九号创新：当下制造业升级与市场趋稳，使传统工业设计项目更谨慎、竞争加剧。同时，技术迭代与产业融合不断打破边界，单纯的产品造型工作天花板渐显。在深圳这座快速演进的城市，许多设计师开始思考，如何将核心的设计思维与用户洞察能力，迁移到更广阔或更纵深的领域，寻找新的价值支点。这种延伸，既是应对环境变化的务实选择，也是主动拓展职业可能性的探索。这是给深圳工业设计师转型的清单：卷不动了，就换个赛道试试！
@NINEIDEA九号创新 www.nineidea.com
在深圳，即使不继续从事工业设计，你依然有很多方向可以延伸。你的设计背景其实是一套很有竞争力的底层能力——比如用户调研、产品思维、视觉表达、对材料和工艺的敏感，这些在很多领域都非常吃香。以下这些方向，你可以结合自己的兴趣考虑：
1. 科技行业的用户体验与产品方向
深圳的科技公司很多，你可以朝 交互设计、用户体验设计（UX/UI）甚至产品经理 转。工业设计的用户中心思维和产品逻辑，在这里可以直接复用。很多从工业设计转行的人，会先补充一些数字设计工具和基础知识，然后进入互联网或智能硬件公司做用户体验相关的工作。
2. 智能硬件与产品管理
深圳有最完整的硬件产业链。如果你喜欢实体产品但不想做外观设计，可以考虑 产品经理、产品运营 或 硬件项目经理。你懂设计、懂制造流程，能更好地和技术、供应链团队沟通，这个优势在很多公司很难被替代。
3. 品牌与视觉传达
工业设计的造型、排版、视觉表达能力，可以平滑过渡到 品牌设计、视觉设计 或 包装设计。深圳有很多消费电子、新消费品牌，它们需要懂产品逻辑，又能做品牌视觉的人才。你可以先从品牌设计公司或企业内部设计团队入手。
4. 设计策略与咨询
如果你擅长宏观思考和分析，可以考虑转向 设计策略、商业创新咨询。一些设计咨询公司或企业的战略部门，需要既懂设计又懂商业的人，帮助公司定义产品方向或服务体验。这方面需要你补充商业知识，但设计背景会是你的独特视角。
5. 文创与内容创作
深圳的文创和内容产业也在成长。你的设计能力可以用在 内容视觉化、展览策划、文创产品开发 等领域。如果你有个人兴趣，比如手作、绘画、摄影，也可以尝试结合新媒体去做内容创作或独立品牌。
6. 可持续设计与社会创新
如果你关注环保或社会议题，可以探索 可持续材料、循环经济、社会设计 等领域。深圳有一些科技和设计结合的社会企业或NGO，需要设计思维来推动项目。
转型建议：
- 技能补充：根据想去的行业，有针对性学习新工具或方法论（比如学软件、读商业、心理学方面的书）。
- 项目积累：哪怕是小项目或 freelance，也能帮你积累新领域的经验。
- 内部转岗：如果你还在职，可以看看公司内部有没有机会转岗，这样过渡会更平稳。
- 深圳优势：多参加本地行业的分享会、展览，深圳的产业链资源和人脉网络，能给你很多跨界的机会。
转型过程可能有些挑战，但深圳这座城市的跨界氛围和产业生态，其实很适合设计背景的人探索新方向。想清楚你最喜欢的环节是什么——是创造、策划、分析，还是沟通？然后朝着那个方向，一步步尝试就好。
祝顺利。
List for Shenzhen industrial designers to transform: If you can’t roll around anymore, just switch tracks
NINEIDEA: The upgrading of the manufacturing industry and the stabilizing of the market have made traditional industrial design projects more cautious and intensified competition. At the same time, technological iteration and industrial integration continue to break boundaries, and the ceiling of simple product styling work is gradually emerging. In the rapidly evolving city of Shenzhen, many designers are starting to think about how to transfer their core design thinking and user insights to broader or deeper fields, and find new value points.
This extension is not only a pragmatic choice to cope with environmental changes, but also an exploration of actively expanding career possibilities. This is a list for the transformation of industrial designers in Shenzhen: If you can’t handle it anymore, try a different track!
In Shenzhen, even if you don’t continue to engage in industrial design, you still have many directions to extend. Your design background is actually a highly competitive set of underlying abilities – such as user research, product thinking, visual expression, sensitivity to materials and processes, which are highly sought after in many fields. You can consider the following directions based on your own interests:
- User experience and product direction in the technology industry
There are many technology companies in Shenzhen, and you can transition towards interaction design, user experience design (UX/UI), or even product management. The user centered thinking and product logic of industrial design can be directly reused here. Many people who have switched from industrial design will first supplement some digital design tools and basic knowledge, and then enter the Internet or intelligent hardware companies to do user experience related work.
- Intelligent Hardware and Product Management
Shenzhen has the most complete hardware industry chain. If you like physical products but don’t want to do exterior design, you can consider being a product manager, product operations manager, or hardware project manager. You understand design and manufacturing processes, and can better communicate with technical and supply chain teams. This advantage is difficult to replace in many companies.
- Brand and Visual Communication
The styling, layout, and visual expression abilities of industrial design can smoothly transition to brand design, visual design, or packaging design. Shenzhen has many consumer electronics and new consumer brands that require talents who understand product logic and can create brand visuals. You can start with a brand design company or an internal design team within the company.
- Design Strategy and Consulting
If you are good at macro thinking and analysis, you may consider turning to design strategy and business innovation consulting. Some design consulting firms or strategic departments of enterprises require people who understand both design and business to help the company define product direction or service experience. This requires you to supplement your business knowledge, but the design background will be your unique perspective.
- Cultural and creative industries and content creation
The cultural, creative, and content industries in Shenzhen are also growing. Your design skills can be applied in fields such as content visualization, exhibition planning, and cultural and creative product development. If you have personal interests, such as handicrafts, painting, photography, you can also try to combine new media to create content or independent brands.
- Sustainable Design and Social Innovation
If you are concerned about environmental or social issues, you can explore fields such as sustainable materials, circular economy, and social design. There are some social enterprises or NGOs in Shenzhen that combine technology and design and require design thinking to drive projects.
Transformation suggestion:
- Skill supplementation: Based on the desired industry, learn targeted new tools or methodologies (such as learning software, reading books on business, or psychology).
- Project accumulation: Even small projects or freelance work can help you accumulate experience in new fields.
- Internal job transfer: If you are still employed, you can check if there are opportunities to transfer within the company, which will make the transition smoother.
- Advantages of Shenzhen: Participating in local industry sharing events and exhibitions, Shenzhen’s industrial chain resources and network of contacts can provide you with many opportunities for cross-border cooperation.
The transformation process may be challenging, but the cross-border atmosphere and industrial ecology of Shenzhen are actually very suitable for people with design backgrounds to explore new directions. Think about what your favorite part is – creating, planning, analyzing, or communicating? Then try step by step towards that direction.
Wish you success.
