Industrial Designers

ANZSCO ID 232312

Overview

Snapshot

Employed
3,400
Future Growth
N/A
Weekly Earnings
N/A
Full-Time Share
80%
Female Share
35%
Average age
36

Summary

Industrial Designers plan, design, develop and document industrial, commercial or consumer products for manufacture with particular emphasis on ergonomic (human) factors, marketing considerations and manufacturability, and prepare designs and specifications of products for mass or batch production.

Specialisations: Ceramic Designer, Furniture Designer, Glass Designer, Textile Designer.

A bachelor degree in industrial design, engineering or product design is usually needed to work as an Industrial Designer. Some workers have a Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification.

Tasks

  • Determines the objectives and constraints of the design brief by consulting with clients and stakeholders.

  • Undertakes product research and analyses functional, commercial, cultural and aesthetic requirements.

  • Formulates design concepts for industrial, commercial and consumer products.

  • Prepares sketches, diagrams, illustrations, plans, samples and models to communicate design concepts.

  • Negotiates design solutions with clients, management, sales and manufacturing staff.

  • Selects, specifies and recommends functional and aesthetic materials, production methods and finishes for manufacture.

  • Details and documents the selected design for production.

  • Prepares and commissions prototypes and samples.

  • Supervises the preparation of patterns, programmes and tooling, and the manufacture process.

Characteristics

Job Type
Professionals
Skill Level
Very high skill
ANZSCO Occupation group
Unemployment Rate
n/a
Industries
Pathway(s)
  • University
  • Vocational Education and Training (VET)
Interests
  • Practical
  • Creative
  • Enterprising
Physical Demand
  • Sedentary
  • Light

Outlook

Employment Outlook

JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. Employment projections data are only produced for occupations at the broad four digit Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) level. While data are not available for this occupation, projections data are available for the parent occupation, Fashion, Industrial and Jewellery Designers, under the outlook section.


Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 80% of people employed as Industrial Designers work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 14 percentage points above the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 44 hours per week in their main job. This is the same as the all jobs average.

    Sources:Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average.


Industries

Main industries

1
Manufacturing
33.8%
2
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
29.1%
3
Retail Trade
8.7%
4
Wholesale Trade
7.2%
5
Other industries
12.5%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

33.8% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

41.8% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

12.1% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

4.5% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

5.9% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

0.9% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

0.1% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

0.7% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Industrial Designers All Jobs Average
NSW 33.8 31.6
VIC 41.8 25.6
QLD 12.1 20.0
SA 4.5 7.0
WA 5.9 10.8
TAS 0.9 2.0
NT 0.1 1.0
ACT 0.7 1.9



Worker profile

Age and gender

Age In Years
36
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
35%
All Jobs Average is 48%
  • The median age of Industrial Designers is 36 years. This is younger than the all jobs average of 40 years.

    A large share of workers are aged 25 to 34 years.

    Females make up 35% of the workforce. This is 13 percentage points below the all jobs average of 48%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.

Age Profile (% Share)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Bracket Industrial Designers All Jobs Average
15-19 0.2 5.0
20-24 7.9 9.3
25-34 36.9 22.9
35-44 27.9 22.0
45-54 16.2 21.6
55-59 5.4 9.0
60-64 2.6 6.0
65 and Over 2.9 4.2
Median Age 36 40

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Employment Pathways

Education, training and experience

A bachelor degree in industrial design, engineering or product design is usually needed to work as an Industrial Designer. Some workers have a Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification.

Visit

  • Course Seeker to search and compare higher education courses.
  • ComparED to compare undergraduate and postgraduate student experiences and outcomes.
  • My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
  • AAPathways website to explore Textiles, Clothing & Footwear and Metal and Engineering VET training pathways.

Highest Level of Education (% Share)

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Type of Qualification Industrial Designers All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 9.6 10.1
Bachelor degree 54.5 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 14.8 11.6
Certificate III/IV 8.3 21.1
Year 12 10.3 18.1
Year 11 0.9 4.8
Year 10 and below 1.6 12.5

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.


Skills and Knowledge

Employers look for Fashion, Industrial and Jewellery Designers who are creative, can self-manage and are motivated.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 63%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 61%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 61%

    Operations analysis

    Understanding needs and product requirements to create a design.

  • 61%

    Active learning

    Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.

  • 59%

    Critical thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • 57%

    Active listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • 57%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 55%

    Complex problem solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • 54%

    Judgment and decision making

    Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.

  • 54%

    Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.

  • 54%

    Systems evaluation

    Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

  • 52%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 52%

    Mathematics

    Using maths to solve problems.

  • 52%

    Persuasion

    Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.

  • 52%

    Systems analysis

    Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.

  • 52%

    Technology design

    Designing and improving equipment and technology.

  • 48%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

  • 48%

    Time management

    Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.

  • 46%

    Instructing

    Teaching people how to do something.

  • 41%

    Management of personnel resources

    Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.


Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 86%

    Technical design

    Design techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

  • 73%

    Engineering and technology

    Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.

  • 68%

    Mechanical

    Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

  • 58%

    Computers and electronics

    Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

  • 58%

    Production and processing

    Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.

  • 54%

    English language

    English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • 53%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 47%

    Physics

    The physical laws of matter, motion and energy, and how they interact through space and time.

  • 45%

    Administration and management

    Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.

  • 42%

    Sales and marketing

    Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

  • 41%

    Chemistry

    Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.

  • 36%

    Clerical

    Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.

  • 35%

    Customer and personal service

    Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.

  • 35%

    Education and training

    Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • 34%

    Building and construction

    Materials, and methods used to construct or repair houses, buildings, or other structures like highways and roads.

  • 34%

    Communications and media

    Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.

  • 31%

    Fine arts

    Compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

  • 27%

    Public safety and security

    Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.

  • 19%

    Telecommunications

    Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

  • 15%

    Economics and accounting

    Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.


Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 70%

    Originality

    Come up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.

  • 66%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 63%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 63%

    Visualization

    Imagine how something will look after it is moved around or changed.

  • 61%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 61%

    Brainstorming

    Come up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.

  • 59%

    Near vision

    See details that are up-close (within a few feet).

  • 59%

    Inductive reasoning

    Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.

  • 59%

    Problem spotting

    Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.

  • 57%

    Categorising

    Come up with different ways of grouping things.

  • 57%

    Sorting or ordering

    Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

  • 57%

    Written comprehension

    Read and understand written information.

  • 55%

    Written expression

    Write in a way that people can understand.

  • 55%

    Mathematics

    Choose the right maths method or formula to solve a problem.

  • 52%

    Colour discrimination

    Notice differences between colours, including shades of colour and brightness.

  • 52%

    Flexibility of closure

    See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.

  • 50%

    Speech recognition

    Identify and understand the speech of another person.

  • 46%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.

  • 46%

    Finger dexterity

    Put together small parts with your fingers.

  • 45%

    Selective attention

    Pay attention to something without being distracted.


Activities

These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.

  • 75%

    Thinking creatively

    Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.

  • 70%

    Drafting, laying out, and specifying parts

    Detailing and describing how devices, parts or equipment are to be made, assembled, modified, maintained, or used.

  • 60%

    Communicating within a team

    Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 59%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 59%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

    Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.

  • 58%

    Building good relationships

    Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.

  • 58%

    Planning and prioritising work

    Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.

  • 54%

    Monitoring people, processes and things

    Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.

  • 53%

    Making decisions and solving problems

    Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.

  • 50%

    Collecting and organising information

    Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.

  • 50%

    Looking for changes over time

    Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.

  • 47%

    Communicating with the public

    Giving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 47%

    Making sense of information and ideas

    Looking at, working with, and understanding data or information.

  • 45%

    Checking compliance with standards

    Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

  • 44%

    Working with computers

    Using computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.

  • 43%

    Documenting or recording information

    Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

  • 43%

    Explaining things to people

    Helping people to understand and use information.

  • 39%

    Estimating amounts, costs and resources

    Working out sizes, distances, amounts, time, costs, resources, or materials needed for a task.

  • 38%

    Checking for errors or defects

    Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials for errors, problems or defects.

  • 35%

    Coming up with systems and processes

    Deciding on goals and figuring out what you need to do to achieve them.


Interests and demands

Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.

Interests

Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.

  • 95%

    Creative

    Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.

  • 67%

    Enterprising

    Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.

  • 57%

    Practical

    Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

  • 29%

    Analytical

    Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.

  • 29%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.

  • 24%

    Administrative

    Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.


Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
  • 71%

    Achievement

    Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

  • 71%

    Relationships

    Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.

  • 67%

    Independence

    Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.

  • 67%

    Recognition

    Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.

  • 67%

    Working conditions

    Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.

  • 62%

    Support

    Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.


Demands

The physical and social demands that workers face most often are shown below:
  • 100%

    Electronic mail

    Use electronic mail.

  • 96%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 95%

    Telephone

    Talk on the telephone.

  • 91%

    Indoors, heat controlled

    Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.

  • 87%

    Contact with people

    Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.

  • 87%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 86%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 85%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 82%

    Spend time sitting

    Spend time sitting at work.

  • 82%

    Impact of decisions

    Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.

  • 80%

    Frequent decision making

    Frequently make decisions that impact other people.

  • 79%

    Lead or coordinate a team

    Lead others to do work activities.

  • 78%

    Time pressure

    Work to strict deadlines.

  • 78%

    Wear common protective or safety equipment

    Wear equipment like safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets.

  • 75%

    Letters and memos

    Write letters and memos.

  • 74%

    Unstructured work

    Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.

  • 72%

    Responsible for outcomes

    Take responsibility for the results of other people's work.

  • 71%

    Loud or uncomfortable sounds

    Be exposed to noises and sounds that are distracting or uncomfortable.

  • 68%

    Consequence of error

    Work where mistakes have serious consequences.

  • 67%

    Contact with the public

    Work with customers or the public.

Occupational Information Network
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 27-1021.00 - Commercial and Industrial Designers.


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