Product Designers

High School

In high school, take courses in business, shop, computer-aided design, graphic design, marketing, psychology, English, speech, and social studies.

Postsecondary Education

Product designers must have a minimum of a bachelor’s degree to enter the field. Designers have degrees in industrial design, engineering, human factors/ergonomics, human-computer interaction, or marketing. Most programs require students to complete an internship or other experiential learning opportunity to obtain real-world experience and develop their skills.

Certification

Certificates are offered by colleges and universities, online learning platforms (OLPs), and other providers. Programs typically last six months or one year and are available in in-person, online, or hybrid formats. For example, Carnegie Mellon University offers a product design innovation certificate program and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Professional offers a certificate program in design and manufacturing. Contact schools in your area to learn about available programs.

Other Education or Training

Product design is a constantly changing field so it’s a good idea to take continuing education classes and webinars to learn about industry developments and acquire new skills. These learning opportunities are provided by professional associations, postsecondary institutions, companies, and OLPs (such as Coursera, Udemy, and edX). For example, the Product Development and Management Association offers workshops and webcasts. One recent workshop was titled Inside the Box Innovation: From Idea Generation to Product Launch.