Career as Automotive Designer

Last Updated On 06 May, 2020

How to Become a Automotive Designer

About Automotive Designer

Automotive design is a unique field that involves engineering, creativity, business acumen and safety. An automotive designer is not bounded by automobiles only, they can be a designer for any form of wheeled transportation. The duty of an automotive designer is to curate designs for the appearance, components and ergonomics of vehicles. 

An automotive designer aims at collaborating with the automobile engineers. They ensure that all the calculations, dimensions and mathematical formulas are correct and the final outcome of their design displays an image of the company and meets the need of the consumer. 

An automobile designer needs to possess relevant knowledge and skills to excel in the field of automotive. It requires effective communication, aesthetic skills, creativity, technical knowledge, critical thinking, time-management and problem-solving skills. Before preparing the sketches for the design it is essential to discuss production and cost with the supervisors. Depending on one’s convenience, an automobile designer can function independently as well as with top-notch companies.

Eligibility to become Automotive Designer

Prior to becoming a successful automotive designer, a certain set of eligibility criteria need to be met by an individual. Captured below are the conditions that must be satisfied in order to become an automotive designer.

  • It is of utmost importance to hold a degree of an undergraduate programme before heading towards the path of becoming an automotive designer.
  • Bachelor’s degree in transportation design or industrial design can be pursued by the candidate. Aspirants with a degree in automotive design or automotive engineering will be considered ideal for pursuing a career in automotive design.
  • Certain schools also offer classes in 3D design, drawing, colour theory, CAD (computer-aided design), model-making, and industrial materials. Studying any of these subjects will lend you the upper hand in the automotive design industry.
  • Upon completion of graduate study, aspirants can also go for a postgraduate programme in industrial design, automotive engineering or industrial engineering. It can help in expanding the knowledge and enhancing the skill-set.

Types of Job Roles Automotive Designer

A keen interest in automotive designing can lead you to multiple job profiles. Mentioned below are some that aspirants often consider in the field of automotive design.

Architect: They generally design structures for outside or inside spaces. Their duty is to collect relevant information including environmental impact, site selection, building codes and zoning laws.

Drafters: Duty of a drafter is to convert the designs into technical drawings using computer aids and software programs.

Automotive Engineers: An automotive engineer either designs old automobiles or the existing ones. They solve or troubleshoot engineering issues.

Product Designers: Their duty is to design the products we use in our day to day life. Also, their focus on improving the existing products and make them more efficient.

Designers: The responsibility of a designer is to design an illustration and consistently produce excellent designing works.

Employment Opportunities for Automotive Designer

The Automobile industry is one of the fastest-growing industries of all times. It constantly provides employment opportunities to the aspirants. Check out the opportunities mentioned below.

  • Graphic Designing firms
  • Automobile firms
  • IT firms
  • Architectural firms
  • Production firms

Top Recruiting Companies for Automotive Designer

There are multiple recruiting companies across the globe for an automotive designer. Go through the top recruiting companies captured below.

  • ABC Consultants
  • Black Turtle
  • Cadcrowd
  • PeopleStrong
  • MorganTEC
  • GoMechanic
  • CRPL
  • Year Later
  • Strictly Electric

Planning to choose Automotive Designer as your career?

Pay Scale/Salary of Automotive Designer

Check the tabulated data below to figure out the preferred job profile of an automotive designer and the salary associated with it.

Job Profile

Starting Salary per annum (in INR)

Mid Level Salary per annum (in INR)

Senior Level Salary per annum (in INR)

Architect

1,73,000

6,00,000

10,00,000

Drafters

1,01,000

4,00,000

6,60,000

Automotive Engineers

2,54,000

10,00,000

20,00,000

Product Designers

2,43,000

10,00,000

20,00,000

Designers

1,43,000

6,00,000

9,00,000

Books & Study Material to Become Automotive Designer

For getting involved with automotive design one needs to be through with the knowledge of automotive and designing. Also, an individual must withhold appropriate skills and awareness of the field. Enlisted below are the books that must be read by an aspirant in order to get in-depth knowledge of the same.

  • Automotive Mechanics by William Crouse & Donald Anglin
  • Automotive Master Technician by Graham Stoakes
  • Bosch Automotive Handbook
  • Race Car Vehicle Dynamics by Milliken
  • Automobile Engineering Vol 1 & Vol 2 by Kirpal Singh

Pros of becoming a Automotive Designer

  • An automotive designer requires immense creativity and aesthetic skills. It let an individual experiment and utilise his/her innovations.
  • If you have got the right skills, experience and knowledge you are provided with appealing salary packages.
  • With the rapidly growing industry of automotive designing, automotive designers get multiple opportunities to experiment with their ideas.

Cons of becoming a Automotive Designer

  • Aspirant continuously needs to be creative which might exhaust his/her mind frequently.
  • Automotive designers have a stressful life. They need to meet deadlines and be creative at the same time. At times, it might take a toll on their personal life.
  • Unless exceptionally talented, an automotive designer has to witness slow growth in the automotive industry.

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FAQs about Automotive Designer

What does an Automotive Designer do?

An automotive designer is an individual who curates designs for the components, appearance and ergonomics of vehicles.

Which courses are suitable for an aspiring Automotive Designer?

Some suitable courses for an automotive designer are M.Des. in Transportation and Automobile Design, B.Des. in Transportation and Automobile Design, B.Tech. in Mechanical Engineering (Automotive Design), Certificate in Automotive Digital Sculpting, M.Des in Mobility and Vehicle Design, B.Des in Mobility and Vehicle Design, B.Des in Automobile Design and M.Des in Automobile Design.

Which skills are required to be an Automotive Designer?

The top skills required to be an automotive designer are aesthetic skills, communication, time-management, technical knowledge, creativity, critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Which colleges are best for an individual who wants to be an automotive designer?

Few of the finest colleges for an aspiring Automotive Designer are Ajeenkya DY Patil University, Pune, Rishihood University (RU), Sonepat, UPES, Dehradun, Karnavati University, Gandhinagar, World University of Design (WUD), Sonepat etc.

Which books must be studied to be an Automotive Designer?

The popular books for an automotive designer are Automotive Mechanics by William Crouse & Donald Anglin, Bosch Automotive Handbook, Automotive Master Technician by Graham Stoakes, Automobile Engineering Vol 1 & Vol 2 by Kirpal Singh and Race Car Vehicle Dynamics by Milliken.

Which employment areas are open to provide job opportunities to an Automotive Designer?

The employment firms or areas that actively provide job opportunities to an automotive designer are Graphic Designing firms, IT firms, Architectural firms, Automobile firms and Production firms.

How much salary can an Automotive Designer extract on an annual basis?

On an annual basis, an Automotive Designer can earn an average ?7,09,859. The entry-level salary starts from ?58,000 per annum and after a few years of experience, it reaches up till ?7,10,000 per annum. At the senior level, an individual can extract as much as ?10,00,000 per annum.

What are few top recruiting companies for an Automotive Designer?

Top recruiting companies that hire an automotive designer are ABC Consultants, Cadcrowd, PeopleStrong, Black Turtle, MorganTEC, CRPL, GoMechanic and many more.

What are some advantages of being an Automotive Designer?

The biggest advantage that an automotive designer enjoys is that the profession allows him to experiment and unleash his creative potential. Further, the job also offers a decent amount of salary after a few years of work experience.

What minimum qualification should I possess to be an Automotive Designer?

An aspirant must at least have an undergraduate degree in automotive design in order to be an automotive designer. Certain colleges also offer postgraduate courses which can provide an aspirant with extended job opportunities and handsome salary packages.

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