Become a Car Designer: Courses and Scope

Car designers are professionals who work on visual appearance or aesthetics of a vehicle. They are also involved in the creation of new products that suits the needs of car segments for which the design is being catered. They prepare designs in order to create an appeal for a particular car segment of customers. Skill set required is the artistic bent of mind along with knowledge of interiors and color designing. An aspirant should also have technical expertise in ergonomics, vehicle body part design and design softwares.

Who Can Become a Car/Automobile Designer?

Here are some of the skills and interests required for becoming a successful car designer:

One should have a love for cars
Strong artistic and creative mind
Love to work on 2D & 3D designs
Excellent communication skills with ability to lead a team or work independently
Ability to understand engineering aspects of design and ready to collaborate with engineers on this aspect
Strong mathematical & analytical skills
An innovative approach to problem-solving with a different aspect to look at a problem
Interest in the latest happenings in the technology, automobile design & industry

Also Read :- The Future Auto Expertise: Electric Vehicle Design

Steps by Step Guide to Become a Car Designer

Step 1.)

Earn a Bachelor Degree

A bachelor’s degree can inculcate necessary skills in the students which includes 2D and 3D drawing skills, research skills, model making, computer-aided drafting, and others. Some universities offer a course in Automobile Engineering while others offer Transportation Design and Automotive Engineering.

Courses You Can Pursue to Become a Car Designer

Automotive Engineering, Transportation Design are some of the popular courses to become a Car Designer. Manav Rachna International Institute of Research and Studies offers B.Tech in Automobile engineering where in Mobility Design and Aesthetics is a part of the programme.

Eligibility to Become a Car Designer

To make a career as a Car Designer or Automobile Designer, an aspirant should enroll for B.Tech in Automobile Engineering. Admission is given to this course on the basis of entrance exams like MRNAT, JEE Mains, SAT, and Uni Gauge-E.

Pursuing a UG course in Automobile Engineering will instill various skills in students which include creativity, critical-thinking, communication, problem-solving, and technical knowledge of cars. After graduation, aspirants can consider applying for a Master’s degree in Automotive Design.

Step 2.)

Gain Experience Through Internships

Usually, universities provide an opportunity to students to participate in research and provide them summer internship opportunities which allows them to work with the experienced designers. Industry-academia relationship of an institution pays well in this case. More experience will give you more knowledge about the customer’s requirements and will surely enhance your skills.

Step 3.)

Build a Portfolio

A professional portfolio showcases your designing skills and experience in an innovative and creative manner. You can start building your portfolio during your graduation years.

Step 4.)

Work on Your Designing Skills

Computer-aided design is the demand of the industry now. While you are pursuing B.Tech, pursue a course in CAD as well that will not just save your time, but will also increase your job-prospects and will add on to your skills.

Expertise in Designing Software Helps Get More Opportunities

A designer should be aware of digital, sketch, and clay modeling techniques. AutoCAD Revit LT Suite, ZBrush, Alias, 3Ds Max, Lumiscaphe Patchwork 3D, Blender, HDR Light Studio, SolidWorks, Adobe Photoshop, Creo Parametric, and ICEM Surf are the most widely used CAD software and additive manufacturing tools that car designers work with depending on the exact requirement of the design.

Scope and Salary- Car Designing in India

Automotive Brands such as Eicher, Ashok Leyland and TVS have their design & development centres in India who are looking for expertise in this area. Talented designers who want to become entrepreneurs can take inspiration from Dilip Chhabria; how he has established himself as a renowned car designer not only of India but of the whole world. With the new localized design centre created by the companies on the call of the Prime Minister on ‘Vocal for Local’, there is a huge gap in demand and supply in the coming future. Car designers will be hired by M&M, Maruti, Tata Technologies, Altran Engineering Solution, BMW, HONDA Cars and other manufacturers when they localize their centre.

Salary package in this industry can range between INR 16 to 20 LPA for a person having more than 10 years of Experience.