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Best Countries For Every Industrial Design Discipline in 2025 [RANKED]

It’s easy to determine the ‘best college/university’ to go to for a particular industry. RCA produces some stellar designers, MIT is the best place for engineers, and Pforzheim is the elite pick for anything automotive. However, determining the best country to work in is a much more challenging task. For example, a budding fashion designer is much more likely to thrive in France than in, say, Ireland. Choosing which country you work in plays a critical role in your career journey. You ideally want to be in a country with a thriving job market, a great salary, and enough exposure that teaches you more than your college ever did… so we decided to make a list.

This list is our most thorough and detailed yet. We’ve looked at a variety of factors to determine which country is best for each design discipline, from salary ranges to who the relevant employers and big players are. We’ve looked at market size, standard of living, and whether working within that country gives you a leg-up in that particular field. It’s easy just crunching salary numbers and currencies, but a healthy job-sphere is a lot more nuanced. It looks at whether the market is open or restricted, whether a designer is likely to get expansive or limited experience and exposure, and finally, whether the salary and lifestyle of the country make it worth it all.

We’ve picked 10 design disciplines and compiled enough data to support the country corresponding to the discipline. Along with each discipline’s ‘top country’, we’ve provided up to 5 more alternatives. These runners-up are great too, offering a variety of high salaries and stellar corporate experience. So bookmark this page for later, or share it with a friend… and remember, this list isn’t gospel. It’s a guide to help you plan your professional journey. Consult it, but don’t swear by it! After all, your journey is yours.

Best Country for Industrial Designers in 2025: Switzerland

Switzerland leads the pack for Industrial Designers with a great balance between reputed companies, great salaries, and a good standard of living in comparison. It’s the global epicenter of watch design, but it is also uniquely positioned to play a big role in the minimalist Scandinavian design movement. Companies like Vitra, Nestlé, and Victorinox are headquartered in Switzerland, influencing the design economy of the country. Following closely on the heels for Industrial Designers are countries like the USA (Apple, Tesla, IDEO, Nike), Finland (Fiskars, Marimekko, Kone, Nokia), Canada (Umbra, Bombardier, Spin Master), and Australia (Fisher & Paykel, Designworks, Breville, Cochlear)

Why Switzerland?

Highest Average Salary: $86,650-$112,700 USD per year for junior industrial designers (the highest globally for this role).

Excellent standard of living: Top global rankings for safety, healthcare, and work-life balance.

Strong job market: Especially in luxury goods, precision engineering, and consumer products.

Top Companies in Switzerland Hiring Industrial Designers

Vitra (Renowned for furniture and industrial design, global design collaborations)

Rado (Leading Swiss watchmaker, known for innovative materials and design)

SIGG (Iconic Swiss manufacturer of reusable bottles and lifestyle products)

Swatch Group (Major player in watches and wearable technology)

Nestlé (Global food and beverage company with in-house product/industrial design teams)

ABB (Leader in robotics, power, and automation tech, often hiring for industrial design in engineering contexts)

Victorinox (Famous for Swiss Army knives and travel gear, strong focus on product innovation)

Best Country for UX Designers in 2025: The United States

It’s no surprise that the US tops the list for the best country to work in as a UX designer. Given that the top tech companies in the world all have their origins in the US, it only makes sense for the job market to exist in the country with its own Silicon Valley. Apart from a great salary, the American Dream drives people to immigrate and live in the United States. FAANG companies (Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, Google) and their ilk employ UX designers en masse… although the UX market can also be said to be thriving in countries like the UK (BBC, Barclays, Deliveroo, Dyson), Germany (SAP, Zalando, Siemens, Bosch), Singapore (Grab, Shopee, Sea Group, TikTok), Australia (Atlassian, Canva, Commonwealth Bank, Telstra), and Canada (Shopify, Hootsuite, RBC, Scotiabank).

Why the United States?

Highest Average Salary: $87,000-$130,000 USD per year for UX Designers (with top roles at major tech companies exceeding $150,000).

Unmatched job market: The US has the largest number of UX job openings globally, especially in tech hubs like San Francisco, Seattle, New York, and Austin.

Standard of living: High quality of life, world-class cities, and strong expat/immigrant communities. While cost of living is high in major cities, salaries are adjusted accordingly.

Industry leadership: The US is home to the world’s leading digital product, SaaS, and tech companies, driving demand for UX talent.

Top Companies in the United States Hiring UX Designers

Google (Alphabet) (UX roles across Search, Android, YouTube, and hardware)

Apple (UX design for iOS, macOS, hardware, and services)

Meta (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp) (UX for social, VR/AR, and new product verticals)

Microsoft (UX for Windows, Office, Surface, Xbox, and cloud products)

Amazon (UX for e-commerce, Alexa, AWS, and devices)

Adobe (UX for creative software and cloud platforms)

Salesforce (UX for enterprise SaaS and cloud solutions)

Airbnb (UX for travel, hospitality, and digital services)

Best Country for Consumer Electronics Designers in 2025: China

China ekes out a victory when it comes to consumer electronics designers over the US for a very interesting reason. Sure, the United States is considered a global leader in consumer tech, having the world’s leading tech companies as well as the largest consumer base… but China leads on the manufacturing front overwhelmingly. Cities like Shenzhen and Guangzhou are absolute manufacturing hubs, not just of China but of the world. And while the US and countries in the EU pay their designers much more than China does, the Chinese job market is much larger in comparison, offering a vast number of opportunities coupled with a great standard of living. Chinese consumer tech designers can experience much more in just one square kilometer of area than any other country, making it an absolute haven for designers looking to explore the job market. The Chinese consumer tech job-verse features industry giants like Huawei, JDI, Xiaomi, Oppo/Vivo, Lenovo, OnePlus, TCL, and BYD Electronics. Other countries butting heads with China in this domain are obviously the US (Apple, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Sonos, GoPro, HP), South Korea (Samsung, LG, Coway, Hyundai Mobis), Japan (Sony, Panasonic, Sharp, Fujitsu, Nintendo), Taiwan (ASUS, Acer, HTC, Foxconn), and finally, Germany (Bosch, Siemens, Sennheiser, Braun).

Why China?

Highest Average Salary: Consumer electronics designers in China can earn on average ¥250,000–¥500,000 per year ($35,000–$70,000 USD), with senior roles at top tech companies (e.g., Huawei, DJI) reaching ¥700,000+ ($100,000+ USD). While headline salaries may be higher in the US, China offers more job openings, rapid career progression, and lucrative bonuses at leading firms.

Industry epicenter: China is the global leader in consumer electronics design and manufacturing, home to the world’s most innovative companies in smartphones, wearables, drones, and smart home devices.

Job market: Unmatched demand for design talent, with opportunities to work on products that reach hundreds of millions of users worldwide. Fast-paced, high-growth environment with rapid product cycles.

Standard of living: Major cities like Shenzhen, Shanghai, and Beijing offer a high standard of living, vibrant tech scenes, and international communities. Cost of living is moderate compared to Western tech hubs, and salaries are competitive for skilled designers.

Work environment: Chinese companies are known for rapid innovation, large multidisciplinary teams, and global ambitions, offering designers the chance to work on cutting-edge projects and see their work shipped at scale.

Top Companies in China Hiring Consumer Electronics Designers

Huawei (Global leader in smartphones, wearables, and smart home devices; major design centers in Shenzhen and Shanghai)

DJI (World’s #1 drone manufacturer, renowned for industrial and interaction design)

Xiaomi (Leading brand in smartphones, IoT, smart home, and lifestyle electronics)

OPPO & Vivo (Major smartphone and consumer tech brands with strong design teams)

Lenovo (Global PC, tablet, and smart device leader; design centers in Beijing and Shenzhen)

OnePlus (Known for premium smartphones and accessories, with a global design focus)

TCL (Major player in TVs, smart home, and display technology)

BYD Electronics (Leading in mobile components, smart devices, and automotive electronics)

Meizu, Realme, Tecno (Fast-growing brands in mobile and lifestyle electronics)

Best Country for Automotive Designers in 2025: Germany

Is it really a surprise that Germany secures the top spot for Automotive Designers? Even in 2025, Germany leads the front in automotive engineering, although closely followed by competing countries. The world’s second-largest automaker (VW Group) is responsible for this distinction. Although Toyota sells more cars per year than VW’s subsidiaries, Germany gets its edge given the strength of the economy, the standard of living, and the fact that VW’s cars occupy the luxury segment in larger numbers. Automotive designers can alternatively flock to countries like the US (Tesla, Ford, General Motors, FCA/Stellantis), Italy (Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, Fiat, Pininfarina), Japan (Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Mazda, Subaru, Lexus), South Korea (Hyundai, Kia, Genesis), or the UK (Jaguar Land Rover, Aston Martin, Rolls-Royce, McLaren, Bentley).

Why Germany?

Highest Average Salary: Automotive designers in Germany earn on average €60,000-€90,000 ($65,000-$98,000 USD) per year, with senior roles and specialists exceeding €100,000 ($110,000+ USD).

Industry epicenter: Germany is the global hub for automotive design and engineering, home to the world’s most prestigious car brands and design studios.

Job market: High demand for automotive designers, especially those with expertise in EVs, UX for in-car systems, and sustainable mobility.

Standard of living: Germany offers excellent healthcare, infrastructure, public transport, and a high quality of life. Major cities like Munich, Stuttgart, and Wolfsburg are international, safe, and culturally rich.

Work environment: Strong labor protections, generous vacation, and a collaborative, innovation-driven culture.

Top Companies in Germany Hiring Automotive Designers

BMW Group (Global leader in luxury and performance automotive design; headquartered in Munich)

Mercedes-Benz Group (Daimler AG) (Iconic for luxury, innovation, and advanced design; based in Stuttgart)

Volkswagen Group (World’s largest automaker, with brands including VW, Audi, Porsche, Lamborghini, and Bentley; headquartered in Wolfsburg)

Audi (Renowned for progressive design and technology; based in Ingolstadt)

Porsche (Sports car design and engineering excellence; based in Stuttgart)

Bosch (Leading supplier of automotive technology and mobility solutions)

Best Country for Furniture Designers in 2025: Denmark

Scandinavian Design is having its moment, and for interior and furniture designers, Denmark seems like the place to be if you want to experience the best the industry has to offer. Danish furniture designers earn an average of $72,500 a year, while also benefiting from the company’s comfortable standard of living, great healthcare, and healthy work-life balance. Fritz Hansen, BoConcept, and Muuto are some of the top companies that make Denmark’s furniture design scene thrive. However, designers can alternatively pick neighboring countries like Italy (Cassina, Poltrona Frau, B&B Italia, Kartell), Sweden (IKEA, Svenskt Tenn, Gärsnäs), Germany (Vitra, Thonet, Walter Knoll), Finland (Artek, Isku, Nikari, Woodnotes), or cross over the Atlantic to the United States (Herman Miller, Knoll, Steelcase, Design Within Reach, Bernhardt Design).

Why Denmark?

Highest Average Salary: Furniture designers in Denmark earn on average DKK 400,000-600,000 per year ($58,000-$87,000 USD), with senior roles and internationally recognized designers earning more.

Industry epicenter: Denmark is globally renowned for its furniture and interior design heritage, leading the world in modern, minimalist, and sustainable furniture design.

Job market: High demand for furniture designers in both established brands and innovative startups, with a strong export market and international collaborations.

Standard of living: Denmark consistently ranks among the top countries for quality of life, work-life balance, healthcare, and social welfare. Copenhagen and Aarhus are creative, safe, and highly livable cities.

Work environment: Danish workplaces are known for flat hierarchies, creativity, and a strong focus on sustainability and design excellence.

Top Companies in Denmark Hiring Furniture Designers

Fritz Hansen (Iconic Danish furniture brand, known for timeless classics and collaborations with top designers)

BoConcept (Global furniture retailer specializing in contemporary Danish design)

Hay (Modern design brand with international reach, known for innovative and accessible design)

Muuto (Leading contemporary furniture and lighting company, celebrated for new Nordic design)

Normann Copenhagen (Renowned for bold, original furniture and home accessories)

Carl Hansen & Søn (Classic Danish furniture manufacturer, famous for craftsmanship and heritage)

Montana Furniture (Modular furniture systems, strong focus on color and flexibility)

Gubi (Known for reissuing iconic mid-century designs and launching new classics)

Best Country for CMF Designers in 2025: Italy

While Germany leads in Automotive Design, it’s surprising that Italy takes the mantle of being the best country for a CMF Designer/Strategist. It probably has something to do with the fact that Italy is also one of the leading countries for Fashion, combined with Automobiles. Italy offers an average salary of $65,500 a year to junior/mid-level CMF designers, combined with a good standard of living, a burgeoning culture, and perhaps the best food the EU has to offer (call me prejudiced, sure!) Legacy auto companies like Ferrari, Maserati, and Lamborghini hire CMF designers, but you can find jobs at luxury fashion giants like Gucci, Prada, and Armani. Alternatively, CMF designers could look at jobs in Germany (BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Porsche, Volkswagen, BASF), France (Renault, Peugeot, Citroën, Hermès, Chanel, LVMH), the UK (Jaguar Land Rover, Aston Martin, Rolls-Royce, McLaren, Burberry), the US (Tesla, Ford, General Motors, Herman Miller, Nike, Apple), or Japan (Toyota, Lexus, Nissan, Honda, Sony, Muji).

Why Italy?

Highest Average Salary: CMF Designers in Italy earn on average €45,000-€75,000 per year ($49,000-$82,000 USD), with senior roles and those in luxury automotive or fashion reaching €90,000+ ($98,000+ USD).

Industry epicenter: Italy is a global leader in luxury automotive, fashion, and furniture design – sectors where CMF expertise is highly valued and celebrated.

Job market: High demand for CMF Designers in automotive (supercars, luxury vehicles), fashion, and high-end furniture, with a strong tradition of craftsmanship and innovation.

Standard of living: Italy offers an outstanding quality of life, rich culture, world-class food, and vibrant cities like Milan and Turin, which are design and industry hubs.

Work environment: Italian companies are known for blending tradition with innovation, offering creative freedom and opportunities to work on globally recognized products.

Top Companies in Italy Hiring CMF Designers

Ferrari (Legendary supercar manufacturer, renowned for bespoke color and material programs)

Lamborghini (Iconic for bold CMF design in luxury sports cars)

Maserati (Luxury automotive brand with a strong focus on interior and finish innovation)

Pininfarina (World-famous design house, working across automotive, transportation, and product design)

Alcantara (Leading supplier of luxury materials for automotive, fashion, and interiors)

Poltrona Frau (High-end furniture and automotive interiors, known for leather and finishes)

Gucci, Prada, Armani (Fashion houses with dedicated CMF teams for accessories, interiors, and collaborations)

B&B Italia, Cassina (Luxury furniture brands with strong CMF design departments)

Best Country for Interiors/Retail Space Designers in 2025: United Kingdom

I certainly wouldn’t guess the UK as being a haven for interiors and retail space designers, but the data doesn’t lie. The UK stands out as the top destination for interiors/retail space designers in 2025 due to its unique blend of high salaries, global influence, and industry vibrancy. London is a world capital for luxury retail and hospitality, home to internationally renowned agencies and flagship stores. The country’s ecosystem fosters constant innovation, rapid adoption of new design trends, and collaboration with top global brands. Its multicultural cities and prestigious design schools attract leading talent, while the volume of agencies and clients offers abundant job opportunities, career mobility, and portfolio-defining projects. This puts the UK at the top spot for Interior and Retail Space Designers, with jobs at Foster + Partners, Gensler, Heatherwick Studio, etc. providing a range of opportunities. Following the UK are, unsurprisingly, the US (Gensler, Rockwell Group, HOK), Japan (Nendo, Wonderwall, Nomura, Super Potato), Germany (Ippolito Fleitz Group, Blocher Partners, KINZO), Australia (Woods Bagot, Hassell, Bates Smart, Carr Design Group), and France (RDAI (Hermès), Wilmotte & Associés, Malherbe Paris).

Why the United Kingdom?

Highest Average Salary: Interiors/Retail Space Designers in the UK earn on average £40,000-£70,000 per year ($50,000-$87,000 USD), with senior roles and those in London or at global agencies reaching £80,000+ ($100,000+ USD).

Industry epicenter: The UK (especially London) is a global leader in retail, hospitality, and commercial interior design, with a strong tradition of innovation and trendsetting in retail experiences.

Job market: High demand for interior/retail designers in luxury retail, hospitality, commercial spaces, and experiential design, with many international brands headquartered or running European operations from the UK.

Standard of living: The UK offers a vibrant design culture, world-class cities, and a cosmopolitan lifestyle. London, Manchester, and Edinburgh are creative hubs with diverse opportunities.

Work environment: The UK design industry is known for its multicultural teams, creative freedom, and opportunities to work on high-profile, international projects.

Top Companies in the United Kingdom Hiring Interiors/Retail Space Designers

Foster + Partners (World-renowned architecture and design firm, leading in retail and commercial interiors)

Heatherwick Studio (Known for innovative, high-impact retail and public space design)

Conran and Partners (Iconic British design studio, specializing in hospitality and retail environments)

Dalziel & Pow (Award-winning retail experience agency, working with global brands)

Sybarite (Luxury retail design studio, with clients like SKP, Ferrari, and Moncler)

Gensler (London office) (Global architecture and design firm, major player in commercial interiors)

HMKM (part of Interbrand) (Retail strategy and design, working with brands like Harrods and Selfridges)

Sheppard Robson (Large-scale commercial and mixed-use interiors)

Best Country for Service Designers in 2025: The Netherlands

It’s surprising that this list features different countries for different disciplines (although fair warning, the next one is a repeater), but that’s also a true testament to just how diverse this world is, how cultures influence industries, and how they end up creating countries that have somewhat of an edge in certain aspects of the design world. The Netherlands gets the top spot for Service Designers – Service Design is, broadly speaking, the activity of planning and organizing a business’s resources (people, infrastructure, communication, and material components) to improve the quality and interaction between the service provider and customers. It’s no surprise that the country with one of the most well-planned civic systems in the EU, therefore, gets this distinction… and this isn’t just a cultural thing – the Netherlands offers high salaries, a great standard of living, and a wonderful work-life balance, thanks to companies like Fjord & VanBerlo (Both a part of Accenture Song), Koos Service Design, Philips, and ING. Following the Dutch are countries like the UK (Engine Service Design, Livework, Uscreates, Design Council, NHS Digital, Barclays), Sweden (Veryday, Doberman, Volvo Group, IKEA, SEB), Germany (SAP, Deutsche Telekom, BMW, Deutsche Bahn, IXDS), Australia (Meld Studios, Telstra, Commonwealth Bank, Service NSW), and USA (IDEO, Fjord, Continuum, Capital One, Kaiser Permanente, Mayo Clinic)

Why The Netherlands?

Highest Average Salary: Service designers in the Netherlands earn on average €60,000–€95,000 per year ($65,000–$103,000 USD), with senior and lead roles at top consultancies and corporates exceeding €100,000 ($110,000+ USD).

Industry epicenter: The Netherlands is recognized as a global leader in service design, with a mature ecosystem of design consultancies, innovation labs, and forward-thinking corporates investing in customer experience and service transformation.

Job market: High demand for service designers in sectors like finance, healthcare, public services, and mobility. Dutch companies and agencies are known for pioneering service design practices and exporting expertise globally.

Standard of living: The Netherlands offers excellent healthcare, infrastructure, and work-life balance. Cities like Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and Utrecht are highly international, safe, and culturally vibrant.

Work environment: Dutch workplaces are collaborative, flat in hierarchy, and emphasize creativity, sustainability, and user-centered innovation.

Top Companies in the Netherlands Hiring Service Designers

Fjord (Accenture Song, Amsterdam) (Leading global service design consultancy, working with top brands across industries)

Koos Service Design (Renowned Dutch agency specializing in service design and innovation)

Livework Studio (International service design consultancy with a strong presence in the Netherlands)

VanBerlo (part of Accenture Song) (Leading design and innovation agency, integrating service and product design)

Philips (Major healthcare and consumer technology company, investing heavily in service design for digital health and customer experience)

ING (Dutch multinational bank, known for its award-winning service design and customer experience teams)

Rabobank (Cooperative bank with a strong focus on service innovation in financial services)

NS (Dutch Railways) (National railway company, investing in mobility and service transformation)

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (Pioneer in service design for travel and customer experience)

Best Country for Design Researchers (Industrial/Product/Service) in 2025: Germany

Nobody’s more meticulous than the Germans, so it only makes sense that even though Switzerland gets the winning spot for Industrial Design, Germany still leads when it comes to Design Research (in non-UX roles). All the benefits that apply to the country for Automotive Designers (previously mentioned in the article) apply here too, including even the average salary. I guess the German creative industry values all disciplines equally! Leading employers in Design Research are BMW Group, Siemens, Bosch, VW Group, SAP, Frog Design (Munich), IDEO, and Daimler AG, among others. Following on Germany’s heels are the Netherlands (Philips, VanBerlo, Océ (Canon), Fronteer), Switzerland (Logitech, Swiss Federal Railways (SBB), Vitra, Swisscom), Sweden (Electrolux, Volvo Group, IKEA, Veryday), the UK (Dyson, Seymourpowell, PriestmanGoode, Design Council), and the USA (IDEO – Palo Alto, Frog, Smart Design, Herman Miller, 3M, Procter & Gamble).

Why Germany?

Highest Average Salary: Design researchers in Germany earn on average €60,000–€90,000 per year ($65,000–$98,000 USD), with senior roles at leading firms exceeding €100,000 ($110,000+ USD).

Industry epicenter: Germany is a global leader in industrial innovation, engineering, and product development, with a strong tradition of integrating design research into manufacturing, automotive, healthcare, and consumer goods sectors.

Job market: High demand for design researchers in R&D, service design, and strategic innovation teams, especially in automotive, engineering, and technology companies.

Standard of living: Germany offers excellent healthcare, infrastructure, public transport, and a high quality of life. Cities like Munich, Berlin, Stuttgart, and Hamburg are international, safe, and culturally rich.

Work environment: German companies are known for rigorous research processes, strong investment in innovation, and cross-disciplinary collaboration between design, engineering, and business.

Top Companies in Germany Hiring Design Researchers

BMW Group (Extensive design research for automotive, mobility, and future transportation)

Siemens (Leading in industrial, healthcare, and infrastructure design research)

Bosch (Major R&D investment in consumer goods, mobility, and smart home)

Volkswagen Group (Design research for automotive, mobility services, and digital innovation)

SAP (Service and product design research for enterprise software and digital transformation)

Frog Design (Munich) (Global design consultancy with a strong research-driven approach)

IDEO (Munich) (Renowned for service and product design research, working with leading German and global brands)

Philips Design (Hamburg) (Focused on healthcare and consumer product research)

Daimler AG (Mercedes-Benz Group) (Advanced research for automotive and future mobility)

Best Country for UX Researchers in 2025: The United States

Here’s the beauty of how one industry influences another. While industrial design is strongly rooted in the EU, digital product design finds itself flourishing in the Silicon Valley of the world. It comes as no surprise that this also means the US leads in the market for UX Research, or the act of supporting UX design agencies with rigorous R&D involving understanding user behaviors, needs, and motivations through observation and feedback methodologies to inform the design of products and services. Companies like Alphabet, Meta, Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, IBM, Salesforce, IDEO, and Adobe recruit UX researchers galore, although the US isn’t alone in this regard. It’s followed by the UK (BBC, Barclays, Dyson, Tesco, Wise, Monzo, NHS Digital, Fjord (Accenture), McKinsey Digital), Germany (SAP, Zalando, Siemens, BMW, Bosch, Deutsche Telekom, N26), Australia (Atlassian, Canva, Commonwealth Bank, Telstra, Seek), Singapore (Grab, Shopee, Sea Group, DBS Bank, GovTech, Lazada, TikTok), and Canada (Shopify, Hootsuite, RBC, Scotiabank, Telus, Wealthsimple).

Why the United States?

Highest Average Salary: Design Researchers (often titled UX Researchers or User Researchers) in the US earn on average $100,000–$145,000 USD per year, with senior/principal roles at top tech companies reaching $160,000+ USD.

Job market: The US has the largest number of open roles for design/user researchers, especially in tech, healthcare, finance, and consulting.

Standard of living: High quality of life, world-class cities, and strong professional networks. The US offers a diverse, innovative work environment and excellent career progression.

Industry leadership: The US leads in digital product development, service design, and human-centered innovation, making it the global hub for design research.

Top Companies in the United States Hiring Design Researchers

Google (Alphabet) (User Experience Research for Search, Android, YouTube, and hardware)

Meta (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Reality Labs) (Research for social, VR/AR, and AI-driven products)

Microsoft (Research for Windows, Office, Surface, Xbox, and enterprise solutions)

Apple (Human factors, usability, and design research for hardware/software)

Amazon (Research for Alexa, e-commerce, AWS, and device ecosystems)

IBM (Research for enterprise, AI, and consulting)

Salesforce (User research for SaaS and cloud platforms)

IDEO (Leading design consultancy, pioneering user-centered research)

Airbnb (Research for travel, hospitality, and digital services)

Adobe (Research for creative software and cloud products)

Also Read: Top 10 Highest Paying Product Design Jobs and Fields

The post Best Countries For Every Industrial Design Discipline in 2025 [RANKED] first appeared on Yanko Design.

This Snake Game uses ‘Water Pixels’ by manipulating droplets with a joystick

We all have played the Snake game on our monochrome phones to kill time, but the classic has got a new interesting version. That’s courtesy of DIYer Steve Mould, who is known for his affinity towards science, experiments, and thinking out of the box. The result is amazing creations that you’d not have thought of in your wildest dreams.

This DIY is a result of the coming together of inventive thinking and a biology experiment device dubbed OpenDrop. Designed by a Swiss researcher in his lab, the open-source device is the perfect starting ground for 2D games like Snake. The digital microfluidic surface of the device manoeuvres water droplets across the electronic grid using charged surfaces.

Designer: Steve Mould

The dielectric material of the grid is used to attract or repel the bipolar molecules of water. This moves the water droplet on the grid to create games like Snake, Pac-Man, or Frogger. Despite the €1,000 price tag of the machine, Steve wanted to go ahead with the experiment. To get a better hang of the OpenDrop, he flew to Switzerland and visited the facility. The voltage supplied to the board can be tweaked to nudge forward the polarized droplets from one electrode to the other. This creates a liquid display on the game board to make possible the mechanics of the classic Snake game reinterpreted in a completely new dimension.

With help from the OpenDrop’s creator and Copilot’s coding, Steve turned something as simple as a water droplet into a game character. He was able to move the character forward, bumping into the game food, growing large, and moving forward in the 8×14 grid without hitting the outer limits. Every grab of a smaller droplet makes the snake grow bigger. A bigger water droplet is harder to control; therefore, as you progress, the game gets tougher. The game still has its kinks, like sloshes, splits, or merges, which add an element of variability to the game dynamics. Mind you, getting the engineering of how the electrodes and the dielectric coating work in tandem isn’t easy.

In the end, this DIY arcade game rig is not about fun; it’s about learning how a completely unrelated lab tool can be turned into a retro gaming device. It’s worth mentioning, shipping the OpenDrop gadget cost Steve a lot, apart from the buying cost. He, however, was committed to somehow making his initial vision of playing Snake on the device meet reality. To keep the community of inventive builders engaged, Steve has made his creation open source, so that DIYers can improvise and create new games on the dielectric platform. Even better, he has challenged anyone to craft a working implementation of Tetris to win a prize. We’re sure that’s going to be pretty hard, given the nature of water droplets.

The post This Snake Game uses ‘Water Pixels’ by manipulating droplets with a joystick first appeared on Yanko Design.

This ‘Living Building’ uses Bio-Cement that absorbs CO2, making the architecture carbon negative

What if the buildings of tomorrow could breathe, literally? What if architecture didn’t just minimize its environmental impact but actively contributed to healing the planet? These are the provocative questions at the heart of Picoplanktonics, a groundbreaking exhibition by the Living Room Collective at the Canada Pavilion for the Venice Architecture Biennale 2025.

Commissioned by the Canada Council for the Arts and led by architect and biodesigner Andrea Shin Ling, Picoplanktonics is not your average design showcase. It’s a living experiment, a radical fusion of biology, technology, and architecture, where live cyanobacteria are embedded into 3D-printed biostructures that actively capture carbon dioxide from the air. Running from May 10 to November 26, 2025, this exhibition invites us to rethink what materials can do, and what design should mean in an era of ecological urgency.

Designer: The Living Room Collective

The design world is no stranger to the term “regenerative design.” It’s often used in the context of recycled materials or circular systems. But according to Andrea Shin Ling, that’s just scratching the surface. In Picoplanktonics, regeneration refers to its biological definition: the capacity to heal, to renew, to grow back stronger after decline. The materials here are not inert. They live. They breathe. And, crucially, they regenerate.

The biostructures in the pavilion don’t just sit pretty. They perform. They are infused with cyanobacteria, among the earliest photosynthetic organisms on Earth. These tiny powerhouses were responsible for the Great Oxygenation Event over 2.4 billion years ago, a planetary transformation that turned Earth’s carbon-heavy atmosphere into one rich in oxygen. Today, their ancient metabolic superpowers are being reimagined to tackle modern-day carbon emissions.

The Living Room Collective merges two core biological processes in the installation: photosynthesis and biocementation. While the former captures and transforms CO₂ into oxygen, the latter goes a step further, transforming carbon dioxide into solid minerals like carbonates. Think of it as a natural form of cement, permanently locking carbon away in hardened structures. Unlike conventional cement, which is a carbon-heavy villain of the construction industry, this process is not just carbon-neutral, it’s carbon negative.

What’s more, the cyanobacteria don’t come in after the fact. They are part of the material from the moment of printing. Fabricated at ETH Zürich, the biostructures are 3D printed with the bacteria already alive within them. This means the bacteria continue the job that human designers began, hardening and finishing the structures from the inside out, given the right environmental care.

That care is essential. The team behind Picoplanktonics treats the installation like a living organism. It needs warmth, humidity, sunlight, and saltwater to thrive. Luckily, Venice delivers all of those in spades. The city’s unique climate and the conditions of the Canada Pavilion itself became integral to the design.

Still, as with all living systems, unpredictability is part of the process. “A bioprint might dry out if the air is too dry that week, and many of the bacteria die,” explains Shin Ling. “But because the system is regenerative, the bacteria population has the potential to restore itself when favorable conditions return.” It’s a delicate, ever-changing balance, one that demands monitoring, adaptation, and even emotional investment. This is architecture as cohabitation, not just construction.

In an era where climate resilience and material innovation are no longer optional, Picoplanktonics offers more than just inspiration; it offers proof of concept. A new kind of material ecology. A building block for a post-carbon world. One that doesn’t just mimic nature, but invites it in.

Visitors to the Venice Architecture Biennale can witness the living structures evolve in real time, watching as biology and design blur into one. It’s not just an exhibition. It’s a living system, an active experiment, and perhaps a glimpse into the future of what architecture could, and should, be.

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BMW X7 Gets Two-Tone Paint and Japanese-Inspired Interior Design

BMW has introduced two-tone paint options for the X7 SUV, marking the first time this customization appears on their largest vehicle. The German automaker now offers 12 traditional Japanese patterns for the interior trim, complete with foil decoration across the dashboard, center console, and door panels. This expansion of the BMW Individual program gives X7 buyers access to combinations that transform the seven-seater into a personalized statement piece.

Designer: BMW

The two-tone approach follows the same technique BMW uses on the 7 Series sedan. Customers select one color for the lower body section and a contrasting shade for the upper portion, with a hand-applied coach line creating the visual separation between zones.

How BMW Creates the Two-Tone Effect

The paint process starts with the base color application on the lower body panels, including the doors, fenders, and bumpers. After curing, technicians mask off specific areas and apply the contrasting color to the roof, pillars, and upper door frames.

The coach line gets painted by hand, requiring steady precision to maintain consistent thickness and alignment across the entire vehicle. BMW offers over 165 Individual paint colors for these combinations. Popular choices include deep metallics like Tanzanite Blue paired with lighter tones such as Mineral White, or bold contrasts like Fire Orange with Jet Black. The paint shop uses multiple clear coat layers to ensure both colors maintain their depth and protection over time.

Quality control involves detailed inspection of the color transition areas, checking for overspray, uneven coverage, or imperfections in the coach line application. Each vehicle receives individual attention during the painting process, with touch-ups performed as needed before final approval. This level of scrutiny explains why Individual vehicles take longer to complete than standard production models.

Japanese Pattern Integration in the Interior

The 12 Japanese-inspired patterns draw from traditional textile and ceramic designs, adapted specifically for automotive surfaces. Each pattern uses metallic foil application techniques that create texture and visual depth across the interior panels.

The designs range from geometric cherry blossom motifs to abstract wave patterns, all scaled appropriately for the X7’s cabin dimensions. Installation begins with precise measurement and cutting of the foil materials to match each interior surface. The dashboard receives the most prominent pattern placement, extending from the instrument cluster housing to the passenger side trim panels.

Door panels feature coordinated designs that flow naturally from the dashboard elements, creating visual continuity throughout the cabin. The center console treatment includes pattern elements that complement the gear selector surround and cup holder areas. Even the door handle recesses receive decorative touches that tie into the overall design theme.

This comprehensive approach ensures the Japanese influence appears integrated rather than applied as an afterthought. Adhesive backing on the foil materials provides permanent attachment while allowing for expansion and contraction with temperature changes. The materials resist fading from UV exposure and maintain their metallic luster throughout normal use.

Customization Process and Pricing

BMW Individual advisors work directly with customers to select paint and interior combinations. The consultation includes digital visualization tools that show how different options will appear in the finished vehicle.

This preview capability helps customers understand how bold color contrasts will look in real-world lighting conditions. Production scheduling accommodates the additional time required for two-tone painting and interior pattern installation. Each Individual X7 receives dedicated build slots that allow craftspeople to complete the specialized work without rushing.

The process typically adds 4-6 weeks to standard delivery times. Pricing for the two-tone paint option starts at approximately $8,000 above standard Individual paint costs. The Japanese interior patterns add another $6,000 to $12,000 depending on the complexity and coverage area selected.

These prices reflect the hand-applied nature of the work and the specialized materials involved. BMW provides detailed care instructions for maintaining both the exterior paint and interior patterns. The two-tone finish requires careful attention during washing to avoid damage to the coach line, while the interior patterns need specific cleaning products to preserve their metallic properties.

Where Art Meets Asphalt

The X7’s massive frame becomes a moving canvas that demands attention at every intersection. When a Storm Bay metallic upper meets Frozen Dark Grey below, separated by that precise coach line, the result stops conversations mid-sentence.

This isn’t just a big SUV anymore, it’s a 5,400-pound statement that announces its owner’s refusal to blend into traffic. BMW’s selective rollout targets the markets where automotive individualism thrives. American buyers who park their rides in country club driveways, German enthusiasts who understand the difference between transportation and expression, and Asian customers who view their vehicles as extensions of personal success stories.

These aren’t people shopping for basic mobility, they’re commissioning automotive art pieces. The Japanese interior patterns represent BMW’s most audacious design gamble in decades. While competitors stick to predictable wood grains and carbon fiber weaves, BMW just invited 1,000-year-old artistic traditions into the cockpit of a modern SUV.

The implications ripple beyond this single model, potentially opening doors to Moroccan tile-inspired dashboards or Aboriginal dot-painting door panels. Bentley’s hand-stitched leather suddenly looks quaint compared to BMW’s cultural deep dive. Rolls-Royce’s starlight headliners pale next to foil-applied cherry blossom patterns that transform the X7’s interior into a meditation on traditional craftsmanship.

The luxury SUV battlefield just shifted from material quality to cultural storytelling. Production constraints create the perfect storm of desire and scarcity. BMW’s Individual artisans can only complete a handful of these cultural masterpieces each month, turning every completed X7 into a collector’s item before it leaves the factory.

The waiting list becomes part of the appeal, proving that true customization cannot be rushed or mass-produced. The X7 earned its canvas status through pure automotive physics and buyer psychology. At this size and price point, subtlety becomes irrelevant. Owners want their investment to command respect in the valet line, dominate the school pickup queue, and spark conversations at every red light.

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World’s Largest 3D Printed Building – Qatar’s Ambitious Plans for Upcoming School in the Desert

The desert landscape of Qatar has become the canvas for an architectural revolution that will broaden the horizon of educational infrastructure. UCC Holding, partnering with Qatar’s Public Works Authority, has launched the world’s largest 3D printed construction project, transforming 40,000 square meters of desert into two groundbreaking schools. This isn’t just construction, this is intended to be digital craftsmanship on an unprecedented scale, where massive BODXL printers—each the size of a Boeing 737 hangar—extrude concrete with the precision of sculptors shaping clay. The project is a 40-fold leap from any previous 3D printed building, establishing Qatar as the global epicenter of additive construction innovation.

Form follows function in the most literal sense as these structures emerge from custom 50-meter-long printers that operate through Qatar’s cool desert nights. The design language is marked by curves and organic forms, with walls that undulate like dunes shaped by desert winds. This geometric freedom, impossible through traditional construction methods, creates spaces that breathe with the natural rhythm of their environment. Each two-story structure sits on a 100m x 100m plot, creating educational environments that feel both monumental and intimate.

Designer: UCC Holding & COBOD

The technical achievement extends far beyond scale into the realm of material innovation and environmental consciousness. Eight months of intensive preparation involved over 100 full-scale test prints, perfecting concrete formulations that perform flawlessly under Qatar’s extreme conditions. The team developed specialized print nozzles and sequencing techniques that ensure structural integrity while minimizing waste. Material consumption drops compared to traditional methods, with concrete usage optimized through digital precision. The printing process reduces carbon emissions, eliminates construction waste, and accelerates project timelines through continuous operation. Night printing operations avoid thermal stress while reducing noise and dust impact on surrounding communities.

The project cuts down on traditional formwork, reduces transportation requirements, and minimizes on-site disruption through streamlined operations. Digital precision ensures optimal material usage, with algorithms calculating exact quantities needed for each structural element. The reduced construction timeline means lower energy consumption throughout the building process, while the printing technology enables complex geometries that enhance natural ventilation and daylighting.

The architectural language draws inspiration from Qatar’s natural formations, creating buildings that feel indigenous to their desert setting. Curved walls rise like geological formations, their surfaces bearing the subtle textures of the printing process that add tactile richness to the facades. Interior spaces flow with the same organic logic, creating learning environments that feel carved from the landscape rather than imposed upon it. Unfortunately, a press representative mentioned that there are no official renders or images of what the upcoming project will look like, leaving most of it up to one’s imagination for now.

The design celebrates the printing process itself, with visible layer lines becoming decorative elements that tell the story of digital construction. These spaces will inspire students by surrounding them with architecture that embodies innovation and environmental stewardship. The schools should welcome their first students by the end of the year, kickstarting an institution that could potentially change educational architecture globally.

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This 4,851-brick LEGO Flying Dutchman build is the box set we truly deserved

If Tobnac’s Black Pearl MOC proved that LEGO Ideas could handle Jack Sparrow’s legendary vessel, then his Flying Dutchman absolutely confirms that the most cursed ship in Caribbean waters deserves the full UCS treatment. Where the Pearl represented pirate freedom and adventure, the Dutchman embodies something far more sinister: the supernatural dread of a ship that ferries souls to the other side while her barnacle-encrusted hull cuts through both ocean and otherworld. This 4,851-piece behemoth weighs in at nearly 4 kilograms of pure nightmare fuel, stretching 103 centimeters of cursed magnificence that would make Davy Jones himself weep tears of briny pride.

The challenge with recreating the Dutchman lies in her limited screen time and the organic, almost alien nature of her design. While the Pearl maintains traditional ship proportions, the Dutchman defies nautical logic with her gnarled prow, towering walls, and that distinctly unsettling silhouette that suggests something born from the depths rather than built by human hands. Tobnac understood that capturing this vessel required moving beyond conventional LEGO ship building into something more akin to constructing a living organism, complete with the kind of twisted details that make Bootstrap Bill Turner’s fate seem like a mercy.

Designer: Tobnac

The front jaw steals the show immediately, those massive curved teeth creating the kind of predatory menace that made the Dutchman’s appearances genuinely terrifying. Getting those organic curves right in LEGO required serious engineering, and the payoff delivers a prow that looks ready to devour anything foolish enough to cross her path. The triple cannons rotate with mechanical precision, their hatch covers held up by chains that add to the vessel’s industrial gothic aesthetic. These details matter because they separate movie accuracy from generic pirate ship building, creating authenticity that honors the source material.

The color palette stays eerily true to the original, going for that weathered wood aesthetic, where the polish wears off, succumbs to barnacles, algae, and goes from majestic brown to, well, pale and dead. That tan base works beautifully with olive green, sand green, dark grey, and brown accents that simulate years of underwater decay. The scattered sea plants and barnacle textures create the impression of a vessel that’s been claiming souls long enough to become part of the ocean itself. This weathered, cursed appearance perfectly captures the Dutchman’s supernatural nature, making her feel genuinely haunted rather than just old.

The Kraken Wheel placement shows Tobnac’s attention to film details, positioned exactly where it appears in the movies beneath the captain’s quarters roof. Those surrounding levers fold down for space management, but the real magic happens below deck where the legendary pipe organ awaits. Fitting Davy Jones’ musical sanctuary into LEGO form required serious spatial engineering, with that three-tiered keyboard design surrounded by organic overgrowth that suggests decades of tentacled performances. The colored glass backdrop adds atmospheric depth while twin balconies and narrowing walls recreate the eerie beauty of Jones’ private domain.

The modular design addresses practical concerns while maintaining structural integrity, with the captain’s quarters, roof, and rear mast sections all removable for access. The missing rigging between middle and back masts shows learned lessons from the Pearl’s design, prioritizing playability over complete visual accuracy. These compromises prove that even the most ambitious MOCs require practical solutions to work as actual LEGO builds rather than just display pieces.

The minifigure lineup reads like a greatest hits collection of Dead Man’s Chest and At World’s End, featuring characters we’ve never seen in official LEGO form. Davy Jones, Bootstrap Bill Turner, Maccus, and the rest of the cursed crew would finally get their plastic due alongside Jack, Will, Elizabeth, and Barbossa. Although not shown in the MOC renderings here, Tobnac also lists Tia Dalma, Cutler Beckett, and even characters like Wheelback as minifigures that will be made a part of this MOC for maximum playability.

At 4,851 pieces, this Flying Dutchman proves that some ships require supernatural scale to capture their essence. Tobnac has created something that honors both the technical complexity of advanced LEGO building and the haunting majesty of cinema’s most memorable ghost ship, delivering a MOC worthy of ferrying souls across both plastic oceans and adult collectors’ shelves. If you want to see this MOC hit the shelves, go ahead and cast your vote for it on the LEGO Ideas website!

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