I am interested in changing careers to ID. I have no experience in it and a Bachelors degree in Business and have worked in business for the last several years as an account manager. I do realize that without the training I can not get an ID job, but would still like to get involved on a paid basis to get the full feel of the industry. What recommendation do you have? What jobs are there in the design firms that I can get which would get me close enough to see if this is what I really want to do?
Well, first of all, you have to build ur portfolio. Just like in business, you can always freelance if your really good. Your business degree will really come in handy in this industry bc of you look at the frog design company(their called something like that), they know how to market. Most of their work is done for disney and most of their designs are advertising driven. I’m guessing you know how to draw so the next best thing would be to get drafting books, autocad books, and other rendering books that work with computer software. Many small architecture design firms always have autocad positions and many of them just look to see if you have a degree of any kind, could atleast get ur foot in the door. Industrial designers wear many hats. I don’t know where your located but its not to rare to get a little tour of a design firm. They’ll give you lots of tips and maybe get u a good friendship with them. It’s all about who you know. That’s all i can think of right now. Hope this helps you.
thanks. all advice is welcome.
by account managing assume you mean sales. easiest way to see if ID is for you is get closer to the action. in corporate this probably means finding a product place with R&D marketing positions. if design firm you could try to get sales job. firms hire sales types who can speak the design language. what that is depends on who hires you. but if someone mentions a designer or firm name you might need to know it. if a type of style you’d need to understand it. type of model or rp you should probably understand it. general terms.
in the meantime, start taking some relevant night classes. life drawing and ceramics are two i always recommend.
p.s. and try not to spam forums with same post. poor netiquette.
First off thanks for the advice. It’s much appreciated. I understand why I should take the life drawing class but why the ceramics class? What’s the relevance of ceramics to industrial/product design work?
PS - no more spamming for me. I’m new to posting messages.
ceramics is like sketching. only in 3D. throw something on the wheel. can see how slight changes affect the shape. subtlety. for me and those i’ve recommended try it, ceramics helps become more sensitive to form. better than carving foam. clay is additive and subtractive. malleable. and fast. i personally think it should be mandatory undergrad class.
Got it. Thanks. I am signed up for a class that begins this Saturday. Also signed up for intro ID class and ID illustration class. Wish me luck. Any other suggestions?
Do you have a portfolio here on core77? I notice there are hundreds here on this site.
What’s your take on this whole outsourcing phenomenon I am hearing about? First it was manufacturing. Now I am reading that R&D is next. Or may be next. Is it possible? How can a company outsource the way their products are designed to people who have never set foot in this country. I can see low end and low profit margin products they don’t care about but not their core business. Hmmmm…
“Any other suggestions?”
if serious try meeting some designers in your area. buy them lunch. pick their brains. cant ever learn too much. hearing experiences first hand may help you decide. try a local IDSA chapter if available.
“Do you have a portfolio here on core77?”
yes. but i no longer link to my work.
“What’s your take on this whole outsourcing phenomenon I am hearing about?”
it’s here. and includes R&D. dont assume any white collar job is safe. plenty of ID is being done abroad now.
Thanks again for the insight. Do you feel that ID jobs will be here in the future or will they go the way of manufacturing jobs - all done overseas? Do you feel this is a good, lifelong industry to enter for the person with the artistic soul or should I look elsewhere? The more I read about ID the more interested I become. It seems like the true IDers are the ones who come up with unique solutions to solve problems as opposed to creating a different look for the same old product.
“Do you feel that ID jobs will be here in the future or will they go the way of manufacturing jobs - all done overseas?”
depends on how far down the road you’re talking. try this old thread to get of sense of what some people here think: >>>>>>How much should I charge. Urgent HEL
“Do you feel this is a good, lifelong industry to enter for the person with the artistic soul or should I look elsewhere?”
what i feel isnt important. what you feel is. ID is not an easy occupation. pay isn’t great. upward mobility sucks. “everyone is a designer” syndrome is rampant. if you dont love doing it you shouldn’t bother.
“The more I read about ID the more interested I become. It seems like the true IDers are the ones who come up with unique solutions to solve problems as opposed to creating a different look for the same old product.”
sometimes a “look” is a problem. i’ve been in research where people perceive weight by visual cues. even when holding for comparison, they still claim the heavier-looking object is heavier when it isn’t. and EVEN when put on a scale, some refuse to believe otherwise. it’s weird. but then consumers are a bit weird sometimes.
being an engineer i admit wanting to do more than changing the skin. but i don’t discount it’s importance.
Thanks for telling me the way it is. I notice that some of the people are doing jobs on the side - freelance work. Is this a very lucrative option? Also I read that many design firms are starting to market thier own products? What took them so long to figure out they could make money this way? All you need are one or two blockbusters to put you in millions.