It's Official: Being an Industrial Designer is Pretty Sweet!

1. Hey guys! As my senior year draws ever closer to its end, I have to decide what I'd like to do for the rest of my life.. And what that'll probably be is studying to become an industrial designer. For those who don't really know what that is, they develop concepts and designs for manufactured products. They typically specialize in one product category, such as automobiles, furniture or housewares. They must be imaginative and persistent to communicate their ideas about new product design. The best part is that this career has a very positive future. And here's a few interesting facts...
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3. • --45% of all design patents are awarded to U.S. companies, and 32% to foreign firms. The rest are awarded mostly to individuals.
   • --Internationally, the top ten foreign companies ranked by number of industrial design patents are: Samsung, Sony, Foxconn, LG Electronics, Panasonic, Honda, Nokia, Toyota, Toshiba and Canon.
   • --Over the next few years, the NEA (national endowment of the arts) expects employment for industrial designers in the professional services sector (e.g. engineering firms and specialized design firms) to jump 29%!