Industrial Design - Nature of Work

Designers usually specialise in one particular area of designing e.g. clothing, furniture, home appliances, industrial equipment, movie and theatre sets, packaging, floral arrangements, graphic design, computer aided design etc.

Skills of artists and designers are alike, an artist's work shows self-expression, while the work of designers is aimed at problem solving for practical tasks. Designs of products, environments and systems aim at the customers' needs in terms of comfort, aesthetics, efficiency, safety, reliability, economy, etc. It is essential that designers have technical knowledge appropriate to their discipline and commercial awareness of markets. Industrial design applies technical knowledge with creativity and encompasses a wide range of materials in industries. It is concerned with products, objects, things. Three dimensional design is craft or studio based industrial design.


Nature of Work

Industrial design

Product design/ceramic design/furniture design - Industrial designers develop and design products like cars, home appliances, computers, medical, office or recreational equipment, children's toys, etc. They combine their artistic talent with research they do on the product use, marketing, production methods, and materials to create the most functional and appealing design and to make the product competitive in the market. In the manufacturing industry, traditionally, the engineer designed the working parts of a machine ; he also designed its exterior, without any art-based training, and did so more or less according to the shape and size of the product's part and the demands of the manufacturing process. Rapid growth in consumer spending and growing competition for sales led manufacturers to see the possibility of designing products which not only looked good and could be sold on appearance, but were efficient and convenient to use. Increasingly now, designers are working with design engineers to produce designs for goods, keeping in mind the appearance of items, convenience, safety, efficiency and ease of maintenance. New development in design have also been possible because of technological developments and new materials, e.g., metals, plastics, rubbers, etc, which are more flexible for the designer's needs.


Designing begins with design research. Designers work on briefs from the marketing department who research what the customers want and which designs will sell. The designer may work on modifying existing products or parts of products rather than creating wholly new ones. The designing process implies the application of creative talents to produce rough sketches to outline ideas, keeping the design within available production capabilities. Designers then select the shapes, colours and materials for products keeping in mind the functional aspect which must suit the lifestyles of customers and ensure product efficiency. Designers use technical knowledge and liaise extensively with other experts to ensure feasibility and cost-effectiveness. Designs may have to be modified and adapted a number of times before they are acceptable. Technical constraints may often compromise the original concept for a product.

Once designs in the form of rough sketches have been approved, detailed working drawings are prepared. Computer aided design (CAD) systems may be used. Accurate models of products are also made for testing. In addition to supplying production staff with working drawings showing exact dimensions etc, the designer may have to provide written instructions. The designer should be available to solve problems relating to adaptation ensuring that the end product, as far as possible, conforms to the initial brief and agreed requirements.

Product design - Product designers develop products for the industrial and consumer sectors. They are trained in simple and complex designing procedures such as techno aesthetic detailing, designing of electromechanical products, systems design etc.

Ceramic design - Ceramic Designers learn the various techniques involved in the design of tableware, sanitary ware as well as ceramic products for industrial use and production.

Furniture design - Furniture designers design furniture for different commercial and domestic applications. They are specialists in specific furniture products such as storage devices, metal and wire furniture etc.

Craft design - Craft designers have technical knowledge of relevant handicraft, and its manufacturing processes ; for example firing, decorating, carving, inlaying, moulding, engraving and glazing. They work for designing of ceramics (ornaments, tiles, etc), jewellery, silverware, metalwork, pottery, glass (glassware and stained/architectural glass) and furniture. Designing is usually carried out for mass-manufacture or for production through traditional methods by designer-craft persons. Designers may work with potters and jewellers to create products that have a wider appeal and a more competitive pricing. Some work for the film and advertising industry, making anything that is required for the purpose of creating a special effect. In addition to being visually creative craft designer is his own technologist, production manager, marketing expert, salesman, book-keeper and buyer.

Automobile design - This design specialisation has two aspects - the engineering and the appearance. Car companies have in-house studios which employ teams that specialise and work in particular areas like drawings, models and engineering. Scooter, bikes, moped manufacturers are other options for designers. NID and IIT (Design Courses) are training designers for this industry.

Toy Design - Designing of toys is a multi disciplinary activity integrating child psychology, special education, design and engineering and computer applications. Toy designers work for creative toy manufacturing companies as well as for the social sector.

Visual communication design

Visual Communication Designers know how to effectively use space, colour, lines and shapes. The work is as much technical as creative. Designers have to understand the technicalities of printing processes, photography, colour reproduction, type, with all its varied fonts, sizes and weights.

Graphic design - Graphic design originated as design for the printing industry - books, posters, magazines, but has expanded into other areas and now includes photography, film, video, and all kinds of visual communications. Graphic design is really the design of communication and has developed considerably from the days when it was known as commercial art. Graphic designers work with print, pictures and patterns. They ‘lay out' words and pictures on pages for books and magazines, in advertisements, posters, sales brochures, product packaging, TV programme title sequences, and the sides of mobile vans. The aim of graphic design is to effectively communicate information through visual means. It is a broad heading covering a number of different disciplines. Typography is an essential element of all fields of graphic design. Specialized areas are lettering and calligraphy.


A Graphic has components, concept and layout. The concept decides the elements that are to be used in design as the aim is to create a visually stunning impact that would hold the viewer's attention. Example is of Frank Foster, whose special effects in mega blockbusters like Speed, ‘Hollow' Man and ‘Perfect Storm' have been awesome. Graphic designers use a variety of print, electronic, and film media to create designs that meet a client's commercial needs. Using computer software, they develop the overall layout and design of magazines, newspapers, journals, corporate reports, and other publications. They may also produce promotional displays and marketing brochures for products and services, design distinctive company logos for products and businesses, and develop signs and signage.

Illustration (including photography), although not technically part of graphic design, is closely related. Most illustrators concentrate on specialist subjects, e.g., fashion, nature or cartoon and specialize in particular skills or in types of media ; for example, magazines or TV, technical illustration work for scientific, medical or engineering subjects, for reproduction in manuals and text books which demands precision. More and more of the everyday work of the graphic designer is done on computer system. (For courses refer to the article on Film making.)

Animation - Animation is based entirely on drawings which, when photographed, produced a three-dimensional impression. It is an ability to capture, store, manipulate, transfer and display/render multiple media. Computer animation is the process of creating moving sequences of pictures(such as cartoons and animated films). There are 4 typical steps - A visual script consisting of drawings on paper is given for the animation sequence, key scenes and characters. The animated objects are digitally scanned and viewed and manipulated in three dimensions. Illusion of movement is introduced. The power of motion is animation. Finally with the manipulation of light, colour, texture, shadow transparency are introduced. Animation has its uses in entertainment and in practical applications in industrial and scientific research. Basic knowledge of printing and image-producing techniques is essential.

Multimedia - The technology which combines video, sound, text, graphics, illustrations, photographs and animation in one single package is ‘multimedia'. It is at the core of the convergence of data communication, telecommunication, video communication, audio communication, gaming, visual arts, publishing, entertainment, cinematography, photography and professional electronics. Most professions use multimedia application packages today. Fashion designers use it to try out their creations, corporate executives use multimedia in business presentations, Central Bureau of Investigations uses it for tracking criminals, architects use it to create virtual models, hair stylists use it to find a ‘hairstyle that suits the face'. Multimedia is used in most design related fields eg. fashion designing and textile designing. Multimedia professionals work as scriptwriters, graphic designers, animation specialists, sound specialists, digital video editors and programmers for CD-ROM technology. Writers, illustrators and commercial artists with multimedia skills are required for the preparation of CD-Roms. In the television industry graphic designers create special effects, animation and sound effects using multimedia techniques. In advertising multimedia professionals work in the creative department. Logos, layouts for advertising in the print medium are done by multimedia professionals. The job involves working on concepts, choosing a medium and executing it with special effects or visuals.

Work Environment

Working conditions vary with the place of employment. Designers employed by manufacturing establishments or design firms generally work regular hours in well-lighted and comfortable settings. Self employed designers tend to work longer hours - especially at first, when they are trying to establish themselves and cannot afford to hire assistants or clerical help.

Designers frequently adjust their work day to suit their clients, meeting with them in evenings or on weekends when necessary. They may transact business in clients' homes or offices, in their own offices, or in other locations such as showrooms.


Industrial designers usually work regular hours but occasionally work overtime to meet deadlines. In contrast, set designers, especially those in television broadcasting, often work long and irregular hours. The tempo of television production is very fast, and set designers are often under pressure to make rapid changes in the sets. It is a demanding career with no shortcuts.

Personal Characteristics

Industrial and visual communication designers must be creative and artistic with a good imagination. They should be able to think in a clear, logical manner, analyse problems and come up with original solutions. They need visual imagination and ability to think in three-dimensions. They should be able to express their ideas through drawings and should have numerical ability to calculate dimensions, etc. They must be capable of preparing intricate and detailed drawings, constructing models. Good colour sense, appreciation of aesthetics and sensitivity to ergonomics (the study of the relationship between people and their environment) is also required.

Designers should be amiable, good at communication and should be able to work in a team. Skills in persuading are necessary to present ideas and suggestions to other members of the design team.