A continuación, te explicamos cómo puedes pasar sin problemas del diseño industrial a la consultoría o al trabajo autónomo al final de tu carrera.

Assessing skills involves evaluating an individual's abilities and competencies to determine their proficiency in specific areas. This can be achieved through various methods, such as performance reviews, practical tests, and self-assessments. Observing on-the-job performance provides insights into how skills are applied in real situations. Structured interviews and feedback from peers and supervisors offer additional perspectives. Utilizing standardized tests can help measure specific technical skills objectively. Regular assessment helps identify strengths, areas for improvement, and guides professional development, ensuring individuals meet job requirements and contribute effectively to organizational goals.

Transitioning from Industrial Design to consulting or freelancing later in your career can be smooth if you leverage your extensive industry experience and established network. Start by identifying your niche expertise and building a personal brand around it, showcasing your successful projects and unique skills on platforms like LinkedIn and a professional website. Networking is crucial, so reconnect with former colleagues, attend industry events, and join relevant professional groups. Additionally, offering workshops, writing articles, and speaking at conferences can position you as an expert, helping to attract clients and consulting opportunities.

Building a brand involves creating a distinct identity that resonates with your target audience and sets you apart from competitors. Start by defining your brand’s mission, values, and unique selling points. Develop a consistent visual identity, including a memorable logo, color scheme, and typography. Craft a compelling brand story that communicates your purpose and connects emotionally with customers. Use this story across all marketing channels to maintain consistency. Engage with your audience through social media, advertising, and content marketing, providing value and fostering loyalty. Regularly gather feedback and adapt to market changes to keep your brand relevant and strong.

Networking widely is essential for personal and professional growth. It involves building and maintaining relationships across various industries and fields. Attend conferences, seminars, and social events to meet new people and expand your connections. Utilize social media platforms like LinkedIn to connect with professionals and join relevant groups. Engage in meaningful conversations, share your expertise, and offer help to others. Follow up with contacts to nurture relationships and stay informed about opportunities and trends. A broad network provides diverse perspectives, opens doors to new opportunities, and supports career advancement and business development.

Setting rates involves determining the appropriate price for your services or products, ensuring it reflects your value while remaining competitive. Start by researching industry standards and understanding what competitors charge. Consider your experience, expertise, and the quality of your offerings. Factor in your costs, including materials, time, and overhead, to ensure profitability. Decide on a pricing strategy, such as hourly rates, project-based fees, or value-based pricing. Be transparent with clients about what your rates include and be prepared to justify your pricing. Regularly review and adjust your rates based on market changes, demand, and your growing expertise.

THere are many ways to price your services. Fixed price and hourly prices are probably the most common, and least benefical to you. If you instead price by the value you create, you can operate at much higher margins. This method however requires you to learn sales and business. You need to be able to understand the clients business and how to communicate your values very well. Clients needs to feel safe with their investment and get the best possible outcome. This does not equal the cheapest price. (For some clients it does, but try to stay away from them as much as possible)

Managing products involves overseeing their entire lifecycle, from inception to retirement, to ensure they meet market demands and achieve business goals. Start by defining clear product goals and strategies aligned with company objectives. Conduct market research to understand customer needs, preferences, and competition. Develop a product roadmap outlining key milestones and timelines for development, launch, and updates. Collaborate with cross-functional teams including design, engineering, marketing, and sales to execute plans effectively. Monitor performance metrics such as sales, customer feedback, and market trends to iterate and improve products continuously.

When you go from an employee to a freelance its important to understand that your workload will consists much more of opertional tasks such as project management, sales, planning, marketing etc. And that your time to do actual design work will be far less. When you charge by the hour, time is money. Create templates for all parts of your work. Try to never begin anything from a blank page, this will make your business more profitable. Examples of templates i recomend everyone to create: - contract - Project template - presentation template - Research image banks - Invoice templates - Client brief forms The list goes on...