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What type of career combines design and science?
I’m a junior in high school and not exactly sure what I want to pursue but I love art and am interested in science as well.
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22 answers
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Spandana’s Answer
One popular field is architecture, where you design buildings and structures that are both functional and aesthetically pleasing, using principles of engineering and environmental science. Biomedical illustration or medical animation is another option, where artists create detailed visuals for textbooks, research, and patient education, requiring both artistic talent and scientific understanding.
User experience (UX) design and user interface (UI) design are growing fields that combine psychology, technology, and visual design to create intuitive and attractive digital products. Industrial design involves designing products like cars, electronics, or furniture, blending engineering, ergonomics, and art. Environmental design or urban planning focuses on designing sustainable spaces and cities, using knowledge from ecology, engineering, and design.
You might also consider game design or animation for educational or scientific content, which involves storytelling, visual arts, and sometimes coding or physics. Fashion technology is another emerging area, where you can work on wearable tech or sustainable materials, merging science and design.
User experience (UX) design and user interface (UI) design are growing fields that combine psychology, technology, and visual design to create intuitive and attractive digital products. Industrial design involves designing products like cars, electronics, or furniture, blending engineering, ergonomics, and art. Environmental design or urban planning focuses on designing sustainable spaces and cities, using knowledge from ecology, engineering, and design.
You might also consider game design or animation for educational or scientific content, which involves storytelling, visual arts, and sometimes coding or physics. Fashion technology is another emerging area, where you can work on wearable tech or sustainable materials, merging science and design.
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Prab’s Answer
Some ideas - Product Design, UI/UX teams, Data Visualization (creating dashboards) - maybe these roles within specific healthcare or biotech industries would bring a mix of art and science for your future career. Hope it helps :)
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Taylor’s Answer
Hi Neve! Have you looked into scientific/medical illustration? Major scientific journals regularly commission scientific illustrations for their issue covers. Companies like BioRender maintain a library of scientific/medical illustrations for subscriptions. Plus, think about all the illustrations in your science textbooks! Take a look at the Association of Medical Illustrators (https://www.ami.org/medical-illustration/enter-the-profession/careers). Keep in mind that a great many careers in this area involve freelance work.
There are also fields of computer science that specialize in graphics/data visualization, if you were interested in more intense study in this area. This field combines computer graphics, data visualization and animation. An example conference where this work is presented/shared (IEE Vizualization): https://ieeevis.org/year/2025/welcome
Look through the links!
Look at this reddit forum: https://www.reddit.com/r/ArtistLounge/comments/zy7bbk/is_scientific_illustration_a_viable_career_path/
There are also fields of computer science that specialize in graphics/data visualization, if you were interested in more intense study in this area. This field combines computer graphics, data visualization and animation. An example conference where this work is presented/shared (IEE Vizualization): https://ieeevis.org/year/2025/welcome
Taylor recommends the following next steps:
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Meghdeep’s Answer
Hi Neve,
Some options to consider - Biomedical Engineering, Architecture, Industrial Design, Environmental Design, and Materials Science & Product Design. As you explore options consider the following questions:
1. Do you prefer working with physical products, digital interfaces, or environments?
2. Are you more interested in healthcare, technology, sustainability, or communication?
Hope this helps. All the best!
MM
Some options to consider - Biomedical Engineering, Architecture, Industrial Design, Environmental Design, and Materials Science & Product Design. As you explore options consider the following questions:
1. Do you prefer working with physical products, digital interfaces, or environments?
2. Are you more interested in healthcare, technology, sustainability, or communication?
Hope this helps. All the best!
MM
Robin Daurelle
Commercial Interior Design also taught college classes
11
Answers
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Robin’s Answer
Commercial Interior Design is more technical, specializing in something like Medical design adds in even more of a need for a scientific mind set = that's what I did
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Ricardo’s Answer
Hi, Neve.
Have you ever heard of Human-Computer Interaction? It's a field that combines tech skills like science and math with design. It might be something exciting for you to explore. Here's a great resource to check out:
https://www.interaction-design.org/courses/hci-foundations-of-ux-design
Study Human-Computer Interaction
Have you ever heard of Human-Computer Interaction? It's a field that combines tech skills like science and math with design. It might be something exciting for you to explore. Here's a great resource to check out:
https://www.interaction-design.org/courses/hci-foundations-of-ux-design
Ricardo recommends the following next steps:
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Courtney’s Answer
Hi Neve - Consider exploring graphic design fields like UX/UI design, video game design, and animation. These areas blend computer science, technology, and art. Look into each one and see which interests you the most.
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Raj’s Answer
A good hybrid of design (not exactly art) and science is Bio-Medical Engineering. This is a very competitive field - my son tried this where he was able to get into a good engineering program but was not able to secure Bio-Medica Engineering. With Bio-Med background, you may be able to pursue careers with life science companies for medical device development and some other research and development
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Karin’s Answer
Hi Neve,
What comes to mind is architecture, interior design/architecture, civil engineering, industrial design, product design, UX/UI design, human computer interaction, human factors engineering or website design. Check it out.
If you combine engineering and design, the closer you are to the engineering side the more math you'll need. But fields like UX and human factors that involve psychological research would require at least some good statistics classes.
I hope this helps! All the best to you!
KP
What comes to mind is architecture, interior design/architecture, civil engineering, industrial design, product design, UX/UI design, human computer interaction, human factors engineering or website design. Check it out.
If you combine engineering and design, the closer you are to the engineering side the more math you'll need. But fields like UX and human factors that involve psychological research would require at least some good statistics classes.
I hope this helps! All the best to you!
KP
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Aditi’s Answer
There are actually a lot of cool careers that combine design and science! Fields like architecture, biomedical illustration, industrial design, environmental design, and even user experience (UX) design all blend creativity with scientific thinking. You could also look into things like graphic design for science communication, landscape architecture, or product design for tech and healthcare companies. If you like both art and science, try exploring classes or clubs in both areas, and maybe shadow or talk to professionals in these fields to see what sparks your interest!
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Andrea’s Answer
I think interior design could be a great choice too. It involves using computer tools to figure out how to best arrange things in a space, and it also lets you be really creative!
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Eric’s Answer
Architecture, physical product design, and biomedical design are examples of where you need science (e.g., math, engineering) and must have creativity to image something entirely unque
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Lea’s Answer
Consulting is an easy way to combine these two depending on what type of design you are interested in! You can combine reporting design with science metrics, etc.
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Mikaela’s Answer
During my senior year of high school, I was in a situation just like yours. I became an engineer, but I missed using my creative skills. Eventually, I shifted to consulting and took on product design roles for technical products, which is a unique field. The exciting part is that I understand the technology behind the products, but I also get to design their look and feel and gather requirements. This involves working with many important people. I've really enjoyed this role, and I encourage you to explore something similar.
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Kim’s Answer
If you love art, it may be beneficial to make that your focus in college. But also make sure you're learning creative skills that can overlap in a scientific field, company or organization. You may not need a skilled science background (like majoring in ecology or chemistry), and you can learn the relevant science for your company/organization as you grow in that role.
There are plenty of science-based companies that have traditional, designed-based roles (web designed, graphic design, marketing, art departments) to produce content and materials for internal and external clients.
There are plenty of science-based companies that have traditional, designed-based roles (web designed, graphic design, marketing, art departments) to produce content and materials for internal and external clients.
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Pradyumna’s Answer
There are quite a few career options which combine creative and technical skills - some that you could consider are digital animation, film editing, robotics, and digital advertising/marketing. Some others are game design and apps for iPhone/Google Play. Being a good artist is a great skill to have and can open up a lot of options for you.
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Josie’s Answer
Hi Neve! Great question. There are many exciting careers that blend design and science, allowing you to use creativity and analytical skills together. Fields like architecture, biomedical engineering, environmental design, and industrial design all require scientific knowledge and a strong sense of design. For example, biomedical engineers design medical devices, while architects create buildings that are both functional and beautiful. Exploring classes or clubs in both science and art can help you discover which path feels right for you!
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Whitney’s Answer
Hi Neve,
I have heard of a fairly specific career path that might be the right one for you. It's called a medical illustrator - it's the artists that draw and design all illustrations within medical journals, textbooks, etc. Could be an interesting option!
I have heard of a fairly specific career path that might be the right one for you. It's called a medical illustrator - it's the artists that draw and design all illustrations within medical journals, textbooks, etc. Could be an interesting option!
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Nina’s Answer
If you’re into both design and science, check out careers like architecture, product design, or biomedical engineering. I also like the idea of being a UX/UI designer, but it can be very competitive nowadays.
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Chiara’s Answer
Hi Neve! This is a great question. You're at the very start of your journey, which is amazing! There's a lot to research, learn, and experience to be able to understand what that "sweet spot" between design and science looks like for you. A few ideas to help get you started:
-Research and learn more about the expansive field of design - there are SO many ways that design factors into all sorts of careers. Debbie Millman is one of the foremost leaders in Design, and hosts a podcast called "Design Matters" - it might be cool to listen to her podcast/look into her social media to explore how different careers integrate design elements.
-Explore all things "human centered" - behavioral psychology comes to mind here (how and why people make decisions - really important to how businesses operate, how policies are made, etc.)
-With the rapid acceleration of AI in all career fields, we'll need new innovators like you to help us understand how to use AI to prioritize human experiences. It might be helpful to research careers where people are blending human adoption and design principles into the use of AI.
-More than anything, it's helpful to talk with real people about their experiences. Ask your school, local library, or adults in your life to help you find and safely connect with adults who have careers in design, science, or anything else you're interested in. People are always really excited to share their experience and give advice, so never feel shy about requesting a call or meeting to just learn more about how they got into their career, what it's like on a day-to-day basis, and what advice they would give to someone starting out in the field. Often, it's the best way to find out useful firsthand information and ask your questions in real time.
Wishing you luck as you explore this interesting field!
-Research and learn more about the expansive field of design - there are SO many ways that design factors into all sorts of careers. Debbie Millman is one of the foremost leaders in Design, and hosts a podcast called "Design Matters" - it might be cool to listen to her podcast/look into her social media to explore how different careers integrate design elements.
-Explore all things "human centered" - behavioral psychology comes to mind here (how and why people make decisions - really important to how businesses operate, how policies are made, etc.)
-With the rapid acceleration of AI in all career fields, we'll need new innovators like you to help us understand how to use AI to prioritize human experiences. It might be helpful to research careers where people are blending human adoption and design principles into the use of AI.
-More than anything, it's helpful to talk with real people about their experiences. Ask your school, local library, or adults in your life to help you find and safely connect with adults who have careers in design, science, or anything else you're interested in. People are always really excited to share their experience and give advice, so never feel shy about requesting a call or meeting to just learn more about how they got into their career, what it's like on a day-to-day basis, and what advice they would give to someone starting out in the field. Often, it's the best way to find out useful firsthand information and ask your questions in real time.
Wishing you luck as you explore this interesting field!
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Ryan’s Answer
Architectural design and construction seems like a great option for you.
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Phill’s Answer
Hey Neve,
It is great that you’re considering getting into a design field with a need for science in the mix. Well great news, there are many times when the two are intertwined! As you are still finding you’re interest of study, be open to exploring and researching major courses per universities you will be considering.
As an industrial designer, I can say that there will always be science involved in some way and the level of that depends on the level of “science” subjects you would like to focus on. For example, even though there are a lot of physics involved, that does not necessarily mean you would have had to take classes in high school to understand. I was never given super hard equations to solve, some challenging problems but usually with the use of geometry and basic physics. This is more within the movement of things, however, this is something you would learn about within your studies to do not be intimidated by it.
There are a large range of fields you can go into within industrial/product design, each getting as much science as you would like. From bicycles, to medical, automotive, appliances, bio-materials, bio-design, etc., industrial design can give you basic fundamentals that you can take to a, or numerous focuses.
Always keep creating! Best of luck and know there is no wrong decision yet, you can always change majors if you decide it is not for you!
It is great that you’re considering getting into a design field with a need for science in the mix. Well great news, there are many times when the two are intertwined! As you are still finding you’re interest of study, be open to exploring and researching major courses per universities you will be considering.
As an industrial designer, I can say that there will always be science involved in some way and the level of that depends on the level of “science” subjects you would like to focus on. For example, even though there are a lot of physics involved, that does not necessarily mean you would have had to take classes in high school to understand. I was never given super hard equations to solve, some challenging problems but usually with the use of geometry and basic physics. This is more within the movement of things, however, this is something you would learn about within your studies to do not be intimidated by it.
There are a large range of fields you can go into within industrial/product design, each getting as much science as you would like. From bicycles, to medical, automotive, appliances, bio-materials, bio-design, etc., industrial design can give you basic fundamentals that you can take to a, or numerous focuses.
Always keep creating! Best of luck and know there is no wrong decision yet, you can always change majors if you decide it is not for you!