Industrial Design Career Resources
The Career Center has built this page to provide you with valuable advice and resources relevant to your major. Explore and take advantage of what you find here to maximize your career readiness!
Common Career Paths for Industrial Design Majors
If you are still trying to explore and evaluate your career path, you can check out this selected list of common job titles that alumni often pursue. Please keep in mind, this is not meant to be exhaustive. Rather, you can consider it a starting point to explore options in the field.
Product Designer - Conceptualize and create a variety of products. This role often involves sketching, prototyping, and collaborating with engineers and manufacturers. Often done as part of a team at a company or design consultancy.
UI/UX Designer - Specialize in user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) design for digital products such as websites and apps, ensuring that they are functional, easy to use, and visually engaging. Might be done while working for a company, consulting firm, or via freelancing.
Design Researcher- Conduct research to understand user needs and behaviors, which informs the design process. This role involves gathering and analyzing data through methods like surveys, interviews, and usability tests.
Material Designer - Lead the development and selection of materials used in products, ensuring they meet functional, aesthetic, and sustainability requirements. Often involves a deep understanding of materials' properties and how they can be applied in design and manufacturing.
Design / Creative Director - Lead the creative vision and direction for entire products, tech platforms, or studios by managing teams of designers, and overseeing the development of creative strategies. Requires extensive experience.
Furniture Designer - Focus on creating functional and aesthetically pleasing furniture pieces. This can involve working with various materials and manufacturing processes. May be done independently or as part of a team while work at a manufacturer.
Creative Technologist - Blend technology and creativity to create innovative digital experiences and solutions. This role often involves working at the intersection of design, technology, and user experience. Skills in both design and coding are usually needed.
Packaging Designer - Design packaging that is visually appealing and functional, considering aspects such as form, color, materiality, and regulatory requirements.
Design Strategist - Develop the long-term planning and vision for a variety of projects, often combining business acumen with design expertise to align product development with market needs and company goals. This role is often done while working as part of a design consultancy.
Exhibit Designer - Design exhibits and installations for museums, galleries, and other public spaces. This role combines design skills with storytelling to create engaging and educational experiences.
Transportation Designer - Specialize in designing vehicles and transportation systems, such as cars, trucks, bicycles, public transit vehicles, and more. Combines elements of industrial design, engineering, and ergonomics to create user-friendly transportation solutions.
Entrepreneur / Founder - Start one's own design-related business or product line, leveraging their design skills to create and market innovative products or services.
Fine Artist - Produce original artwork that express a unique vision, concept, or idea. Work may be exhibited and sold via galleries, museums, art fairs, and private collections.
Design Educator - Teach industrial design concepts and skills at various levels, often through work in educational settings such as schools, colleges, universities, community art centers, and museums.
Places Where Students Have Recently Interned - A Selected List
This is a curated list of places where students have done internships in the last few years.
Internships, Jobs, & Opportunities
Find jobs, internships, and other opportunities related to your major.
Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA)
Organizations, Directories, & Communities
This is a curated selection of communities and organizations that are relevant to the field.
Industrial Designers Society of America
Interaction Design Association
User Experience Professionals Association
Organization of Black Designers
Exhibit Designers + Producers Association
Grants, Fellowships, and Residencies
Explore this selection of internal grant and fellowship opportunities available to RISD students.
RISD Managed Grants and Awards
Student & Alumni Stories
Read these stories of students and alumni expressing their creativity in the professional world.
Ten RISD Finalists Selected for Terra Carta Design Lab Competition
Social Justice and Sustainability Front and Center for 2023 RISD Maharam Fellows
RISD Biodesign Researchers Work to Clean Up the Providence River
CreativeStudy
This free online video learning platform is presented by creatives who have dedicated their lives to sharing knowledge on financial and business topics. Use your RISD Single Sign On credentials to access it!