I totally agree it depends on the environment of the designer, however those industrial designers that give thought and attention to process, mass production, and assembly can find themselves earning lots of extra credibility beyond a “pretty picture” stereotype.
An invaluable industrial designer is one that can symphonize the wants and desires of the end-user with the realities and limitations of production and manufacturing. I realize that this is asking a lot from any one individual, but these are the qualities of an influential designer.