How To Hire the Best Industrial Designers

Consider the functionality of a coffee maker, the ergonomics of an office chair, or the whimsy of a child’s favourite toy. These are not just everyday items, but the handprints of industrial designers are present in each one. They use diverse skill sets to design objects and develop prototypes through a lens of attractiveness, functionality, practicality, ingenuity, cost-effectiveness, and sustainability. Their work is all around us, shaping our daily experiences.

Let’s do a little designing of our own. Come along as we prototype a job post and then walk through additional details of hiring an industrial designer. We’ll cover top skills to look for, areas of specialisation, current demand, and typical costs to hire industrial designers.

How to write a job post that attracts top industrial designer talent

A successful job post is not just a description but a powerful tool that can attract an industrial designer with the specialisation and skills you seek. A well-written post will describe the project scope, budget, and talent needs and instil confidence in potential candidates. Even when hiring an industrial designer for a short-term engagement, it’s important to provide detail. This will help interested contractors and freelancers know if they’re the right fit for the project.

Focus on writing a clear and compelling job post title

Put yourself in an industrial designer’s shoes. What keywords will your ideal candidate likely type into a job search bar? Use those terms to craft a clear title describing the type of professional designer you seek. Here are some sample industrial designer job post titles:

• An industrial designer needed to design prototypes for an EV battery
• Freelance industrial designer required for industrial manufacturing team
• Designer familiar with speaker design needed for an electronics company

Write an adequate project description.

The goal of the project description is twofold. First, you want to share high-level details of what the job entails. Second, you want to capture the attention of potential industrial designers who are comfortable with the following:

• Scope of work. List all the deliverables you'll need, from prototype design to overseeing and producing beta testing reports.
• Project length. Indicate the timeline and size of the project.
• Experience. Note if you want an industrial designer with experience in specific industries, specialisations, materials, mechanics, software, or work environments.
• Budget. Set a budget and include your preference for hourly rates vs. fixed-price contracts.

Include a detailed list of qualifications.

Be specific when listing the requirements and qualifications you’re looking for in an industrial designer. Here are some examples:

• Consult and accurately translate a client’s vision into an innovative digital or physical prototype while considering feasibility and cost-effectiveness.
• Conduct research and interpret market analysis with the end user in mind.
• Consider all design aspects, including appearance, function, innovation, safety, practicality, environmental footprint, longevity, and usefulness.
• Understand varied production and manufacturing processes to anticipate needed materials, potential roadblocks, and costs.
• Beta test with best practices in mind.
• Successfully produce and present digital and physical prototypes that result in mass production.
• Closely collaborate with a multi-faceted team from different disciplines.
• Hold a bachelor’s degree in engineering, architecture, fine arts, or industrial design.

What to know before you hire an industrial designer

Before diving into interviews, it’s essential to have a strong sense of the current industrial design landscape. Understanding the varied specialisations of industrial designers, the top skills to seek, and the average cost to hire can help you make a more informed decision.

Industrial designer specialisations

Industrial designers often specialise in a particular area of expertise. Depending on your project, seeking an industrial designer with a specialisation can be helpful. Some examples include:

• Automotive design
• Product design
• Medical device design
• Furniture design
• Industrial equipment design
• Tool design
• Packaging design
• Toy design
• Sports equipment design
• Safety equipment design
• Lighting design
• Soft goods design

Industrial designer hiring demand.

Many different types of businesses require the services of industrial designers. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), “Employment of industrial designers is projected to grow 2 per cent from 2022 to 2032, about as fast as the average for all occupations.” The BLS expects about 2,200 industrial designer jobs to open up each year.

Skills to look for in an industrial designer

An industrial designer uses many skill sets, pulling from art, engineering, and architecture disciplines, to design concepts and create processes and plans that result in successful prototypes. Here are some common skills, traits, and abilities to look for when hiring an industrial designer:

• Creativity. Industrial design relies heavily on innovation, whether the goal is improving an existing design or inventing something new.
• Artistic sensibility. Successful industrial designers will have a keen eye for design and know how an appearance will likely resonate with the end user.
• Analytical mindset. Before the design process begins, there needs to be a period of consumer research and data analysis.
• Basic engineering, manufacturing, and computer programming knowledge. Understanding the fundamentals of these disciplines allows industrial designers to know what’s possible; a solid understanding of various materials and tools is highly beneficial.
• Material and production cost awareness. Considering cost-effectiveness throughout the design process is critical.
• Collaboration and communication. Good interpersonal skills are necessary when working with varied teams.
• Visual storytelling. This includes sketching, drawing, or 3D rendering or modelling, all forms of visual communication that can help convey design ideas effectively.
• Problem-solving. It is critical to resolve issues when testing and prototyping.
• Marketing and branding. Knowing what design elements will be key selling points can profoundly aid the industrial design process. Understanding how design can influence consumer perception and behaviour is crucial for creating successful products.

Cost of hiring an industrial designer in 2025

Expertise, experience, location, and market conditions affect rates. Generally, a Rayness Analytica industrial designer costs $20 to $50 an hour. The most advanced industrial designers can command up to $192 per hour.

Find an industrial designer now.

A successful industrial designer must be skilled in many disciplines. Initially, you may feel like you’re looking for a unicorn. But you’re not. Rayness Analytica helps you attract and hire top talent in industrial design, saving you significant time, effort, and headaches.