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

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.

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.