BlissPoint Analytics

Occupation AtlasCommercial and Industrial Designers

O*NET · 27-1021.00

Commercial and Industrial Designers

Design and develop manufactured products, such as cars, home appliances, and children's toys. Combine artistic talent with research on product use, marketing, and materials to create the most functional and appealing product design.

Also called Art Glass Designer · Automobile Designer · Bank Note Designer · Bicycle Designer · Bike Designer · Boat Designer · Body Stylist · Car Body Designer
56 more

Ceramic Designer · Ceramic Mold Designer · Cloth Designer · Color Advisor · Color Consultant · Color Expert · Commercial Designer · Design Engineer · Designer · Embroidery Designer · Engineer · Fabric Designer · Fire Sprinkler Designer · Furniture Designer · Game Designer · Industrial Designer · Lighting Designer · Mechanical Designer · Memorial Designer · Mold Designer · Motorcycle Designer · New Product Development Engineer · Ornamental Metalwork Designer · Package Designer · Packaging Designer · Pottery Decoration Designer · Product Design Engineer · Product Designer · Product Developer · Product Development Engineer · Product Development Specialist · Product Expert · Product Manager · Product Sustaining Engineer · Robot Designer · Robotic Toy Inventor · Roller Coaster Designer · Rug Designer · Safety Clothing Developer · Safety Equipment Developer · Sign Designer · Silver Designer · Snowboard Designer · Stained Glass Artist · Stained Glass Window Designer · Surfboard Designer · Textile Designer · Tile Designer · Toy Designer · Toy Maker · UI Product Designer · UI Product Designer (User Interface Product Designer) · UX Product Designer · UX Product Designer (User Experience Product Designer) · Weapons Designer · Weapons Engineer

Job Zone 4 — Considerable Preparation NeededHolland code ARI35 skills on file

Compare with another occupationCompare with Wind Energy Engineers

Job Zone

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5

Zone 4: Considerable Preparation Needed

Considerable preparation. Usually a bachelor's degree plus several years of work-related experience, knowledge, or training.

Job Zone is O*NET's rating of how much education, experience and training an occupation typically needs — a property of the work, not of anyone doing it.

Occupational interest profile

ARIArtistic · Realistic · Investigative — the three strongest interests, in order

  • A Artistic5.54
  • R Realistic4.62
  • I Investigative4.06
  • E Enterprising3.70
  • C Conventional3.47
  • S Social1.84

RIASEC (Holland) interests on O*NET's 0–7 scale: what the work draws on, not what any individual prefers. Hover a row for what each dimension means.

Education and experience

The education level respondents say the job requires, and the most common answer for experience and training.

  • High School Diploma or the equivalent4%
  • Some College Courses15%
  • Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree12%
  • Bachelor's Degree68%
Related work experience
Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years (42%)
On-site or in-plant training
None (29%)
On-the-job training
Over 3 months, up to and including 6 months (37%)

Typically associated skills

All 35 O*NET skills, most important first. Importance (1–5) says how much a skill matters here; level (0–7) says how much of it the work calls for, with O*NET's example of a nearby level. Neither is a proficiency rating of a person.

  • Active Listeningbasic4.04.0Level 4 looks like: Answer inquiries regarding credit references
  • Reading Comprehensionbasic3.94.1Level 4 looks like: Understand an email from management describing new personnel policies
  • Critical Thinkingbasic3.84.0Level 4 looks like: Evaluate customer complaints and determine appropriate responses
  • Complex Problem Solving3.83.9Level 4 looks like: Redesign a floor layout to take advantage of new manufacturing techniques
  • Speakingbasic3.54.0Level 4 looks like: Interview applicants to obtain personal and work history
  • Operations Analysis3.33.9Level 4 looks like: Suggest changes in software to make a system more user friendly
  • Judgment and Decision Making3.33.8Level 4 looks like: Evaluate a loan application for degree of risk
  • Time Management3.33.1Level 4 looks like: Allocate the time of subordinates to projects for the coming week
  • Writingbasic3.13.9Level 4 looks like: Write an email to staff outlining new directives
  • Monitoringbasic3.13.8Level 4 looks like: Monitor a meeting and revise the agenda to ensure important topics are discussed
  • Coordination3.13.6Level 4 looks like: Work with others to put a new roof on a house
  • Persuasion3.13.6Level 4 looks like: Convince a supervisor to purchase new office equipment
Show the other 23
  • Technology Design3.13.6Level 4 looks like: Redesign the handle on a hand tool for easier gripping
  • Social Perceptiveness3.13.3Level 4 looks like: Be aware of how a coworker's promotion will affect a work group
  • Active Learningbasic3.04.0Level 4 looks like: Determine the impact of new menu changes on a restaurant's purchasing requirements
  • Systems Evaluation3.03.8Level 4 looks like: Identify the reasons why a client might be unhappy with a product
  • Systems Analysis3.03.5Level 4 looks like: Determine how a new piece of equipment will affect production rates
  • Negotiation2.92.8Level 2 looks like: Present justification to a manager for altering a work schedule
  • Service Orientation2.92.4Level 2 looks like: Ask customers if they would like a cup of coffee
  • Mathematicsbasic2.83.5Level 4 looks like: Calculate the square footage of a new home under construction
  • Instructing2.82.9Level 2 looks like: Instruct a new employee in the use of a timekeeping system
  • Learning Strategiesbasic2.82.9Level 2 looks like: Learn a different method of completing a task from a coworker
  • Management of Personnel Resources2.82.9Level 2 looks like: Encourage a coworker who is having difficulty finishing a project
  • Quality Control Analysis2.82.9Level 2 looks like: Inspect a draft email for errors (e.g., grammar, punctuation)
  • Sciencebasic2.62.8Level 2 looks like: Conduct standard tests to determine soil quality
  • Operations Monitoring2.42.5Level 2 looks like: Monitor completion times while running a computer program
  • Management of Material Resources2.02.1Level 2 looks like: Reserve a room for a management meeting
  • Management of Financial Resources2.01.8Level 2 looks like: Use available funds to buy office supplies and record the amount of the purchase
  • Operation and Control2.01.5Level 2 looks like: Navigate the settings on an office printer to print on both sides of the paper
  • Equipment Selection1.91.9Level 2 looks like: Select a tool to adjust a loose part on a bicycle
  • Programming1.91.5Level 2 looks like: Write a program to sort objects in a database
  • Troubleshooting1.80.9
  • Equipment Maintenance1.0—
  • Installation1.0—
  • Repairing1.0—

Tasks

12 core · 5 supplemental

What people in this occupation do, as O*NET records it, core tasks first by importance (1–5).

  1. Prepare sketches of ideas, detailed drawings, illustrations, artwork, or blueprints, using drafting instruments, paints and brushes, or computer-aided design equipment.4.4
  2. Modify and refine designs, using working models, to conform with customer specifications, production limitations, or changes in design trends.4.3
  3. Evaluate feasibility of design ideas, based on factors such as appearance, safety, function, serviceability, budget, production costs/methods, and market characteristics.4.1
  4. Confer with engineering, marketing, production, or sales departments, or with customers, to establish and evaluate design concepts for manufactured products.4.0
  5. Present designs and reports to customers or design committees for approval and discuss need for modification.4.0
  6. Research production specifications, costs, production materials, and manufacturing methods and provide cost estimates and itemized production requirements.3.7
  7. Direct and coordinate the fabrication of models or samples and the drafting of working drawings and specification sheets from sketches.3.6
  8. Develop manufacturing procedures and monitor the manufacture of their designs in a factory to improve operations and product quality.3.4
  9. Investigate product characteristics such as the product's safety and handling qualities, its market appeal, how efficiently it can be produced, and ways of distributing, using, and maintaining it.3.4
  10. Participate in new product planning or market research, including studying the potential need for new products.3.3
  11. Read publications, attend showings, and study competing products and design styles and motifs to obtain perspective and generate design concepts.3.1
  12. Fabricate models or samples in paper, wood, glass, fabric, plastic, metal, or other materials, using hand or power tools.3.1
Show the other 5
  1. Develop industrial standards and regulatory guidelines.3.8
  2. Coordinate the look and function of product lines.3.6
  3. Supervise assistants' work throughout the design process.3.3
  4. Design graphic material for use as ornamentation, illustration, or advertising on manufactured materials and packaging or containers.3.2
  5. Advise corporations on issues involving corporate image projects or problems.1.9

Knowledge

Bodies of knowledge the work draws on.

  • Design4.76.0Level 7 looks like: Develop detailed plans for a high-rise office building
  • Engineering and Technology4.75.7
  • Mechanical4.04.6Level 4 looks like: Replace a valve on a steam pipe
  • Production and Processing4.04.6Level 4 looks like: Supervise an appliance assembly line
  • Computers and Electronics3.94.9Level 4 looks like: Use a computer to format a document
  • Mathematics3.74.2Level 4 looks like: Analyze data to determine areas with the highest sales
  • English Language3.63.8Level 4 looks like: Edit an article for a news website
  • Physics3.13.9Level 4 looks like: Calculate the speed of a falling object
Show all 33
  • Administration and Management3.03.9Level 4 looks like: Monitor progress of a project to ensure timely completion
  • Administrative3.03.8Level 4 looks like: Type 30 words per minute
  • Customer and Personal Service3.03.3Level 4 looks like: Be responsible for 10 children at daycare
  • Sales and Marketing3.03.7Level 4 looks like: Introduce clients to a new line of products
  • Education and Training2.83.9Level 4 looks like: Lead a quality improvement seminar
  • Communications and Media2.52.6
  • Chemistry2.42.8
  • Personnel and Human Resources2.43.1Level 4 looks like: Interview applicants for an administrative position
  • Public Safety and Security2.42.0Level 1 looks like: Use a seatbelt
  • Building and Construction2.22.1Level 1 looks like: Choose the proper type of wood for adding a deck onto a house
  • Economics and Accounting2.22.0Level 1 looks like: Answer billing questions from credit card customers
  • Law and Government2.12.3Level 1 looks like: Describe the length of a U.S. presidential term
  • Fine Arts1.91.5Level 1 looks like: Attend a popular music concert
  • Transportation1.91.6Level 1 looks like: Ride a train to work
  • Biology1.81.5Level 1 looks like: Feed domestic animals
  • Psychology1.82.0Level 1 looks like: Monitor several children on a playground
  • Geography1.71.2Level 1 looks like: Know the capital of the United States
  • Telecommunications1.71.4Level 1 looks like: Send an email
  • Medicine and Dentistry1.61.1Level 1 looks like: Use a band-aid
  • Philosophy and Theology1.6—
  • Sociology and Anthropology1.5—
  • History and Archeology1.40.7Level 1 looks like: Take a class in US history
  • Food Production1.30.8Level 1 looks like: Grow herbs in the kitchen
  • Therapy and Counseling1.30.8Level 1 looks like: Put ice on a sprained ankle
  • Foreign Language1.2—

Abilities

Enduring capacities the work calls for.

  • Fluency of Ideas3.94.0Level 4 looks like: Think of as many ideas as possible for the name of a new company
  • Near Vision3.94.1Level 5 looks like: Read the fine print of a legal document
  • Originality3.94.4Level 4 looks like: Redesign job tasks to be interesting for employees
  • Deductive Reasoning3.84.6Level 5 looks like: Decide what factors to consider in selecting stocks
  • Oral Comprehension3.84.0Level 4 looks like: Understand a coach's oral instructions for a sport
  • Oral Expression3.84.0Level 4 looks like: Give instructions to a lost motorist
  • Visualization3.84.3Level 4 looks like: Follow a diagram to assemble a metal storage cabinet
  • Written Comprehension3.84.0Level 4 looks like: Understand an apartment lease
Show all 52
  • Information Ordering3.63.9Level 2 looks like: Follow the correct steps to make change
  • Problem Sensitivity3.63.9Level 4 looks like: Notice from a subtle difference in a client's mood that something is bothering them
  • Speech Recognition3.63.9Level 4 looks like: Identify a former customer's voice over the phone
  • Speech Clarity3.53.3Level 4 looks like: Make stadium-wide announcements during a sporting event
  • Inductive Reasoning3.43.9Level 4 looks like: Determine the prime suspect based on crime scene evidence
  • Visual Color Discrimination3.33.8Level 4 looks like: Trace electrical circuits marked by various colored wires
  • Category Flexibility3.13.9Level 3 looks like: Classify flowers according to size, color, and smell
  • Flexibility of Closure3.13.8Level 4 looks like: Look for a golf ball in tall grass
  • Selective Attention3.13.1Level 4 looks like: Watch security monitors for intruders throughout the night shift
  • Written Expression3.13.9Level 4 looks like: Write a job recommendation for a subordinate
  • Far Vision3.03.1Level 4 looks like: Read the slides on a presentation from across a room
  • Arm-Hand Steadiness2.92.8Level 2 looks like: Light a candle
  • Finger Dexterity2.82.8Level 2 looks like: Put coins in a parking meter
  • Mathematical Reasoning2.83.4Level 4 looks like: Decide how to calculate profits to determine the amounts of yearly bonuses
  • Number Facility2.82.9Level 3 looks like: Calculate a discounted price
  • Perceptual Speed2.82.8Level 2 looks like: Sort mail according to ZIP codes with no time pressure
  • Time Sharing2.82.4Level 2 looks like: Listen to music while entering numbers into a spreadsheet
  • Memorization2.52.6
  • Speed of Closure2.32.3Level 3 looks like: Recognize a song after hearing only the first few notes
  • Auditory Attention2.12.0Level 2 looks like: Listen to a lecture while people nearby are talking
  • Control Precision2.12.1Level 2 looks like: Adjust a room light with a dimmer switch
  • Hearing Sensitivity2.11.9Level 2 looks like: Notice a doorbell ringing
  • Manual Dexterity2.11.8Level 1 looks like: Screw a light bulb into a light socket
  • Depth Perception2.02.1Level 2 looks like: Merge a car into traffic on a city street
  • Reaction Time1.81.4Level 2 looks like: Start to slow down the car when a traffic light turns yellow
  • Trunk Strength1.81.1Level 2 looks like: Sit up in an office chair
  • Dynamic Strength1.60.6
  • Rate Control1.50.6Level 1 looks like: Ride a bicycle alongside a jogger
  • Spatial Orientation1.40.4
  • Wrist-Finger Speed1.40.5
  • Multilimb Coordination1.1—
  • Static Strength1.1—
  • Dynamic Flexibility1.0—
  • Explosive Strength1.0—
  • Extent Flexibility1.0—
  • Glare Sensitivity1.0—
  • Gross Body Coordination1.0—
  • Gross Body Equilibrium1.0—
  • Night Vision1.0—
  • Peripheral Vision1.0—
  • Response Orientation1.0—
  • Sound Localization1.0—
  • Speed of Limb Movement1.0—
  • Stamina1.0—

Work activities

Kinds of activity the work is made of.

  • Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment4.65.2Level 4 looks like: Specify the furniture and equipment for a new school
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates4.44.8Level 4 looks like: Report the results of a sales meeting to a supervisor
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems4.44.1Level 4 looks like: Select the location for a major retail store
  • Working with Computers4.43.7Level 4 looks like: Write software for keeping track of parts in inventory
  • Getting Information4.24.3Level 4 looks like: Review a budget
  • Thinking Creatively4.04.9Level 4 looks like: Adapt popular music for a high school marching band
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships3.94.7Level 4 looks like: Maintain good working relationships with almost all coworkers and clients
  • Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards3.93.3Level 4 looks like: Evaluate a complicated insurance claim for compliance with policy terms
Show all 41
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events3.94.4Level 4 looks like: Judge the suitability of food products for an event
  • Communicating with People Outside the Organization3.73.8Level 4 looks like: Present information to potential clients about available services
  • Documenting/Recording Information3.73.0Level 4 looks like: Document the results of a crime scene investigation
  • Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings3.73.6Level 4 looks like: Test electrical circuits
  • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work3.74.4Level 4 looks like: Plan and adjust a personal to-do list according to changing demands
  • Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge3.74.6Level 4 looks like: Keep current on changes in maintenance procedures for repairing sports cars
  • Processing Information3.64.2Level 4 looks like: Calculate the adjustments for insurance claims
  • Analyzing Data or Information3.52.9
  • Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information3.02.7
  • Providing Consultation and Advice to Others3.02.8
  • Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others3.03.1Level 4 looks like: Get two subordinates to agree about vacation schedules
  • Selling or Influencing Others3.03.0Level 4 looks like: Make a sales pitch to convince others to buy a product
  • Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others2.92.2Level 1 looks like: Interpret a blood pressure reading
  • Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People2.93.0Level 4 looks like: Determine the value of property lost in a fire
  • Training and Teaching Others2.92.9
  • Controlling Machines and Processes2.83.2Level 4 looks like: Operate a drilling rig
  • Monitoring and Controlling Resources2.82.5Level 1 looks like: Work as a server responsible for keeping track of utensils
  • Scheduling Work and Activities2.82.4Level 1 looks like: Make appointments for patients using a predetermined schedule
  • Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others2.72.8
  • Developing Objectives and Strategies2.72.1Level 1 looks like: Plan the holiday schedule for an airline workforce
  • Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials2.72.9
  • Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates2.52.9
  • Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment2.21.8Level 1 looks like: Drive a car
  • Coaching and Developing Others2.12.3Level 1 looks like: Show a coworker how to operate a piece of equipment
  • Handling and Moving Objects2.12.4Level 1 looks like: Change settings on copy machines
  • Developing and Building Teams2.01.4Level 1 looks like: Encourage two coworkers to stick with a tough assignment
  • Performing Administrative Activities2.02.2Level 1 looks like: Complete routine paperwork
  • Performing General Physical Activities1.91.4Level 1 looks like: Walk between workstations in a small office
  • Assisting and Caring for Others1.81.3Level 1 looks like: Help a coworker complete an assignment
  • Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment1.81.5Level 1 looks like: Use display settings to adjust a television picture
  • Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment1.82.1Level 1 looks like: Make simple, external adjustments to a door hinge with ordinary hand tools
  • Staffing Organizational Units1.61.0Level 1 looks like: Work in a position that has minimal staffing requirements
  • Performing for or Working Directly with the Public1.51.3Level 1 looks like: Check tickets at a concert

Work context

The conditions most characteristic of the work, on O*NET's 1–5 context scale.

  • E-Mail5.0
  • Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams5.0
  • Indoors, Environmentally Controlled4.9
  • Telephone Conversations4.7
  • Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.7
  • Contact With Others4.4
  • Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.4
  • Spend Time Sitting4.4
  • Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results4.3
  • Frequency of Decision Making4.1

Technology

61 tools

Software used in this work. In demand: among the tools job postings for this occupation name most. Hot: often named in job postings across the economy.

In demand (8)

  • Adobe Creative Cloud softwarehot
  • Adobe Illustratorhot
  • Adobe Photoshophot
  • Dassault Systemes SolidWorkshot
  • Figmahot
  • Microsoft Excelhot
  • Microsoft Office softwarehot
  • Microsoft PowerPointhot

Hot (22; 8 more marked hot above)

  • Adobe Acrobat
  • Adobe After Effects
  • Adobe InDesign
  • Apache Maven
  • Apple iOS
  • Autodesk AutoCAD
  • Autodesk Revit
  • C
  • C#
  • C++
  • Cascading style sheets CSS
  • ESRI ArcGIS software
  • Hypertext markup language HTML
  • JavaScript
  • jQuery
  • Microsoft Access
  • Microsoft Project
  • Microsoft Word
  • Python
  • SAP software
  • The MathWorks MATLAB
  • Trimble SketchUp Pro
Other tools (31)
  • 1CadCam Unigraphics
  • Adobe FreeHand MX
  • Ashlar-Vellum Cobalt
  • Autodesk 3ds Max
  • Autodesk AliasStudio
  • Autodesk Maya
  • Chaos Group V-Ray
  • Corel CorelDraw Graphics Suite
  • Corel Painter
  • Dassault Systemes CATIA
  • Delphi Technology
  • Eko
  • Email software
  • Finite element analysis software
  • Geometric CAMWorks
  • IBM Notes
  • InVision software
  • Kapwing
  • Maxon Cinema 4D
  • McNeel Rhinoceros 3D
  • Microsoft Publisher
  • Minitab
  • National Instruments LabVIEW
  • PTC Creo Parametric
  • QuarkXPress
  • Siemens NX
  • Siemens UGS NX
  • Software as a service SaaS
  • Verilog
  • Web browser software
  • Xara Designer Pro

Related occupations

O*NET's own list of the occupations most related to this one, closest first.

  1. Mechanical Drafters
  2. Model Makers, Metal and Plastic
  3. Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers
  4. Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic
  5. Fashion Designers
  6. Industrial Engineers
  7. Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic
  8. Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians
  9. Manufacturing Engineers
  10. Materials Engineers

ESCO equivalents

From the official ESCO–O*NET crosswalk, strongest match first. A broader occupation takes in this one; a narrower one is a part of it.

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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. ESCO occupations and skills are from the European Commission's ESCO classification, and the occupation crosswalk is the official ESCO–O*NET mapping by the ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA. This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission. BlissPoint Analytics has modified all or some of this information: skill, task and descriptor ratings are rounded to one decimal, and ESCO occupations show Job Zone and interests copied from a crosswalked O*NET occupation. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.