Industrial Design or Product Design: Career Comparison

Comparison between Product vs Industrial Designer based on role, eligibility criteria, work experiences, courses, job profile, opportunities, payscale has been mentioned below. Check out the detailed comparison here.

Table of Contents

Similarity Between Industrial Design and Product Design
Comparison Between Industrial Design and Product Design
Career Comparison between Industrial Design and Product Design
Faqs

Industrial Design or Product Design: Career Comparison

Industrial design and product design are different yet related. Both these fields include design in them yet they serve different purposes. Confused candidates about careers after pursuing any course in these fields must check out the detailed career comparison in this article. Industrial design and product design both revolve around the creation and refining of products. While product design is more related to developing products to deliver solutions, industrial design involves executing these solutions to improve manufacturing. Refer to the detailed comparison of the career paths in industrial design or product design below.

Similarity Between Industrial Design and Product Design

Often, there is confusion between Industrial design and Product design as there is a great deal of overlap between the two. Product designer, on the other hand, deals with everything related to products, while industrial design deals with more specialized products, such as cars, computers, phones, etc.

In general, product design is about creating products. A career in Industrial Design is about developing solutions and taking them to the market.

Note: An industrial designer can become a product designer. However, a product designer cannot become an industrial designer.

Comparison Between Industrial Design and Product Design

Industrial Design	Product Design
In Industrial design, ideas, and concepts are created for mass production, i.e., that can be manufactured and sold. Therefore, it requires additional work in order to convert and customize designs (product designs) so they can be manufactured. It's essential that you have an understanding of the production process.	The process of designing a product involves identifying a market opportunity, defining a problem, creating a solution, and validating the solution with actual customers.
Industrial design cannot be regarded as a subset of Product design.	Product design can be regarded as a subset of Industrial design.
In order to be an industrial designer, you must have technical/engineering knowledge.	Technical knowledge is not mandatory in product design.
Additionally, you learn about business aspects of industrial design, which allows you to tailor products to market and business demands.	In product design, you need to learn about market needs and understand to develop the products to match the market needs.
Industrial designing includes the whole lifecycle – starting from initial research to the last stage of manufacturing.	Product designing is just one part of the whole lifecycle, primarily the initial phase.
Industrial Design is collecting ideas from concepts to business integration. It is focused mainly on the users, the products and the systems, the interaction and service regarding the business value.	Product Design is focused mainly on products, their design, and overall development. It is more about the users, the product, and the interaction between them. Product designers can be seen dealing with users and production systems.

Also Read : Scope in Design Industry

Career Comparison between Industrial Design and Product Design

Product and Industrial Designer in a nutshell:

A product designer is accountable for the user experience of the product, which usually includes moving towards the business goals and objectives from the management of the product. Some common entitle by which product designers are called; a user experience designer, customer experience architect, interaction designer, or information architect and user interface designer.
An Industrial Designer is all about the concepts for manufactured products such as designing cars, electronics, home appliances, and toys. All such products are developed by an industrial designer. They combine creative art, business ideas, and technology to produce daily goods that people need.

The List of Comparisons on the Basis of Role, Eligibility Criteria, Work Experiences, Courses, Job Profile, Opportunities, and scale has been tabulated below for Product and Industrial designers:

Comparison Parameters	Product Designer	Industrial Designer
Role	To create and visualize drawings and design concepts to bring out the best product. To present different concepts and ideas to connected team members for brainstorming activity. To utilize design concepts to functional prototypes. To study, modify and alter existing designs or products to meet customers’ expectations. To keep an update on the news market trends and market conditions. To collaborate with other design members and to make sure of the accurate efficiency in the design phase.	Industrial designers usually create and work on specific products only. To visualize how potential customers can make use of a product in different manners. To have hands-on experience in Design Industrial software is importantly required for efficient functioning in the career of an Industrial Designer. Role is to create pleasing designs that further display the information according to the product’s needs.
Educational Qualifications	Candidates must have cleared graduation in Product Designing. Candidates who have cleared their postgraduation in Product Design are also eligible.	Candidates must have cleared their boards or more specifically 10 + 2 or any equivalent course by securing at least 50% marks from any recognized board of India. Mainly, the admissions in industrial design courses are made based on candidates’ results secured in the Entrance examination.
Required Skills	Good Communication Skills Observation Skills Sound Visualisations Abilities Problem Solving Abilities Artistic and Innovative Flair Eye for Aesthetic Design and Understanding of Customers Need Excellent Attention to Detail Well-built Knowledge of Market Trends and Industry Meticulous and Diligent	Drawing Skills Creativity Time Management Communication Skills Problem Solving Ability Excellent Attention to Detail Good Knowledge of Market Trends and Industry Meticulous and Diligent
Work Experience	Work experience in the Product Design field is mandatory.	Work experience in the Industrial Design field is compulsory.
Courses	B. Des Product Design B. Sc. Product Design B. A. Product Design B. V. A Product Design M. Des Product Design M. Sc. Product Design	B. Des Industrial Design B. Tech. Industrial Design B. Tech. Mechanical Engineering B. E. Electrical Engineering B. A. Interior and Architect Design M. Des Industrial Design Masters Visual Communication Masters in Arts & Culture
Jobs Profiles	UX Designer Exhibition Designer UI Designer Furniture Designer Automotive Designer Industrial Designer Design Engineer Product Manager Product Designer	Interior Designer Furniture Designer Industrial Design Researcher Industrial Designer Automotive Designer Package Designer Theatre Set Designer
Employment Opportunities	Advertisement Sector Marketing Public Relations IT Companies Architectural Industry Hardware Companies Software Companies Social Media Platform	Engineers Product Experts Market Research Hardware Companies Software Companies Social Media Platform
Top Recruiting Agencies	Sourcewiz Groyyo 1E ApplyBoard SalaryBox Gift My Emotions Techgig Sprinklr Cvent Nitco Technology Mouri Tech Round Glass	MAKO Design Invent Lounge Lizard Exaud Kanda Software KlientBoost Design Rooster Lform Design Titan Growth
PayScale	The average base salary of a Product Designer is approximately INR 6,30,000 per annum. Starting salary is INR 2,90,000 – INR 20,00,000 (upto Senior Level).	The average base salary of an Industrial Designer is approximately INR 10,00,000 per annum. Starting salary is INR 2,50,000 – INR 20,00,000 (upto Senior Level).

Top Colleges Offering Product Design Courses 2024	Top 10 Specialisations in Design
Fee Structure of Top Design Colleges in India	Features to be Considered Before Choosing a Design School

FAQs

What is the difference between product design and industrial design?

The key difference between product design and industrial design is the aspect. Product design is creating designs and coming up with solutions on the other hand, industrial design is all about taking these solutions to the manufacturers.

Are industrial designers in high demand?

Yes, industrial designers are in high demand for their industrial designing skills in terms of new-age AI, 3D and other technologies. The salaries for the role are also high based on the demand.

Can an industrial designer become a product designer?

Yes, an industrial designer can become a product designer but it cannot be vice versa. Product design comprises the creation of products and industrial design is creating design solutions and taking them to the manufacturers.

Does product design have a future?

Yes, product design is said to have an immense future in the coming years. The demand for product design is increasing making the field a more popular and demanded profession.

Which is better, product design or industrial design?

Product design is all about the design of the product, it comprises reaching the design solution while industrial design revolves around the overall function, user interface and user experience of the product. Both fields are related to design, so it will depend on the student to choose which is better for them.