Don’t you feel that many products that we use in our daily lives need to be better or that we need a product that makes our life easier? There are so many things that we do every day but they consume a lot of time and effort. What if we could come up with a product that made these tasks easy to perform?
Are you someone who enjoys coming up with new ideas and designs? Do you have the ability to picture various items in your mind? If you feel you have what it takes to come up with something new, then product design is something you must definitely consider as a career option.
So what are you waiting for? Read this blog and find out how to become a product designer, the skills that you need, the courses you can take, how you can prepare to enter the field of Product Design, and much more.
Who Is A Product Designer?
A product designer is a professional who controls the entire design process of a product, from its conception to completion. A product designer also works towards the enhancement of an existing product. This basically involves how an existing product can be modified to serve its purpose better or serve a different purpose altogether.
How To Become A Product Designer [Step by Step Guide]
Step 1: Stream Selection
As far as the stream is concerned, you can choose either Arts, Commerce, or Science.
If you have decided on a particular University or college that you want to get into, then make sure to check their requirements.
Many IT colleges and universities require students to have a Science background in order to get admission in Product Designing.
Step 2: Education Required
How To Become A Product Designer After 10th
As soon as you realize that you want to become a Product Designer, you must start preparing for the entrance exam. Since students appear for the entrance exam during their 12th or after passing 12th, most of them start preparing for the entrance tests right after 10th.
This is also the time for you to acquire the skills that will help you when you start with your graduation and during your working years, such as learning to operate designing software.
Want to start early? Check out Clever Harvey’s JuniorMBA in Design&Branding program for hands-on experience.
How To Become A Product Designer After 12th
You can pursue a career in Product Designing by earning a bachelor’s degree in any discipline or enrolling in the B.Des course, which is provided at the undergraduate level in the design field. These bachelor’s degree programs normally last four years.
What To Study In India To Become A Product Designer?
If you want to know how to become a Product Designer in India, here’s a list of courses that you can consider.
- Diploma Courses for Product Designing
Courses | College Name | Duration |
Advanced Diploma in Product Design | Raffles Millennium International – RMI, Raffles Design International Mumbai | 1 year |
UG Diploma in Digital Product Design | Ecole Intuit Lab, New Delhi, Lajpat Nagar | 4 years |
- Undergraduate Courses For Product Designing
Courses | College Name | Duration |
B.Des in Product Design | Parul University, National Institute of Design, Industrial Design Centre, IIT Bombay, Symbiosis Institute of Design, NIFT, Arch Academy of Design | 4 years |
BFTech in Apparel Production | National Institute of Fashion Technology | 4 years |
BDes in Textile Product Design | Amity University Mumbai | 4 years |
B.V.A. Product Design | JD Institute of Fashion Technology, IIFA Bangalore Acharya Institute, Vogue Institute of Fashion Technology | 3 years |
After you complete your graduation, you can also take up Postgraduate Diploma Courses in Product Designing.
- Postgraduate Diploma in Integrated Product Design and Development
- Post Graduate Programme in Product Design
- Post Graduate Diploma in Electronic Product Design and Technology
- Here’s a list of a few colleges you can attend in India
- Sharda University, Greater Noida
- Presidency University, Bangalore
- Amity University, Mumbai
- Amity University, Noida
- Mahatma Jyoti Rao Phoole University, Jaipur
- Parul Institute of Design, Vadodara
- State University of Performing and Visual Arts, Rohtak
- IILM University, Gurugram
- NID Ahmedabad
- CEPT University, Ahmedabad
Know more : Best colleges for Product design in India
- How to become Product Designer Abroad
If you want to know how to become a Product Designer Abroad, here’s a list of courses that you can consider.
- Undergraduate Courses abroad
Courses | Duration |
Bachelors of Design in Product Design | 3 years |
BSc (Honors) Product Design | 3 years |
Bachelors of Design in Industrial Design | 3 years |
Bachelors of Design in Industrial Design | 3 years |
BSc (Honours) Product Design and Technology | 3-4 years |
Bachelor of Design (Product Design) | 3 years |
Bachelors of Design/ Bachelor of Media and Communication | 4 years |
BSc (Hons) Product Design and Technology | 3-4 years |
BA (Hons) Product Design | 3 years |
- Here’s a list of few colleges you can attend abroad
- University of Technology, Sydney
- University of Sussex
- Auckland University of Technology
- Victoria University of Wellington
- Loughborough University
- University of South Australia
- Swinburne University of Technology
- Aston University
- De Montfort University
Also read about : Best product design colleges in the world
Step 3: Certificate and Project Courses
- Certificate Courses To Become A Product Designer
Courses | College Name | Duration |
Certificate in Fashion Knitwear and Production Technology | NIFT | 1 year |
Certificate in Luxury Product Design | NIFT | 1 year |
Certificate in Product Design | Parul University | 4 weeks |
Industrial Training in Electronic Product Design (EPD) | National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology, Chandigarh | 6 months |
Online Certificate Course in Innovation and Entrepreneurship and Industrial Design | IIT Delhi | 5 months |
If you are really keen on learning about these topics, want hands-on exposure, and want to learn more about how to become a Product Designer, check out Clever Harvey’s JuniorMBA UX Design course now!
Also read: How to become an Illustrator
Step 4: Job Preparation
Work Experience: To prepare for a job as a Product Designer, you must be able to validate your skills. For this, you need to create an impressive portfolio that stands out from the other candidates who are applying for the role of Product Designer.
Therefore, the more you work, the more practical knowledge you would acquire. Apply for internships or assist a product designer during your college days. This will definitely prove to be an asset for you in the future.
Create a portfolio: Preserve everything you created and build your portfolio over the years. This will prove to be an invaluable asset when you start applying for jobs.
Learn to operate software: Everything has become digital today. Gone are the days when we would produce everything on paper. In this digital age, you must learn to operate software such as Photoshop, Illustrator, Autocad, etc.
It is best that you learn these software applications while preparing for your entrance exams.
If you are really keen on learning about these topics, want hands-on exposure, and want to learn more about how to become a Product Designer, check out the Clever Harvey JuniorMBA Technology course now!
Skills To Become A Product Designer
In order to be a product designer, these are some skill sets you need to possess.
- Empathy
- Conception
- Collaboration
- UI Design
- Soft skills
- Good communication
- Development
- Curiosity
- Content
- Product Ownership & Analysis
- User Research
- Facilitation
You may also like : Skills to become an Entrepreneur
How Much Does A Product Designer Earn In India?
With less than one year of experience, a Product Designer at the entry-level can anticipate making, on average, ₹509,245 annually (tips, bonus, and overtime pay included). A product designer in their early careers makes an average annual salary of ₹612,858.
How Much Does A Product Designer Earn Abroad?
Country | Salary |
USA | $76,700 |
UK | £47,754 |
Canada | C$66,807 |
France | €41,442 |
Paris | €43,994 |
Australia | AU$76,262 |
New Zealand | NZ$68,388 |
Top Recruiting Agencies for a Product Designer In India
Here are the top recruiting agencies that constantly offer employment opportunities to Product Designers in India:
- Wipro
- IBM
- Titan
- Tanishq
- Adidas
- Hindustan Unilever
- Adobe
- GSK
- Ashok Leyland
- Tata
- eBay
Top Recruiting Agencies for a Product Designer Abroad
- WMA, London
- BJL, Manchester
- We Are Social, London
- Havas Group, Surrey
- Stranger and Stranger, London
- JH, Nottingham
- Jellyfish, London
- W12, London
- MetaLab, Vancouver
- Bit Zesty, London
We hope this blog helped you to gain a better understanding of the field of Product Design, what you should study, the skills you need to acquire, and everything you need to know about how to become a Product Designer. Good luck!
FAQs related to become a Product Designer in India
Q1) Is product design a good career?
The job of a product designer is an excellent choice. The demand for product designers is growing with each passing day, but there is a significant shortage of experienced product designers on the market. If you work hard and have the correct skill set, you can make a lot of money as a product designer.
Q2) How do I know if I am a good designer?
7 things you need to know if you are a good designer.
1. You See Design in Everything
2. The Details That Matter, Matter to You
3. You Care About Solving People’s Problems
4. You Hate the Status Quo
5. You Communicate Well
6. You Can Manage Your Time
7. You’re Creative
Q3) Which is the better product design or graphic design?
Both graphic designers and product designers are responsible for generating appealing designs for clients; however, graphic designers concentrate on computer-generated designs, whilst product designers create designs that will be used to manufacture actual things. A designer may be interested in either of these career options.
Q4) How to become a product designer?
You’ll require skills in business, marketing, sales, the design process, ideation, engineering, graphic design, visual design, design thinking, technical understanding, customer service, manufacturing costs, user testing, user experience, user interface, digital product design, and more.
Q5) Is product design a good career in India?
A job in product design opens up a variety of opportunities, and there is plenty of possibility for advancement. Product designers are needed by industries since they demand fresh ideas, imaginative items, and designs to keep consumers interested in purchasing their products.
Q6) Is math required for product design?
Since product design is so intertwined with engineering and production, having a solid understanding of arithmetic up to 12th grade will help you prototype your designs. Even when using parametric software to create 3D models, math is useful.
Q7) What is the difference between design engineering and product design engineering?
Aesthetics, styling, and ensuring that the completed product keeps to the original concept are the primary concerns of product design engineers. The mechanical design engineer’s task is to carry out the vision of the product design engineer and make the product safe to use and construct.
Q8) What do I need to do to become a product designer?
Business, marketing, and sales savvy are required, as well as expertise in the design process, ideation, engineering, graphic design, visual design, design thinking, technical knowledge, customer service, production cost, manufacturing, user testing, user experience, user interface, digital product design, and other areas.
Q9) How much do Product Designers earn?
The average starting salary for a Product Designer in India is around ₹2.2 Lakhs per year (₹18.3k per month).
Q10) Which country is best to settle down as a Product Designer?
If you’re searching more widely, some of the top nations for a designer to settle down in include:
Canada
China
Israel
Japan
Sweden
The United States
The United Kingdom