Looking for I.D. work in Los Angeles

Hello,

So I know Los Angeles is not really a popular place for I.D. but the people I love are living there and I would really like to see if I can make this work. Any advice for a Junior Industrial Designer? I’ve checked out the IDSA company listings for that city and plan on modifying my portfolio to match but beyond that I am not sure what else would help or where else to look.

Thanks :smiley:

There is actually a lot more ID in LA than people realize. RKS, Pip Tomkin, Design Works… check out the core77 firm listing. The “Silicon Beach” area is full of tech start ups.

If you expand your geographic window there are a lot of corporate jobs in Orange County.

I currently work in ID in LA. There is a lot of work here. especially if you go as far south as Orange County. The corporate companies I can think of off the top of my head are Fox, Hurley, Oakley, La Jolla Group, Nike Lincessce Group, Auto Manufactures, Metal Militia, Safariland and most major golf companies. Just keep plugging away I am sure someone will need a junior designer soon.

Any particular area in LA?
If you don’t want the horrible commute then I would suggest you narrow your area a bit further. But if you are starting out keep your options open and decide once you have an offer:

A) El Segundo/Santa Monica area. Mattel, Belkin, Pip, Stuart Karten, Ashcraft Design, T2 Design, Pulse Design, Tandem Design and a few others.

B) Irvine - Vizio, Lum Design, Bosch/Thermador, Simplehuman, Footwear/lifestyle companies, Aspen Medical Products, Other Medical Companies, and a few other corporate firms.

C) Burbank area - Disney, Munchkin, ID by M, and others

D) RKS and Designworks are in the Newburry Park/Thousand Oaks area…northwest from LA

E) Long Beach/Lakewood/Huntington Beach - ID Group, Nectar Product Development, GK International, Zodiac Aerospace, OlloClip, SitOnit,

F) Chino Hills/Corona Area - Jacuzzi Group (i believe they currently have a posting for a JR Designer).


There are a lot of options but I would agree is not an overwhelming number of job postings. Are you looking for corporate or consulting? Toys, Medical, Electronics, Lifestyle, Furniture?

That is fantastic news, thank you! I was really worried but I am glad to see that this is a misconception.

I would be open to either but my current experience has been small scale corporate. I’ve done a little work between furniture and lifestyle but I’ve also designed some toys as personal projects. Currently I’m east coast but plan to move down there in winter and maybe take some courses at Otis while looking for a job.