Industrial designer to ergonomist
An industrial designer already meets 81% of what the ergonomist role asks for. The move turns on 3 required skills not yet in the profile.
22.9/ 100
1 How much of what an ergonomist is expected to do is already part of an industrial designer’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the ergonomist role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
An ergonomist role treats 12 of its required skills as things an industrial designer already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- conduct research on trends in design
- consult with design team
- copyright legislation
- design principles
- determine suitability of materials
- draft design specifications
What stands in the way is 3 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 27 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. An ergonomist role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of an industrial designer background worth leading with.
- already held write manuals communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held adapt to new design materials information skills
- already held consult with design team communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held industrial design arts and humanities
- already held conduct research on trends in design information skills
- already held ergonomics services
All 27 carried skills, including the 12 the ergonomist role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 6 missing skills fall into 4 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.
- still to learn human anatomy required
- optional, not held occupational physiology optional
- still to learn assess ergonomics of the workplace required
- optional, not held gather feedback from employees optional
- still to learn occupational health required
- optional, not held teach ergonomics in work place optional
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries an ergonomist role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 assess ergonomics of the workplace practise this
- 02 occupational health study this
- 03 human anatomy study this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 27 skills that carry over
- already held conduct research on trends in design skill
- already held consult with design team skill
- already held copyright legislation knowledge
- already held design principles knowledge
- already held determine suitability of materials skill
- already held draft design specifications skill
- already held draw design sketches skill
- already held ergonomics knowledge
- already held follow a brief skill
- already held identify customer's needs skill
- already held mathematics knowledge
- already held use CAD software skill
- already held 3D modelling knowledge
- already held adapt existing designs to changed circumstances skill
- already held adapt to new design materials skill
- already held aesthetics knowledge
- already held apply 3D imaging techniques skill
- already held build a product's physical model skill
- already held create a product's virtual model skill
- already held design prototypes skill
- already held engineering principles knowledge
- already held engineering processes knowledge
- already held industrial design knowledge
- already held manufacturing processes knowledge
- already held prepare production prototypes skill
- already held use technical drawing software skill
- already held write manuals skill
3 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held teach ergonomics in work place optional
- optional, not held gather feedback from employees optional
- optional, not held occupational physiology optional
40 held skills the ergonomist role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role CAD software knowledge
- not needed by the target role CAM software knowledge
- not needed by the target role analyse production processes for improvement skill
- not needed by the target role apply desktop publishing techniques skill
- not needed by the target role attend design meetings skill
- not needed by the target role build jewellery models skill
- not needed by the target role calculate design costs skill
- not needed by the target role calculate materials to build equipment skill
- not needed by the target role ceramic ware knowledge
- not needed by the target role collaborate with engineers skill
- not needed by the target role coordinate manufacturing production activities skill
- not needed by the target role cost management knowledge
- not needed by the target role design management knowledge
- not needed by the target role design package skill
- not needed by the target role determine production feasibility skill
- not needed by the target role develop jewellery designs skill
- not needed by the target role draw blueprints skill
- not needed by the target role human-robot collaboration knowledge
- not needed by the target role hydraulics knowledge
- not needed by the target role industrial engineering knowledge
- not needed by the target role jewellery processes knowledge
- not needed by the target role liaise with engineers skill
- not needed by the target role manage contracts skill
- not needed by the target role meet deadlines skill
- not needed by the target role monitor production developments skill
- not needed by the target role perform ideation activities skill
- not needed by the target role perform market research skill
- not needed by the target role perform physical stress tests on models skill
- not needed by the target role perform project management skill
- not needed by the target role plan event marketing for promotional campaigns skill
- not needed by the target role pneumatics knowledge
- not needed by the target role present artistic design proposals skill
- not needed by the target role produce sustainable products skill
- not needed by the target role prospect new customers skill
- not needed by the target role think creatively about jewellery skill
- not needed by the target role types of glazing knowledge
- not needed by the target role types of packaging materials knowledge
- not needed by the target role types of toy materials knowledge
- not needed by the target role use CAE software skill
- not needed by the target role use specialised design software skill
3 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- still to learn occupational health required
- still to learn human anatomy required
- optional, not held occupational physiology optional
Other moves recorded from industrial designer
- furniture designer 46% covered · substantial
- product development engineering drafter 44% covered · moderate
- design engineer 41% covered · substantial
- engine designer 41% covered · substantial
- automotive designer 38% covered · substantial
- industrial tool design engineer 38% covered · substantial
- container equipment design engineer 36% covered · substantial
- tooling engineer 36% covered · substantial
Common questions about this move
Can an industrial designer become an ergonomist?
Yes, and it is an adjacent move. An industrial designer already covers 81% of what an ergonomist is expected to do: 27 skills carry over, 12 of which the ergonomist role treats as required.
What skills does an industrial designer need to become an ergonomist?
3 required skills are missing, plus 3 optional ones. They fall into 4 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by health and welfare. The single most important is assess ergonomics of the workplace.
How hard is the move from industrial designer to ergonomist?
Its learning distance is 22.9 out of 100, which is the adjacent band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.
How this record was compiled
Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.