Is there a hierarchy of desirable jobs for Industrial Designers? What are considered the best jobs, the worst jobs, and the mediocre jobs? I’ve only worked with ID’ers in the context of a design consultancy and would like some perspective.
their are lots of worsts, depends on the designer.
working on something where the client dosn’t understand what they want, and they just keep saying “that’s not quite it, bring me something different”
I still get paid the same, but not making progress as a deadline approaches is frustrating.
If your asking if there are certain job descriptions/ranks that suck or certain product feilds that are considered “lower” than others, that’s not how design works. Design is everywhere, if you like designing it doesn’t really matter what it is, and we are always moving.
we always have the best job in the company…
one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. The idea of ranking is purely personal.
You know, I used to think working at a design firm would be the top, but I’m not sure there really is a top and bottom any longer. When I first graduated, I worked in exhibit design and did a little POP too. Even though I wasn’t designing the actual products on display, it was still a challenge and I was able to use what I learned in school to create some good stuff.
That said, I still wanted to be a product designer, so I switched and am now in sporting goods design. In the end, all areas of industrial design have their own distinct challenges and short-comings. Just have to make it what you want.
The glamour still seems to be attached to working at a firm, although I must say working corporate has it’s advantages.
I think the best designers make the most out of their situations. It doesn’t matter if your designing brake lights, combs or chew toys. The point is to always make the best looking and cost effective version possible. That being said I think every designer has a personal preference in terms of what they enjoy designing. If you land the job in the field you like you win! (if the money is decent anyway)
I work for a family owned manufacturer of funky furniture and lighting geared mostly for the tween and young adult market. The upside is that I have a ton of creative freedom and work pretty much alone. The downside is that I have a ton of creative freedom and work pretty much alone. 
The design job you want the most is the best job.
Salary has nothing to do with it.
If you want big bucks with no satisfaction that design provides, enter real estate or a million other jobs similar.
Design director is at the top of my list now.
But four years ago, “designer” was my dream job!
As a student forsure there are jobs that i aspire and some that i don’t.
You can be certain though that not all of my peers share the same goals.
therfore to agree with what has allready been mentioned it is highly subjective.
best to worst is purely subjective.
at the end of the day it’s WHO you work for that matters in terms of keeping your sanity. you could be designing the most coveted sneakers in the world but work for the biggest prick ever. you could be designing POPs and work for the most thoughtful, most generous people.
The top for me means loving what you do, having control to do what you want to do, and being relevant.
I think James Dyson has done that for himself.
…being relevant
Wow, there’s a mantra. If we keep relevance as the filter for everything we do in design then surely the quality of work will be improved, or at least become better understood.
It’s like creating a definition for how to do ‘better design’, or how to be a ‘better designer’. Or for that matter, how to be a better blogger.
Be relevant.
.
Be relevant.
mh, yes. very important. but it is so personal. What might be relevant to you might not be relevant to me at all.
For me, there is no relevance to motor bikes. For you, choppers might be the number one passion.
who is to decide what’s relevant?
so, making an “arty” design piece that brings joy to somebody’s home. Is there relevance to it? Or should we all pool our minds together to save the 3rd world?
Yves Behar comes to mind as somebody who did make a difference beyond making the cover of wallpaper.
I don’ know. I guess everybody has to find their purpose within design and their own justification for being a designer.
I agree with being relevant and loving what you do. I can not complain about what I have chosen to do for a living and as long I am able to be creative, work my design process, and solve creative problems I am happy. I learned a long time ago that there will always be glamorous firms out there, but there are designers everywhere and we are all the unique in our own way. We have the best job in the world and I yes I do want to move up and it will take some moving around to get there, but as long as I am a designer I will go pretty much anywhere to improve and to stay relevant.