Industrial designers develop a wide variety of manufactured products.

Industrial designers combine artistic skills and practical knowledge to create designs. Most designers concentrate on one area. They may design:

• Cars
• Airplanes
• Home appliances
• Children's toys
• Computers
• Medical equipment
• Office equipment
• Sports equipment

Designers talk to clients about what they want, and how the product will be used. They do research on similar products and design trends. Designers consider size, shape, weight, color, and materials to be used. They consider cost to produce the product, ease of use, and safety. They also consider market competition, or what is selling in the product area. In some cases, they design a series of products. Industrial designers make sure each product has the same look and feel of other products in the line.

Industrial designers create sketches. They do this by hand or on a computer. Designers often use computer-aided design (CAD) tools to create products. CAD allows designers to create three-dimensional drawings of products. These drawings can be rotated, which helps designers visualize the final product. Changes can quickly be made to CAD designs, which add speed and flexibility to the design process. This reduces design costs and cuts the time it takes to deliver a product to the market.

Industrial designers also use computer-aided industrial design (CAID) to create their designs. Designers who work for manufacturing firms may use CAID to send their designs to automated production tools. These machines read the designs and create products.

Industrial designers present their sketches to the client or design team. They also consult with the product development team, which may include engineers or marketing staff. Designers make changes based on the feedback they receive or new developments in trends. They create detailed designs of the product. These may include drawings, small models, or computer simulations. Some designers create full-sized prototypes of their products. In addition, designers prepare lists of the materials needed to produce the product. They also estimate costs.

Industrial designers may supervise assistants who carry out their designs. Designers who run their own businesses have administrative tasks. For example, they may do more product research than other designers. They may also hire and train new staff. In addition, they devote time to developing new business contacts.