrial designer jobs.
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O*NET relationships
See occupations connected to this ESCO occupation in the official O*NET–ESCO mapping. The relationship type comes from the source and is not a ranking or recommendation.
O*NET relationships: 1
Commercial and Industrial Designers
27-1021.00
Exact relationship
The official mapping treats the O*NET and ESCO occupations as closely equivalent.
Open in O*NETSource and method
These relationships come from the official European Commission O*NET–ESCO crosswalk.
Relationship direction: O*NET occupation to ESCO occupation.
Several O*NET occupations can point to the same ESCO occupation, and one O*NET occupation can point to several ESCO occupations.
AltoTrail preserves the source relationship type. The order is technical and does not show which occupation is best, most relevant or recommended.
AltoTrail validates and presents the source relationships without adding ranking or recommendation semantics.
NACE Rev. 2.1
Economic activities linked to this occupation.
28Manufacture of machinery and equipment n.e.c.24Manufacture of basic metals15Manufacture of leather and related products of other materials22Manufacture of rubber and plastic products26Manufacture of computer, electronic and optical products29Manufacture of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers30Manufacture of other transport equipment10Manufacture of food products74.11Industrial product and fashion design activities74.14Other specialised design activities21Manufacture of basic pharmaceutical products and pharmaceutical preparations25Manufacture of fabricated metal products, except machinery and equipment27Manufacture of electrical equipment31Manufacture of furniture20Manufacture of chemicals and chemical products32Other manufacturing16Manufacture of wood and of products of wood and cork, except furniture; manufacture of articles of straw and plaiting materials19Manufacture of coke and refined petroleum products13Manufacture of textiles23Manufacture of other non-metallic mineral products11Manufacture of beverages18Printing and reproduction of recorded media12Manufacture of tobacco products17Manufacture of paper and paper products14Manufacture of wearing apparel
Alternative labels
product designer
3D CAD designer
packaging designer
product design specialist
glass products designer
toy designer
3D CAD design specialist
industrial design specialist
ceramic products designer
CAD design specialist
ergonomic designer
industrial design expert
CAD design expert
3D CAD design expert
CAD designer
product design expert
Occupation group
Product and garment designers (2163)
Source facts
| ESCO URI | http://data.europa.eu/esco/occupation/ab7bccb2-6f81-4a3d-a0c0-fca5d47d2775 |
|---|---|
| ESCO code | 2163.1 |
| ISCO group | 2163 |
| Concept type | Occupation |