Science & ResearchISCO 2163

Automotive designer

Automotive designers create model designs in 2D or 3D and prepare isometric drawings and graphics. They work closely with computer hardware engineers to develop hardware designs for the next generation of automotive applications including advanced driver-assistance and vehicle-to-everything systems. They re-evaluate vehicle design, materials and manufacturing technologies, anticipating changes to vehicle architecture and power management, vehicle features and seating functionality and safety.

Check your gaps Check yourself in a minute ↓AI risk: 73/100 (high risk)

Check yourself in a minute: automotive designer

Rate 5 of the 19 essential skills of this occupation (European ESCO data). No account needed.

execute analytical mathematical calculations

read engineering drawings

use CAD software

liaise with engineers

draw design sketches

About automotive designer

As an automotive designer, you will be at the forefront of creating the vehicles of the future, translating innovative ideas and engineering requirements into compelling 2D and 3D designs. Your day-to-day work involves using advanced computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) software to develop vehicle exteriors, interiors, and components. You will prepare detailed technical drawings, isometric projections, and graphics that communicate design intent to engineers and manufacturers. Beyond aesthetics, you will collaborate closely with computer hardware engineers, systems architects, and manufacturing specialists to develop integrated designs for advanced features like autonomous driving systems, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) connectivity, and sophisticated safety systems.

Your role requires a deep understanding of engineering principles, material mechanics, manufacturing processes, and emerging technologies like advanced materials and green automotive technologies. You will continuously evaluate and re-evaluate vehicle architecture, power management systems, seating ergonomics, and safety features, anticipating how vehicles will evolve over the next generation. The work demands creativity coupled with rigorous technical analysis, as every design decision must balance aesthetic appeal, functional performance, manufacturing feasibility, and regulatory compliance. Career prospects are excellent in Poland's expanding automotive sector, with opportunities to lead design teams, specialize in electric or autonomous vehicles, or move into senior engineering and management positions.

Poland is increasingly becoming a hub for automotive design and engineering, with major OEM facilities and tier-one suppliers expanding their presence. The industry's transition to electric and autonomous vehicles creates exciting opportunities for talented designers to shape the future of mobility.

Key Work Functions

Core areas of responsibility for a automotive designer.

Design Development and CAD Modeling

Create 2D and 3D models of vehicle components, assemblies, and full vehicle designs using CAD software
Prepare detailed technical drawings, isometric projections, and engineering graphics for manufacturing and assembly
Develop design sketches and conceptual drawings to communicate design intent and aesthetic vision
Use CAM software to optimize designs for manufacturing efficiency and cost reduction

Vehicle Architecture and Systems Integration

Collaborate with hardware engineers to integrate advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous driving features
Evaluate and re-evaluate vehicle architecture considering next-generation technologies and emerging requirements
Design power management systems and battery placement for electric vehicles
Integrate V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything) connectivity systems into vehicle design and architecture

Material Selection and Advanced Technologies

Select and evaluate advanced materials including composites, lightweight alloys, and sustainable materials
Incorporate green automotive technologies such as aerodynamic optimization and emission reduction features
Analyze material mechanics and apply calculations to ensure structural integrity and performance

Ergonomics, Safety and Features Design

Design seating functionality, interior layouts, and ergonomic features for driver and passenger comfort
Evaluate vehicle safety features and integrate crash protection, airbag systems, and structural reinforcements
Execute analytical mathematical calculations to verify design performance and safety compliance

Engineering Collaboration and Documentation

Liaise with structural engineers, electrical engineers, and manufacturing specialists to ensure design feasibility
Read and interpret engineering drawings, specifications, and technical standards
Document design decisions, engineering rationale, and technical specifications for regulatory compliance and future reference

European Skills Framework

Skills and knowledge areas required for this occupation based on European classification.

Essential (19)

engineering principlesengineering principlesThe engineering elements like functionality, replicability, and costs in relation to the design and how they are applied in the completion of engineering projects.CAM softwareCAM softwareDifferent tools for computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) to control machinery and machine tools in the creation, modification, analysis, or optimisation as part of the manufacturing processes of workpie...material mechanicsmaterial mechanicsThe behaviour of solid objects when subjected to stresses and strains, and the methods to calculate these stresses and strains.mathematicsmathematicsMathematics is the study of topics such as quantity, structure, space, and change. It involves the identification of patterns and formulating new conjectures based on them. Mathematicians strive to pr...physicsphysicsThe natural science involving the study of matter, motion, energy, force and related notions.aestheticsaestheticsSet of principles based on which something is appealing and beautiful.CAD softwareCAD softwareThe computer-aided design (CAD) software for creating, modifying, analysing or optimising a design.green automotive technologiesgreen automotive technologiesTechnologies that allow the development of sustainable practices within the automotive industry. They are focused on lowering the negative effects of this industry on the environment such as air pollu...advanced materialsadvanced materialsInnovative materials with unique or enhanced properties relative to conventional materials. Advanced materials are developed using specialised processing and synthesis technologies that provide a dist...vehicle manufacturing processvehicle manufacturing processSeries of steps taken in order to produce a car or any other motor vehicle such as the design, the chassis and body assembly, the painting process, the interior assembly and the quality control.mechanicsmechanicsTheoretical and practical applications of the science studying the action of displacements and forces on physical bodies to the development of machinery and mechanical devices.execute analytical mathematical calculationsexecute analytical mathematical calculationsApply mathematical methods and make use of calculation technologies in order to perform analyses and devise solutions to specific problems.read engineering drawingsread engineering drawingsRead the technical drawings of a product made by the engineer in order to suggest improvements, make models of the product or operate it.use CAD softwareuse CAD softwareUse computer-aided design (CAD) systems to assist in the creation, modification, analysis, or optimisation of a design.liaise with engineersliaise with engineersCollaborate with engineers to ensure common understanding and discuss product design, development and improvement.draw design sketchesdraw design sketchesCreate rough pictures to assist in creating and communicating design concepts.use CAM softwareuse CAM softwareUse computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) programmes to control machinery and machine tools in the creation, modification, analysis, or optimisation as part of the manufacturing processes of workpieces.mechanics of motor vehiclesmechanics of motor vehiclesThe way energy forces interact and affect components in motor vehicles such as cars, buses, invalid carriages and other motorised vehicles.CADD softwareCADD softwareThe computer-aided design and drafting (CADD) is the use of computer technology for design and design documentation. CAD software replaces manual drafting with an automated process.

Optional (28) — show

computer simulationcomputer simulationA programme run on a computer that represents dynamic responses of a system to explore a mathematical model behaviour, using a model of a real system, composed of mathematical equations.battery designbattery designThe techniques used to design batteries, characterise their properties and performance, including electrochemical analysis and physical measurements, as well as to devise the integration of various co...3D printing process3D printing processThe process of reproducing 3D objects by using 3D printing technologies.manual draughting techniquesmanual draughting techniquesTechniques used for creating detailed drawings of designs by using specialised pencils, rulers, templates and scales.defense systemdefense systemThe various weapons and weapon systems used to protect citizens and to harm or shield incoming enemies and enemy weapons.vehicle-to-everything technologiesvehicle-to-everything technologiesTechnology that allows vehicles to communicate with other vehicles and traffic system infrastructure around them. This technology is composed of two elements: vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) which allows veh...advanced driver assistant systemsadvanced driver assistant systemsVehicle-based intelligent safety systems which could improve road safety in terms of crash avoidance, crash severity mitigation and protection, and automatic post-crash notification of collision. Inte...synthetic natural environmentsynthetic natural environmentThe simulation and representation of components of physical world such as climate, wheather and space where military systems exist in order to obtain information and perform tests.ergonomicsergonomicsThe science of designing systems, processes and products that complement the strengths of people so that they can use them easily and safely.manage suppliesmanage suppliesMonitor and control the flow of supplies that includes the purchase, storage and movement of the required quality of raw materials, and also work-in-progress inventory. Manage supply chain activities ...perform physical stress tests on modelsperform physical stress tests on modelsPerform tests on products' models to analyse the ability of products to endure temperature, loads, motion, vibration and other factors.adjust engineering designsadjust engineering designsAdjust designs of products or parts of products so that they meet requirements.use manual draughting techniquesuse manual draughting techniquesUse non-computerised draughting techniques to make detailed drawings of designs by hand with specialised tools such as pencils, rulers and templates.create a product's virtual modelcreate a product's virtual modelCreate a mathematical or three-dimensional computer graphic model of the product by using a CAE system or a calculator.use CADD softwareuse CADD softwareUse computer-aided design and drafting software to make detailed drawings and blueprints of designs.analyse stress resistance of productsanalyse stress resistance of productsAnalyse the ability of products to endure stress imposed by temperature, loads, motion, vibration and other factors, by using mathematical formulas and computer simulations.build a product's physical modelbuild a product's physical modelBuild a model of the product out of wood, clay or other materials by using hand or electrical tools.monitor technology trendsmonitor technology trendsSurvey and investigate recent trends and developments in technology. Observe and anticipate their evolution, according to current or future market and business conditions.examine engineering principlesexamine engineering principlesAnalyse the principles that need to be considered for engineering designs and projects such as functionality, replicability, costs and other principles.write stress-strain analysis reportswrite stress-strain analysis reportsWrite down a report with all your findings encountered during the stress analysis. Write down performances, failures and other conclusions.design prototypesdesign prototypesDesign prototypes of products or components of products by applying design and engineering principles.conduct performance testsconduct performance testsConduct experimental, environmental and operational tests on models, prototypes or on the systems and equipment itself in order to test their strength and capabilities under normal and extreme conditi...anticipate change in car technologyanticipate change in car technologyStay up-to-date with latest trends in car technology and anticipate change in the field.assess operating costassess operating costEstimate the operating cost in terms of manpower, consumables and maintenance.estimate duration of workestimate duration of workProduce accurate calculations on time necessary to fulfil future technical tasks based on past and present information and observations or plan the estimated duration of individual tasks in a given pr...analyse production processes for improvementanalyse production processes for improvementAnalyse production processes leading toward improvement. Analyse in order to reduce production losses and overall manufacturing costs.perform market researchperform market researchGather, assess and represent data about target market and customers in order to facilitate strategic development and feasibility studies. Identify market trends.use spreadsheets softwareuse spreadsheets softwareUse software tools to create and edit tabular data to carry out mathematical calculations, organise data and information, create diagrams based on data and to retrieve them.

Related Occupations

Occupations that need many of the same essential skills, so the move between them is shortest.

automotive engineering technician11 shared essential skills material stress analyst9 shared essential skills powertrain engineer9 shared essential skills aerospace engineering technician8 shared essential skills marine engineering technician8 shared essential skills rolling stock engineering technician8 shared essential skills tooling engineer8 shared essential skills aerodynamics engineer7 shared essential skills

Frequently asked questions

What does an automotive designer do?

What skills does an automotive designer need?

An automotive designer needs 19 essential skills, including engineering principles, CAM software, material mechanics, mathematics, physics.

Will AI replace automotive designer jobs?

The AI disruption score for automotive designer is 73/100 (high risk). Skills most exposed to automation: use manual draughting techniques, use spreadsheets software, execute analytical mathematical calculations. Most resilient: synthetic natural environment, aesthetics, build a product's physical model.

AI Replacement Risk

73/ 100

High Risk

Low riskHigh risk

Skills most at risk from AI

use manual draughting techniques use spreadsheets software execute analytical mathematical calculations

Skills resilient to automation

synthetic natural environment aesthetics build a product's physical model

This is the average for the whole occupation. The AI Career Shield test (about 10 minutes) shows the risk in your own work and what you can do about it.

Check your own AI risk

View full AI disruption analysis →

Quick Facts

SectorScience & Research

ISCO GroupScience and engineering professionals

Essential Skills19

What are you missing to work as automotive designer?

The free skill gap analysis compares your skills with what this occupation requires and shows where to start.

Check your gaps