Good points. I suppose I’m commenting on the big picture here. Industrial Design is a design process in which the end goal is to solve a problem in product form, then that design to mass manufacturing, to then be sold in volume to public/private markets (generally speaking of course). Anything else is a craft or creating a piece of art.
I just get this a lot in my inbox and I get sick of it. “Hi, I’m going to be rich because I have a great idea. You are an Industrial Designer who make my idea happen. You just make it look good, that is all. I will pay you nothing, you get rich later, maybe if you’re good and it works.” This guy is saying this, but without even wanting to hire an industrial designer at all.
Its a complex process in which we make our livings at and this individual is making it seem like an Industrial Designer is simply someone who uses Illustrator. I spent a lot of hard earned money on my education and thousands of hours honing my abilities, and I still feel like I’ve got a long way to go to get to where I want to get to. Plus, they posted this on an Industrial Design forum, not an Adobe forum asking how to “draw cool stuff”. Nope, not having it. This individual will likely make interesting drawings in Illustrator, which is great. But it is not Industrial Design.
I don’t discredit lawyers, architects, doctors, or chefs at their professions. “I want to build a house, but the first thing I’m going to do is fire ALL the architects in the world.” … “Yo, Doctor, where did you buy that scalpel? Is it cool if I use last years model and just cut this tonsil out myself?” I don’t want my profession to be discredited, that happens enough outside of Industrial Design forums.