How to Hire Design Engineers in Tacoma
Current Environment
Rarely does an engineering job offer as much creative freedom as a design engineer. It is truly a left-brain, right-brain combination, requiring the technical and mechanical skills of the engineering field with the increasingly important creative vision for design aesthetics, functionality, and user experience.
The job is about taking conceptual ideas, for example, a product design, and transforming the idea into a real product.
Design engineers are tasked with making products that look good and are easy and safe to use. They also need analytical skills to ensure the product can be made cost-effectively and efficiently.
The field is a close cousin to mechanical engineering, and people in these two disciplines often work together on project teams
The field is broad, and many different industries and types of companies need to hire design engineers.
Engineering Disciplines That Need Design Engineers
- Aerospace
- Manufacturing
- Architecture
- Construction
- Civil
- Mechanical
- Electrical
- Chemical
- Textile
- Nuclear
- Structural
History
An article in Interesting Engineering, a publication dedicated to the art of engineering, explained how to first Computer-aided Design CAD system called Sketchpad developed in 1963 started the field of electronically rendering engineering designs.
Starting around the mid-1970s, as computer-aided design software systems began to provide more capability than just an ability to reproduce manual drafting. By the late 80s and early 90s, with CAD systems now able to include engineering calculations in designs, systems expanded rapidly and became capable enough to be practical in design engineering.
Now, new tools and technology, including computer-aided design tools, 3D printers, and even virtual reality are expanding what design engineers are capable of doing.
Will COVID-19 Affect the design engineering Field?
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected employment and the job market, however many sectors of the engineering field have played a critical role in combatting the virus.
National Academy of Engineering President John Anderson pointed out that “engineer” is an action-oriented verb, and engineers have been critical in so many areas of pandemic management. “Engineers consider themselves problem solvers and also creators. We create products, processes, and systems that address economic and societal needs,” said Anderson.
With this need for continued innovation in many industries, opportunities are not expected to decrease.
How will Hiring design engineers Help Your Company?
Recruiting the top design engineers can ensure you have the right expertise on the team for design, documentation, development, manufacturing, and testing and improvement of both physical and digital products, systems, and equipment. As mentioned previously, these roles are a necessary component for companies in many industries.
When building a successful team, it’s important to consider how new design resources will align with your current team.
Fill the Knowledge Gap
If your current team members do not have a strong knowledge of the most current software systems for design, you have an opportunity to fill the gaps. You can source candidates that excel with a particular skill or fluency in software systems for engineering.
Creative Flair
Creativity is another area that is key for design engineers. When you are looking for recruits, ask for samples of previous design work. With design engineering, looks and function go hand-in-hand.
design engineer Details
Responsibilities
To help you the best design engineers in Tacoma, here are some of the details of the job.
The design engineer usually works with a team of other engineers, as well as designers and creative teams, such as marketing, to develop conceptual and detailed designs for products. This can involve developing prototypes to ensure the product or system functions as it is supposed to and is fit for its purpose.
A career in design engineering allows a lot of variety as almost every consumer product imaginable for large-scale production— automobiles, phones, consumer electronics, medical equipment, kitchen appliances, software, and the list goes on.
A few additional responsibilities include:
- Study, research and develop ideas for new products and the systems used to make them.
- Modify existing products or processes to increase efficiency or improve performance.
- Work with marketers to develop the product concept and specifications to meet customer needs, and may direct the design effort.
- Develop (or work with specialists) to ensure a high-quality user experience for digital products.
- Design engineers typically work closely with industrial engineers, electrical engineers, and mechanical engineers on project teams.
Looking for another position? View other positions we place in Tacoma, Washington.
Education
Often colleges and universities that have programs in the design engineering field offer specialties or concentrations such as:
- Design engineering
- Electrical design engineering
- Mechanical engineering
- Product design
- Visual design engineering
Though some design engineer jobs require a master’s degree or doctorate, many project engineer jobs only require a bachelor’s degree, experience in the industry, and skills.
U.S. News and World Report ranked the top 3 undergraduate colleges for engineering (those that also offer a doctorate).
These programs train students in the principles of engineering and offer specialized courses in design engineering and its many specialized facets. Armed with a degree, graduates have a multitude of opportunities to work for large or small companies that need design and engineering skills to design both physical and digital products.
Top Schools
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Massachusetts Institute of Technology
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University of California Berkeley
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Georgia Institute of Technology