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Internship Physical Product Design Jobs in Indiana

Product Design Plastics Engineer

Elkhart, IN

$123K - $148K/yr

SUMMARY: We are seeking a skilled Product Design Engineer with expertise in thermoforming and ... PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: Must be able to work in an office environment. COMPANY CULTURE: At MAKS ...

Product Design Plastics Engineer

Elkhart, IN · On-site

$124K - $149K/yr

SUMMARY:We are seeking a skilled Product Design Engineer with expertise in thermoforming and ... PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:Must be able to work in an office environment. COMPANY CULTURE:At MAKS ...

$14.75 - $19.75/hr

Apparel Design Merchandise concepts, wearable branding, and product design * Animation / Motion ... Top-performing interns may be invited to continue beyond the initial term as Associates within the ...

$14.25 - $19/hr

Apparel Design Merchandise concepts, wearable branding, and product design * Animation / Motion ... Top-performing interns may be invited to continue beyond the initial term as Associates within the ...

$14.50 - $19.25/hr

Apparel Design Merchandise concepts, wearable branding, and product design * Animation / Motion ... Top-performing interns may be invited to continue beyond the initial term as Associates within the ...

$14.75 - $19.50/hr

Apparel Design Merchandise concepts, wearable branding, and product design * Animation / Motion ... Top-performing interns may be invited to continue beyond the initial term as Associates within the ...

$14.25 - $19/hr

Apparel Design Merchandise concepts, wearable branding, and product design * Animation / Motion ... Top-performing interns may be invited to continue beyond the initial term as Associates within the ...

$14.25 - $19/hr

Apparel Design Merchandise concepts, wearable branding, and product design * Animation / Motion ... Top-performing interns may be invited to continue beyond the initial term as Associates within the ...

$15 - $20/hr

Apparel Design Merchandise concepts, wearable branding, and product design * Animation / Motion ... Top-performing interns may be invited to continue beyond the initial term as Associates within the ...

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Internship Physical Product Design information

What is an internship in physical product design?

An Internship in Physical Product Design is a temporary, hands-on learning opportunity where students or recent graduates work with companies to gain practical experience in designing tangible products. Interns typically assist with research, brainstorming, prototyping, testing, and refining physical goods such as electronics, appliances, or consumer products. This role helps interns build technical skills, understand the product development lifecycle, and collaborate with experienced designers and engineers. It's a valuable stepping stone for those looking to pursue a career in product design or related fields.

What types of projects and responsibilities can I expect during a physical product design internship?

As a Physical Product Design intern, you'll typically work on tasks such as assisting with concept development, creating CAD models, building prototypes, and participating in team brainstorming sessions. You may collaborate closely with engineers, industrial designers, and manufacturing teams to refine product concepts and ensure designs are feasible for production. Interns often have the chance to contribute to real projects and receive feedback from experienced professionals, offering valuable learning and networking opportunities. Additionally, you might be involved in testing and iterating on design solutions, which helps build practical skills and a strong portfolio.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an internship physical product designer, and why are they important?

To thrive as an Internship Physical Product Designer, you generally need a solid understanding of design principles, proficiency in CAD software, and coursework or experience in industrial design or mechanical engineering. Familiarity with tools like SolidWorks, Adobe Creative Suite, and prototyping methods is typically expected. Creativity, problem-solving, attention to detail, and effective communication are standout soft skills in this role. These abilities are crucial for developing innovative, functional products and collaborating efficiently within multidisciplinary teams.

What is the difference between Internship Physical Product Design vs Internship Industrial Design?

AspectInternship Physical Product DesignInternship Industrial Design
FocusDesign and development of tangible products, including mechanical and electronic componentsDesign of overall product aesthetics, user experience, and visual appeal
SkillsMechanical engineering, CAD, prototyping, materials knowledgeSketching, 3D modeling, user-centered design, visual communication
Work EnvironmentManufacturing settings, engineering teams, prototyping labsDesign studios, creative agencies, client presentations
Common UsageIndustry roles in product development, hardware startups, manufacturing companiesDesign firms, consumer product companies, branding agencies

Internship Physical Product Design focuses on creating the functional aspects of physical products, combining engineering and design skills. In contrast, Internship Industrial Design emphasizes the aesthetic and user experience aspects of products. Both roles often collaborate but serve different core functions within product development teams.

What are popular job titles related to Internship Physical Product Design jobs in Indiana?

For Internship Physical Product Design jobs in Indiana, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Internship Physical Product Design jobs in Indiana look for?

The top searched job categories for Internship Physical Product Design jobs in Indiana are:

What cities in Indiana are hiring for Internship Physical Product Design jobs?

Cities in Indiana with the most Internship Physical Product Design job openings:

Infographic showing various Internship Physical Product Design job openings in Indiana as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 78% Full Time, 18% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 97% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 2% Remote job distribution.

Product Design & Experience Co-Op

Columbus, IN • On-site


Toyota Material Handling
Machinery Manufacturing • 1 - 5K employees

8.0

Company rating: 8.0 out of 10

Based on 62 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

180th of 495 rated machine equipment manufacturers

People enjoy working here

Good employer

Recommended by parents


Full-time

Posted 3 days ago

New


Job description

Join our Team as a Production Design & Experience Co-Op!
The Role:
We're seeking a motivated Production Design & Experience Co-Op to join our team in Spring 2027! The Connected Solutions Product Experience Co-op will help shape a more unified telematics experience across Toyota Material Handling North America's Toyota and Raymond brands, including MyInsights and iWarehouse.
In this role, you will research how customers, dealers, and internal users interact with connected products, identify experience and capability gaps, and contribute to defining future-state opportunities. Working across Product, UX, Operations, Engineering, IT, and Business, you will translate complex user, process, data, and technical insights into journey maps, system visualizations, prototypes, product requirements, prioritized recommendations, and leadership-ready deliverables.
This opportunity is designed for a design-minded, technically curious problem solver interested in product management, user experience, IoT, systems integration, and connected-product ecosystems.
What You'll Be Doing:
  • Support product and UX research through stakeholder and user interviews, workflow observation, product walkthroughs, customer feedback, support-ticket analysis, and technical documentation.
  • Develop end-to-end experience models across MyInsights and iWarehouse using personas, jobs to be done, journey maps, user flows, and service blueprints.
  • Contribute to cross-platform usability assessments, including heuristic evaluation, information-architecture review, accessibility considerations, and analysis of navigation, terminology, interaction patterns, and interface behavior.
  • Collaborate with Product, Business, and IT to map the connected-solutions ecosystem, including application boundaries, APIs, telemetry data flows, identity and access dependencies, third-party services, and upstream and downstream systems.
  • Analyze product-experience gaps by connecting user friction to business rules, process handoffs, capability overlaps, data dependencies, and technical constraints.
  • Help define future-state experiences through target-state journeys, revised user flows, information-architecture concepts, wireframes, prototypes, service blueprints, and system-context diagrams.
  • Support the translation of research findings into problem statements, opportunity hypotheses, product requirements, user stories, acceptance criteria, dependencies, and implementation considerations.
  • Contribute to the prioritization and validation of recommendations based on customer value, usability impact, business value, technical feasibility, architectural complexity, implementation effort, and risk.
  • Maintain traceable research and decision artifacts, and communicate findings through design reviews, technical assessments, executive-ready visualizations, and cross-functional presentations.

What We're Looking For:
  • Cumulative GPA of at least 3.0
  • Availability to be onsite at our Columbus, IN office from January through May of 2027.
  • Currently enrolled in a degree program in a design, business, technical, or related interdisciplinary field with demonstrated coursework, project work, or experience in areas such as UX, Human-Computer Interaction, user-centered design, systems analysis, or technical product development.
  • Ability to translate ambiguous user, business, and technical inputs into structured findings, system models, and actionable recommendations.
  • Experience creating journey maps, user flows, service blueprints, wireframes, prototypes, process models, system diagrams, or technical presentations.
  • Strong analytical, written, verbal, and visual communication skills, with the ability to work across Product, UX, Engineering, IT, Operations, and Business teams.
  • Demonstrated systems thinking, attention to detail, initiative, and ability to manage multiple work streams independently.
  • Ability to synthesize differing stakeholder perspectives, document assumptions, and communicate technical and product tradeoffs clearly.
  • Alignment with Toyota core values, including respect for people, commitment to continuous improvement (Kaizen), and a collaborative spirit rooted in teamwork and customer-centricity.

What Sets You Apart:
  • Strong Currently pursuing a graduate degree in Human-Computer Interaction, UX Engineering, Computer Science, Business, Product Management, Product Design, or related design field.
  • Two to three years of relevant experience through internships, co-ops, graduate research, or professional roles in technical product management, UX research, systems analysis, service design, or connected products.
  • A portfolio or project examples demonstrating technical problem-solving and user-centered design.
  • Exposure to APIs, system integrations, telemetry or IoT data flows, usability testing, enterprise platforms, or fleet-management solutions.
  • Familiarity with tools such as Figma, FigJam, Miro, Lucidchart, Visio, Azure DevOps, Jira, ServiceNow, Power BI, SQL, or similar platforms.
  • Experience applying Agile product-development practices and translating research into product requirements, user stories, acceptance criteria, or implementation recommendations.

Where and When You'll Work:
  • Enjoy the best of both worlds and work hybridly at our Columbus, IN office- work onsite on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays with the opportunity to work remote on Thursdays and Fridays.

What You'll Get in Return:
Wage - $20.00 - $30.00+ per hour. Compensation depends on the selected candidate's education and experience.
Early Career Benefits:
  • Paid Housing (furnishings, utilities, & Wi-Fi included) - eligibility limited to employees residing 50+ miles outside the work location
  • Hands-On Experience in TPS and industrial engineering
  • Mentorship from Experienced Professionals
  • Direct Exposure to Senior Leadership & Executive Team
  • Company-Sponsored Events & Intern Socials
  • Paid Community Service Hours
  • Occupational Health Clinic
  • Mental Health Advocate Services
  • Best in class work culture!

Big Name | Big Opportunities | Life is Better at Toyota
Toyota Material Handling North America (TMHNA), the industry leader in forklift sales, comprises two main brands: Toyota Material Handling and The Raymond Corporation. We believe investing in the best people, products, and processes will fuel our future success, and we will always be driven by our foundational principles of "respect for people" and "continuous improvement". With opportunities across North America, we are confident you will find the right position within TMHNA that can help you build a long, fulfilling career.
Learn more here: https://www.toyotaforklift.com/careers https://careers.raymondcorp.com/careers
Follow us on Social Media: Working at Toyota Material Handling | Glassdoor


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