Product and Industrial Design Careers: What They Are and How to Get Started

Look around you — the chair you're sitting on, your phone, your water bottle, the bus you take. Every one was designed by someone. Product and industrial designers decide how everyday objects look, feel and work.

What product designers do

• Research how people use products
• Sketch and develop ideas
• Make models and prototypes
• Choose materials and manufacturing methods
• Work with engineers, marketers and manufacturers
• Test with users and improve

The field ranges from furniture and home appliances to medical devices, toys, vehicles, electronics and lighting.

Why the field is growing in India

• Make in India and manufacturing growth — more products are being designed, not just made, in India.
• Startups and consumer brands — new hardware, appliance and lifestyle brands need designers.
• Sustainability — companies need designers who can reduce waste and use better materials.
• Electric vehicles and mobility — new kinds of vehicles need new design thinking.
• Healthcare — affordable, user-friendly medical devices are a huge opportunity.

Trends shaping product design

1. Sustainable and circular design — repairable, recyclable, made from local materials
2. Smart products — connected devices that blend physical and digital design
3. Inclusive design — products for the elderly and people with disabilities
4. Craft-meets-industry — Indian craft traditions in modern products
5. Rapid prototyping — 3D printing and digital fabrication

Where to study

Product and industrial design are offered at NID, the IITs (through UCEED for B.Des and CEED for M.Des), and many private institutes. See our College Showcase.

Skills to start building

• 3D sketching — objects in perspective, exploded views
• Model-making — card, foam, clay, wire (materials guide)
• Observation — study how things open, fold, click and break
• Design thinking — start with users (guide)
• Curiosity about materials — wood, plastic, metal, bamboo, textiles

A weekend challenge

Pick an everyday object that annoys you (a tangled charger, a leaking bottle, an uncomfortable bag). Sketch 10 ways to improve it, then build a rough model of the best one. That's product design.

Get started

The Design Habitat prepares students for product design programmes through NID and UCEED in Pune and Nashik. Unsure if product design is right for you? Take the free Design DNA Test or talk to a mentor.