07 May 2025 | 5 mins
Overview
  • Looking for a creative career but still haven't found the one?
  • Here's why you should think about becoming an engineer

Let's be real - when most people hear "engineering," they picture someone hunched over an enormous computer, in a room of glass walls with A Beautiful Mind-level calculations scribbled all over them. But in reality, engineering is way more creative than you might think. Here’s why. 

 

Problem-solving aka creative solutions

In a nutshell, an engineer’s job is to create new solutions to real-world problems, out of thin air. Whether it’s designing a bridge to withstand earthquakes or thinking of a way to hold a phone without destroying your pinkie, engineers are always thinking outside the box. That’s why having a creative mind is up there with the most important skills for any great engineer. 

 

Designs and prototyping

Once engineers have an idea, the next step is to visualise it and bring it to life as a prototype. In the same way, a fashion label would create a range of designs before settling on the final product, engineers draw up and build dozens of prototypes to create a final design.  

 

Customising

Many engineering projects involve tailoring a design to fit specific needs, environments, or briefs. This can mean finding creative ways to adjust designs to fit a tight budget, like using recycled materials in a way that’s never been done before. It could also involve tailoring an accessory to be more accessible, like adapting a video game controller to suit people with a physical disability. 

 

Storytelling

Not only do engineers create new designs and products, but they also sell those solutions and products with some creative storytelling. They often use things like 3D modelling to communicate their ideas to clients, stakeholders, or the public and show just how much their designs will impact day-to-day life. 

 

Finding Entrepreneurial Opportunities

Want to know how all the biggest companies in the world are so successful? They found gaps in the market and came up with a creative way to fill them. Engineers work with entrepreneurs to disrupt entire industries using out-of-the-box ideas which will improve people's lives and usually earn a bit of coin at the same time. 

 

 

If you’re a creative but you're struggling to find a career that resonates with you, maybe engineering could be the one. You could use your innovative mind to create world-changing ideas and who knows, you could even make history. If you want to learn more about what a career in engineering looks like, check out our Engineering Hub.