Description
Design and develop ceramic products such as tableware, tiles, sanitaryware, and decorative or architectural pieces. Combine aesthetic vision with materials research, user insights, and manufacturing methods to create functional, durable, and marketable designs for studio and mass production.
- • Create sketches, CAD models and renderings, and technical drawings for ceramic forms, glazes, and surface patterns.
- • Design molds and tooling for slip casting, press molding, jigger/jolly, and extrusion; prepare detailed specification sheets.
- • Prototype pieces via wheel-throwing, hand-building, and 3D-printed molds; refine designs based on tests and feedback.
- • Collaborate with engineering, production, marketing, sales, suppliers, and clients to define and evaluate design concepts.
- • Present concepts, prototypes, and reports to stakeholders for approval and incorporate revisions.
- • Evaluate feasibility for ergonomics, glaze fit, shrinkage and warpage, thermal shock, durability, safety, and cost.
- • Research and specify clay bodies, glazes, colorants, and firing methods; define recipes, cone targets, and kiln schedules.
- • Develop surface decoration including decals, transfers, relief textures, and graphics for products and packaging.
- • Create bills of materials and cost estimates; plan production runs and optimize yield and cycle times.
- • Define manufacturing procedures and quality criteria; support factory trials and scale-up; resolve defects such as crazing, pinholing, and blistering.
- • Coordinate the look, finishes, colorways, and functional standards across product lines and collections.
- • Conduct trend, market, and competitor research and user studies to inform design direction.
- • Test usability and performance, including stackability, pour, thermal performance, and microwave/dishwasher/oven suitability; author care instructions.
- • Implement sustainability practices such as clay and glaze reclaim, waste reduction, and energy-efficient firing.
- • Ensure compliance with food-contact and ceramic standards and regulations; create testing and documentation plans.
- • Supervise assistants, sample makers, and external vendors throughout the design process.
- • Participate in new product planning and advise clients on brand-aligned ceramic collections and retail presentation.
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Advanced Manufacturing
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Tasks & skills:
O*NET occupational data (work activities, skills, knowledge).
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Last reviewed: Jan 2026
