Is Product Design a Good Career in India?

Introduction

Product Design has a wide and varied scope in India. Pursuing a career in Product Design will open up several doors of job opportunities for an individual across industries. From healthcare to technology to consumer goods to automotive to retail, Product Design has a bright and prosperous career in every field.

In its essence, Product Design is the process by which a product is created to meet user needs and market demands. It involves strategic thinking, creativity, and industry knowledge. A Product Designer will develop the skill to identify potential market gaps and the issues that customers are facing. They will accordingly design the products to solve those issues.

In its last estimate, the Product Design industry was worth $9.4 billion by 2022. By 2030, the number is expected to rise above $24.1 billion. With this annual growth of 23-25%, Product Design might create a demand of 6 million jobs in 2025 alone.

India is one of the thriving hubs of product design, with the number of designers quickly rising by the day. Strate School of Design, National Institute of Design, Institute of Art and Design, Srishti Manipal Institute of Art, Design and Technology, are some of the many colleges in India that provide a course and degree in Product Design.

What is the Definition of Product Design?

Product Design can be defined as the process involved in creating a product or a service that meets the customer needs and satisfies the business demands. It starts with ideation, followed by visualization, and finally the creation. Product Designers also test their creations multiple times to find any flaws or inconsistencies before launching the final product in the market.

It is the assimilation of three different aspects – User Needs, Business Goals, and finally a Successful Product. The final product finds value in the market if and when it meets both the aesthetic value and provides an effective solution. Throughout this process, several rounds of research are done and user feedback is implemented. In such a way, the designers can find the exact points that require improvement to better serve the product.

Product Designers work very closely with marketers, stakeholders, and developers, to ensure that the final product is ready and full-proof on all accounts before launching into the market. The unique shape of the iconic Coca-Cola bottle, the iPhone, the PEZ Dispenser, etc. are some of the fine examples of Product Design throughout history.

Skills Required for Product Design Program

It isn’t just designing skills that define a Product Designer. A Product Designer needs to acquire a wide range of skills to work in a group environment and successfully create the desired product. While a deep passion and an interest in designing is a must-have, here are some of the other skills a Product Designer needs to possess:

• Aware about current updates and innovations in the related industry. The technological trends, industrial processes, new techniques, and any newer innovations should all be known to a Product Designer.
• Needs to be innovative and creative at all points to come up with a novel solution to newer issues.
• Must be able enough to prototype his/her design to run early tests and check its usability. It also allows them to find any issue that requires fixing.
• Flexible enough to work in a team environment. They work very closely with marketers, stakeholders, and developers, and therefore, require a collaborative mindset.
• Visual aesthetics is a must for every Product Designer. Aspects like Color Theory, Typography, and Layout Principles, are a regularity in a Product Designer’s work.
• Ability to understand users’ experience i.e. how they interact with the product, what aspect is comfortable to them, what is lesser used, access to features, and intuition are some things that a Product Designer must be aware of.

Top 6 Careers in Product Design

A Product Designer can find a sustainable and fruitful career in multiple industries. From Healthcare to Hospitality to Consumer Goods to Automotive to Retail, here are some of the best job designations for a Product Designer:

1. Product Designers

This is the most common product design career after completing B.Des in Product Design. The designer collaborates with other team members to create the most efficient product design. Product designers average starting salary is INR 5 – 8 LPA in India.

2. Industrial Designers

Here, Product Designers work according to industry demands, designing some of the finest mass-produced industrial products like the iPod, model cars, instruments, etc. While the entry-level salary for an Industrial Designer is around INR 5 LPA, it goes upwards to more than INR 15 LPA with experience

3. UX Designers

Probably one of the most highly demanded jobs in Product Design, UX Designers conduct research, develop prototypes and wireframes, and collaborate with developers, just to provide a desirable product for users. User need is the prime focus for creating a product with a seamless experience. UX designers start at around INR 3 LPA in India; they can reach up to INR 15-25 LPA with enough experience and skills.

4. Exhibition Designer

These Product Designers are responsible for creating immersive experiences. Occasions like events, trade shows, museums, and concerts often require the services of Exhibition Designers. Designing 3D images and working on understanding the site layout is also part of their work profile. The average salary of an exhibition designer lies between INR 5-8 LPA.

5. Furniture Designer

Be it working with MNCs or designer brands, Furniture Designers work closely with marketers to align their view of user requirements before creating unique furniture. It is a niche, yet lucrative career path. They earn INR 4-5 LPA for an entry-level job, and more than INR 10 LPA after reaching senior level.

6. Design Strategist

A Design Strategist strategizes the process of developing a product while staying very close to business goals. Their roles involve analyzing market trends, understanding consumer behavior, and collaborating with cross-functional teams. The average salary of a Design Strategist in India is INR 11 LPA.

Conclusion

To sum it up, a Product Designer has a lucrative and viable career in India. With numerous jobs opening up across industries, the prospect of a Product Designer in India looks bright. To fulfill and sustain this high job demand for a Product Designer, more and more design colleges are opening up, and they are including Product Design as a course in their curriculum.

Institutions like the Strate School of Design are especially experts in keeping the curriculum close to industry demands and have hired industry experts as part of their faculty members. As long as this trend continues, Product Design will grow as a field in India and will continue to bear fruits in terms of jobs and industry demands.