Turn in portfolio and resume to courtland@fortnerinc.com by end of March.
Fortner Industrial Design Intern
Summer 2025
Salary: $15/hr
Hours: 24/wk (3 full days, or 5 part days)
Start Date: May 26th
End Date: August 1st
Summary:
Fortner, Inc. is seeking a motivated Industrial Design Intern to gain hands-on experience in both the design and manufacturing aspects of custom furniture production. This internship offers a unique opportunity to work on customer-facing drawings, frame designs, and prototype development, while also gaining valuable manufacturing insight in our woodshop and upholstery shop.
The intern will collaborate with designers, project managers (PMs), and craftspeople to enhance manufacturability, contribute creative solutions, and explore market opportunities for new product development. Additionally, a personal project will challenge interns to design a piece that could be integrated into Fortner’s lineup.
Structure of Internship:
Spend time on the Design side
Customer Facing Drawings
Frame Designs
Spend time on Manufacturing side
Inform design decisions
Help out in areas that need help in that moment (provide CAD for PMs, or rendering for Sales)
Learn Manufacturability
Personal Project
Create design that could be implemented into our current lineup
Research market for where we can fill a gap
Sketch ideate solutions alongside designers
CAD model and Frame design of product
Rough Prototype Product
That could mean CNCing the frame and doing a sketch overlay of what it could be, or upholstering it for themselves
Goals for Intern:
Learn what it takes for a design to be manufactured
Cross learning valuable skills
Inspire/ Challenge PMs to design/research alongside intern
Gain experience in a diverse work environment (Designing and Manufacturing in house)
Key Responsibilities:
Drawings and Design
Create detailed customer-facing drawings for custom furniture projects.
Develop innovative frame designs based on customer requirements and preferences.
Contribute to new product development projects, with a specific focus on NFL (Natural Furniture Line) and FFC (Fortner Furniture Collection).
Participate in the planning and design of new spaces, particularly within the showroom.
Woodshop or Upholstery Shop
Perform basic woodworking assembly tasks with precision and attention to detail
Operate basic CNC machinery, ensuring accurate and efficient production
Collaborate with the H.O.T. team to deliver high-quality upholstery work, meeting design specifications
Assist with upholstery of pieces in custom workflow
Assist in Foamtown
Assist/shadow in sewing and patterning
Qualifications:
Pursuing Bachelor’s degree in Furniture Design, Industrial Design, or a related field.
Proficient in design software (e.g., AutoCAD, SketchUp) for creating detailed drawings.
Hands-on experience in woodworking or upholstery, with a focus on quality craftsmanship.
Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a dynamic, creative environment.