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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.
Related: Craft Artists  Fabric & Apparel Patternmakers  Fashion Designers  Mechanical Drafters  Model Makers, Metal & Plastic 
Industries: Manufacturing  Professional, Science, & Technical  Wholesale/Commercial Sales 

  • Summary

  • Details

    • Work Activities

    • Advise corporations on issues involving corporate image projects or problems.
    • Design graphic material for use as ornamentation, illustration, or advertising on manufactured materials and packaging or containers.
    • Supervise assistants' work throughout the design process.
    • Fabricate models or samples in paper, wood, glass, fabric, plastic, metal, or other materials, using hand or power tools.
    • 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.
    • Present designs and reports to customers or design committees for approval and discuss need for modification.
    • Coordinate the look and function of product lines.
    • Read publications, attend showings, and study competing products and design styles and motifs to obtain perspective and generate design concepts.
    • Participate in new product planning or market research, including studying the potential need for new products.
    • Prepare sketches of ideas, detailed drawings, illustrations, artwork, or blueprints, using drafting instruments, paints and brushes, or computer-aided design equipment.
    • 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.
    • Read publications, attend showings, and study competing products and design styles and motifs to obtain perspective and generate design concepts.
    • Research production specifications, costs, production materials, and manufacturing methods and provide cost estimates and itemized production requirements.
    • Direct and coordinate the fabrication of models or samples and the drafting of working drawings and specification sheets from sketches.
    • Modify and refine designs, using working models, to conform with customer specifications, production limitations, or changes in design trends.

    Skills

    • Troubleshooting
      • Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
    • Repairing
      • Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
    • Instructing
      • Teaching people how to do something.
    • Active Learning
      • Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
    • Learning Strategies
      • Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
    • Complex Problem Solving
      • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
    • Operations Analysis
      • Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
    • Operations Monitoring
      • Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
    • Systems Analysis
      • Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
    • Critical Thinking
      • Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
    • Coordination
      • Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
    • Active Listening
      • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
    • Equipment Maintenance
      • Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
    • Service Orientation
      • Looking for ways to help people.
    • Reading Comprehension
      • Reading work-related information.
    • Negotiation
      • Bringing people together to solve differences.
    • Programming
      • Writing computer programs.
    • Science
      • Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
    • Monitoring
      • Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
    • Operation and Control
      • Using equipment or systems.
    • Speaking
      • Talking to others.
    • Management of Financial Resources
      • Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
    • Technology Design
      • Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
    • Installation
      • Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
    • Management of Material Resources
      • Managing equipment and materials.
    • Mathematics
      • Using math to solve problems.
    • Quality Control Analysis
      • Testing how well a product or service works.
    • Time Management
      • Managing your time and the time of other people.
    • Equipment Selection
      • Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
    • Systems Evaluation
      • Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
    • Persuasion
      • Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
    • Social Perceptiveness
      • Understanding people's reactions.
    • Writing
      • Writing things for co-workers or customers.
    • Management of Personnel Resources
      • Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
    • Judgment and Decision Making
      • Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.

    Abilities

    • Night Vision
      • Seeing at night or under low light.
    • Depth Perception
      • Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
    • Explosive Strength
      • Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
    • Rate Control
      • Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
    • Glare Sensitivity
      • Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
    • Oral Expression
      • Communicating by speaking.
    • Gross Body Coordination
      • Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
    • Arm-Hand Steadiness
      • Keeping your arm or hand steady.
    • Manual Dexterity
      • Holding or moving items with your hands.
    • Stamina
      • Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
    • Fluency of Ideas
      • Coming up with lots of ideas.
    • Visualization
      • Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
    • Hearing Sensitivity
      • Telling the difference between sounds.
    • Originality
      • Creating new and original ideas.
    • Category Flexibility
      • Grouping things in different ways.
    • Dynamic Flexibility
      • Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
    • Gross Body Equilibrium
      • Keeping your balance or staying upright.
    • Speech Recognition
      • Recognizing spoken words.
    • Written Expression
      • Communicating by writing.
    • Oral Comprehension
      • Listening and understanding what people say.
    • Written Comprehension
      • Reading and understanding what is written.
    • Speed of Closure
      • Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
    • Multilimb Coordination
      • Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
    • Dynamic Strength
      • Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
    • Inductive Reasoning
      • Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
    • Speed of Limb Movement
      • Quickly moving your arms and legs.
    • Reaction Time
      • Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
    • Response Orientation
      • Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
    • Speech Clarity
      • Speaking clearly.
    • Visual Color Discrimination
      • Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
    • Selective Attention
      • Paying attention to something without being distracted.
    • Perceptual Speed
      • Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
    • Finger Dexterity
      • Putting together small parts with your fingers.
    • Spatial Orientation
      • Knowing where things are around you.
    • Near Vision
      • Seeing details up close.
    • Extent Flexibility
      • Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
    • Trunk Strength
      • Using your lower back and stomach.
    • Sound Localization
      • Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
    • Information Ordering
      • Ordering or arranging things.
    • Time Sharing
      • Doing two or more things at the same time.
    • Deductive Reasoning
      • Using rules to solve problems.
    • Memorization
      • Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
    • Peripheral Vision
      • Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
    • Static Strength
      • Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
    • Far Vision
      • Seeing details that are far away.
    • Control Precision
      • Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
    • Number Facility
      • Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
    • Wrist-Finger Speed
      • Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
    • Mathematical Reasoning
      • Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
    • Auditory Attention
      • Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
    • Flexibility of Closure
      • Seeing hidden patterns.
    • Problem Sensitivity
      • Noticing when problems happen.

    Knowledge

    • History and Archeology
      • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
    • Education and Training
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
    • Engineering and Technology
      • Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
    • Economics and Accounting
      • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
    • Sales and Marketing
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
    • Physics
      • Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
    • Philosophy and Theology
      • Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
    • Telecommunications
      • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
    • Transportation
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
    • Mathematics
      • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
    • Fine Arts
      • Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
    • Customer and Personal Service
      • Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
    • Psychology
      • Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
    • Personnel and Human Resources
      • Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
    • Communications and Media
      • Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
    • Medicine and Dentistry
      • Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
    • English Language
      • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
    • Geography
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
    • Foreign Language
      • Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
    • Production and Processing
      • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
    • Therapy and Counseling
      • Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
    • Food Production
      • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
    • Administration and Management
      • Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
    • Chemistry
      • Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
    • Biology
      • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
    • Public Safety and Security
      • Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
    • Administrative
      • Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
    • Sociology and Anthropology
      • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
    • Computers and Electronics
      • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
    • Mechanical
      • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
    • Law and Government
      • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
    • Design
      • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
    • Building and Construction
      • Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.

    Education

    Education
    Bachelor's degree
    Work Experience
    No work experience
    Training
    No on-the-job training
    Education and Training Opportunities

    Pay

    Washington Annual Salary
    106720/yr
    Washington Hourly Wage
    51.31/hr

    Washington Employment Trends

    Currently Employed
    520
    Yearly Projected Openings
    40

    Personality

    Artistic: People interested in this work like activities that include creating, designing, and making your own rules. They do well at jobs that need:
    • Attention to Detail
    • Initiative
    • Dependability
    • Analytical Thinking
    • Cooperation
    • Persistence

    Tools

    • Desktop computers
    • Digital cameras
    • High capacity removable media drives
    • Liquid crystal display projector
    • Notebook computers
    • Personal computers

    Technology

    • Analytical or scientific software
    • Cloud-based data access and sharing software
    • Computer aided design CAD software
    • Computer aided manufacturing CAM software
    • Data base user interface and query software
    • Desktop communications software
    • Desktop publishing software
    • Development environment software
    • Document management software
    • Electronic mail software
    • Enterprise resource planning ERP software
    • Financial analysis software
    • Geographic information system
    • Graphical user interface development software
    • Graphics or photo imaging software
    • Internet browser software
    • Object or component oriented development software
    • Office suite software
    • Operating system software
    • Presentation software
    • Process mapping and design software
    • Project management software
    • Spreadsheet software
    • Video creation and editing software
    • Web platform development software
    • Word processing software

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

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