Abstract:

What should we teach industrial design students so they are prepared for their future careers? The industrial design profession has changed much since its post-war beginnings, and design education is also constantly changing to keep up with the demands of the design industry. For instance, skills in using computer-aided design software, especially in 3D digital modelling and photorealistic visualization of concepts, have become almost standard requirements in job advertisements for new design graduates. This paper presents the results of content analysis of job opportunities in the area of industrial design and product development, as posted in major job searching websites in Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom. It tabulates the various qualifications for recruitment for various design job titles and positions, and looks at the differences in gender, age, education, past experience, and other selection criteria. The demands of in-house design departments of manufacturing firms are contrasted against those of multi-speciality design consultancies. The study examines the general competencies, professional skills, personality attributes, aptitudes and attitudes desired by employers of design graduates. The findings help industrial design educators to ensure continued relevance of their curricula of course offerings as well as their syllabi of assessment activities and projects given to students; it also informs them of the expectations of the job market. The paper will also be useful for industrial design graduates to assist in career planning and in strategizing and prioritizing the strengths that they will need to develop to increase their chances of getting the job they want.

Keywords:

Industrial design education, employability of graduates.