How to Become a Design Engineer: Skills, Education, and Career Path

Have you heard of a design engineer? A design engineer is someone who creates plans and ideas for products, systems, or structures. They ensure that the design plan is easy to build and efficient to function. This can be anything from designing a car part, and mobile phone to designing a building or a hydrological machine. He could belong to any engineering discipline, including civil, mechanical, manufacturing, architectural, electrical, textile, aerospace, or nuclear. In a country like India, the profile of a design engineer is already hyped. The job market for design engineers is promising, with a growing demand for innovative products and technologies.

For beginners, the term is still new and unexplored, so let’s dig deeper to understand it in simpler terms. In this blog, we’ll cover how to become a design engineer, the eligibility requirements, the skills needed in the process, and, of course, potential design engineer job roles with salary information.

Without further ado, let’s get started!

Who is a Design Engineer?

As the name suggests, a design engineer is someone who combines creativity and technical knowledge to design things. These can be technological or mechanical. Basically, they plan designs for materials like a mobile phone or a complex hydraulic pump that are easy to execute and function well. It is a transforming career for anyone skilled at it, and it also has the potential to drive economic growth for countries.

For example, if a company wants to create a new smartphone, a design engineer would help come up with how the phone should look, how it should function, and what materials to use. He will also ensure that it is practical, safe, and cost-effective.

How to Become a Design Engineer?

Here, we’ll discuss how you can pursue a career as a design engineer, from gaining the right education to developing the skills. The steps to become a design engineer are as follows:

1. Know the fundamentals – Understanding the role of a design engineer is the most crucial part of the process. Get detailed information about the career, what it comprises and what is the scope for growth in this field.

2. Complete a relevant bachelor’s degree – You must complete a bachelor’s degree in electronics, electrical, architecture, mechanical engineering or any other relevant discipline. You can also opt for product design engineering or industrial design engineering.

3. Apply for an internship while studying – The next step is to secure an internship so that you can hone your skills under the guidance of expert design engineers.

4. Consider completing a postgraduate degree for better job roles – A postgraduate degree is your key to expanding your professional domain and unlocking more lucrative job roles. This way you can upgrade your knowledge and skills leading to more niche roles with higher salaries.

5. Grow your network for global opportunities – Proactive network groups can always get you global work opportunities. Besides India, Canada, New Zealand, Germany, and Switzerland are considered the top countries for this career.

Also read: How to Become a Production Engineer?

Is Design Engineering a Good Career Choice?

Are you wondering if design engineering is worth your time, effort, and money? Actually, design engineering is an outstanding career field, and we have yet to explore it further. This means it is in high demand in today’s job market and will rule the future market as well. Do you know that the product-related engineering market is estimated to increase by $1472.34 billion in 2027, with an 8.5% CAGR? Well, this shows that design engineering is absolutely a rewarding career choice.

Moreover, a detailed study of design engineers has revealed that they belong mainly to the following engineering disciplines:

• Mechanical Engineering – 35%

• Electrical Engineering – 23%

• Drafting and Design – 7%

• Mechanical Engineering Technology – 5%

• Other Majors – 30%

In fact, statistics show that more individuals are taking up design engineering as their career in the present years. 11.1% of all design engineers are women, while 88.9% are men.

Also read: Project Engineer Career Path: Skills, Specialisations and Growth Prospects

When Do You Qualify To Become a Design Engineer?

Wondering when you qualify as a design engineer? Well, statistics say that 74% of design engineers have a bachelor’s degree (in addition to a high school diploma), while 12% have an associate’s degree (making a four-year degree).

So, you become a design engineer when you complete your 4-year bachelor’s degree in your relevant engineering discipline. It can be mechanical, electrical, computer applications, electronics, architecture, or even product design. However, for career boost, some design engineers earn a bachelor’s degree in a related field, like computer science, and then earn their master’s degree in engineering. Since 11% of design engineers also have a master’s degree, this is also common.

Key Skills Needed to Become a Design Engineer

Design engineering is the field that blends technical prowess and creativity to create efficient machines. Undoubtedly, it requires technical proficiency and engineering fundamentals, but it also needs soft skills to make something efficient and practical.

Let’s discuss some of the key skills that one might need to develop to become a design engineer. The skill sets are divided into two groups – hard skills and soft skills.

Hard Skills for Design Engineers:

• Computer-Aided Design (CAD) Software Proficiency

• Engineering Simulation and Analysis Tools

• Materials Science and Selection

• 3D Printing and Prototyping Techniques

• Electrical Engineering Fundamentals

• Mechanical Design Principles

• Thermal and Fluid Dynamics Analysis

• Manufacturing Processes and Design for Manufacturability

• Embedded Systems Design

• Product Data Management (PDM) Software Expertise

Soft Skills for Design Engineers:

• Collaborative Approach

• Problem-Solving Techniques

• Creative Thinking

• Effective Communication

• Adaptability and Flexibility

• Attention to Detail

• Time Management

• User-Friendly Design

• Teamwork and Interpersonal Skills

• Continuous Learning and Growth Mindset

Career Opportunities in Design Engineering (with Salary)

Design engineering opens the doorways for diverse job roles. Here are some popular job roles for design engineers and their salaries.

Source: Glassdoor

Key Takeaways

Design engineering is a crucial discipline within multiple domains, such as construction, automotive, aerospace, and electronics. It fuels forward-thinking solutions and helps professionals embrace automation. Typically, a degree is required to be a qualified design engineer; however, gaining valuable knowledge and experience through apprenticeship is more important.

The field of design engineering allows you to experiment, innovate and use your creative thinking like no other! So, if you are planning to take up your design engineering career seriously, enrol in a comprehensive design engineering programme today.