March 22: In today's world of increasing consumer choice, superior product design plays a major role in product promotion. Even the small scale sector has realised the importance of design in increasing sales. And taking advantage of this situation are the designers with a capacity to design and develop consumer, industrial, engineering and automotive products. Yes, industrial designers have arrived and are here to stay.Industrial design is concerned with mass produced consumer durables and products for industrial and professional use. In this field, the designers work on a vast range of consumer products. From hand tools and cameras to furniture and toys, almost anything and everything is being designed by industrial designers. These creative professionals also work on technical and professional equipment, creating large transport and industrial vehicles, aircraft control panels, medical equipment and computer hardware.
The National Institute of Design (NID) at Ahmedabad is a premier institute in thefield of industrial design. Admission to the four-year undergraduate diploma programme offered by the Institute is strictly on merit as assessed at the selection process. This course offers specialisation in product design, ceramic design and furniture design.
NID also conducts an advanced entry programme of two-years duration in industrial design. This is open to candidates who have done their graduation in architecture, civil or mechanical engineering, fine arts and interior designing. Diploma holders in this field with at least two-year's relevant experience are also eligible. The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Powai, has been very successfully running a Master of Design (M Des) programme in industrial design for more than a decade. Applicants are required to have a bachelors degree in engineering or architecture. Beyond this, their performance in a Common Entrance Examination of Design (CEED) conducted by IIT Powai on an all-India basis, is used for screening candidates with an aptitude fordesign, aesthetics, creativity and engineering. The candidates are finally selected on the basis of an interview.
IIT Delhi also offers a similar kind of course in Industrial Design. The admission criteria and procedure for this M Des programme is the same as that of IIT, Powai. Applications for admission are invited through advertisements in leading newspapers. Forms are available in October and the test is held in February. The CEED test is conducted in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Ahmedabad.
Besides the MDes programme, IIT Delhi conducts a unique course in industrial design to train engineers and other graduates through a part-time programme of six-months duration. Says programme coordinator Sudhir Atreya, "The aim of the course is to give opportunity to those who do not have a science background, but have an interest in technology. Those who have lots of ideas and dreams to make and create new things can readily catch up with the course." In order to get admission the candidates have to pass anaptitude test and an interview, as the focus of the programme is on picking candidates who have a potential to become creative designers.
A student of industrial design has to study many subjects. From applied ergonomics and product configuration to prototype and die development, students are trained in many subjects. Core studies also include aesthetics, manufacturing processes and finishes, contemporary influences in design and form studies. Besides this, students are also introduced to computer-aided product design. They are taught computer modelling techniques as well as 3D computer generated imagery.
Industrial designers have to express their ideas initially through drawings. "Having a good hand in sketching has its advantage, as one can get a fair idea of how the product would look. The more realistic the sketch, the better you can judge the final impact of the product, without actually modelling it," says Ramesh, a final year student of IIT Delhi.
Besides the ability to sketch, industrialdesigners should possess certain talents and personal qualities. Says L K Das, course coordinator, MDes programme, IIT Delhi, "Industrial designers should be both practical and creative, as their career is a synthesis of their sensibilities in art and engineering." Then, these professionals need to be fluent communicators, both visually and through reading and writing. They should also be amiable and possess team spirit, as they have to cooperate with other professionals to ensure appropriate result. A responsible industrial designer should maintain a current knowledge of materials, manufacturing methods and marketing practices.
To inculcate these qualities in the students, most institutes put more emphasis on studio tasks and project work. Seminars by industry experts and practising designers are also organised from time to time. "This plays an important role in the learning process and also helps the students to develop their projects," remarks Das. The final projects are generally sponsored by industry.This gives the students the opportunity to see how units function and get first hand information on product manufacturing. Besides this, the students can develop contacts with the industry, which is very helpful when they finally go around looking for jobs.
Because of the enormous range of products that are mass produced, there are many areas for career choice in industrial design. Remarks B K Chakravarthy, Assistant Professor, IIT Delhi, "Industrial designers get good offers from the consumer industry, automobile industry and the machine tool industry."
Nishchal Jain, an architecture graduate who is in the final year of the MDes programme at IIT Delhi, also feels that there is great scope for industrial designers. His interest lies in designing furniture for children and he thinks that this field has great scope.
In the industry, one can work as a product designer, whose job is to come up with such a design so that there is integrity in product's form, function and use. These days much emphasis isbeing given to the look of the product. It is the designer's work to make the products look attractive. Designers can also work in the field of product planning. Through research, they can help determine what products should be developed and produced according to projected needs and trends.
These professionals also have the option to work as corporate designers. Large industrial houses appoint such designers to deal with the visual image of the company and its products. In this case, the job of the designer is to design corporate identity programmes that communicate the company's philosophy and its product line. These visual messages are applied to products, packaging, advertising and architecture.
Opportunities for employment also lie in consultant design offices. Consulting offices usually serve more than one client, and therefore, work on a greater variety of product types. Those who are academically inclined can think of a career in teaching and design research. "Though there are not many who opt fora Phd programme, the trend is slowly catching on," remarks Das.
The salaries paid to trainee designers differ from organisation to organisation. But in general the lower limit is around Rs 6,000. "But those who have done a master's course do not have to join as trainees. They get jobs in the executive level and get anything between Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 as the initial salary," says Chakravarthy. Opportunities and salaries go on increasing, as the candidate gains experience.
A popular career option for industrial designers is freelance practice. A freelance designer is responsible for all phases of a project, from selling design services and securing the contract to design development and the testing of results. The growing domestic and export market for products like ceramic articles, toys and furniture also provides great opportunities for professional entrepreneurs. Says Chakravarthy, "Investment in this line depends on the scale on which one wants to start." But one should take up such ventures onlyafter spending considerable time working in an established company. This way one not only comes to know about an organisational setup but also learns the tricks of the trade.
Creativity is a must in the field because there is always a market for new designs. With so many companies producing the same product, manufacturers are relying a lot on design as a means of product differentiation. In the case of India, where people appreciate a product in terms of its usability and flexibility, this career becomes more challenging.
Commenting on the future of this field, Das says, "Industrial designers will be our freedom fighters as the next world war is going to take place in the market." So, for those with a killer instinct and the right blend of artistic knowledge and technical expertise, industrial design is the right choice.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
