21-3750 Product Design Professional Business Practices

An understanding of professional opportunities for product designers provides critical information for making career decisions. This course introduces students to three primary work contexts: the consultancy, the corporate design office, and the freelance opportunity. Students visit design offices and studios, both large and small, and often have the opportunity to do mock-interviews or present portfolios to a range of design managers and principals. Students work on project briefs related to the types of projects they might find in each of the design contexts to add to their portfolios. The course also explores practical issues, such as invoices, billing, interviewing, and networking.

3 Credits