Also called: Design Researcher, Innovation Strategist
Uses research and design thinking to figure out what new products a company should make before anyone draws them.
A design strategist interviews families in their kitchens to understand cooking habits, then runs a workshop with engineers and marketers to turn those insights into new product ideas.
Approximate; at design consultancies and large consumer companies.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Master's degree, about 6 years after high school. Bachelor's in design plus experience; many have a master's in design strategy or an MBA.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school. Training cost: $60k – $150k.
Majors to look at: Industrial Design, Design Strategy, Anthropology.
Growing about average. Steady in consulting and corporate innovation teams.
Medium risk for 10 years. AI analyzes research, trends and market data fast; framing what problem matters and persuading leaders stay human.
Classes: AP Psychology, Business or economics, AP Studio Art.
Official data: O*NET occupation 27-1021.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.