Top 25 Freelance Industrial Design Projects and Services Showcase

Top 25 Freelance Industrial Design Projects and Services Showcase

There are almost 45,000 talented CAD designers and 3D modelers on Cad Crowd, each with multiple entries in their portfolios. The sheer number of remarkable industrial designers’ work on the site makes selecting the most impressive ones an overwhelming experience. Nevertheless, here’s an attempt to showcase some of the best industrial design projects by freelancers online.

1) Scrubby Glove

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The Scrubby Glove by Lloyd Wheatley was developed as a contest entry, although no prize was ever awarded. Nevertheless, this one was the only entry that featured an ambidextrous design – something incredibly clever given the two-sided functionality.

Consistent with the competition requirements, the Scrubby Glove is a double-sided cleaning mitten specifically worn to make an easy task out of cleaning sinks. One side is meant to remove dirt and limescale while the other side is intended for polishing. Considering the purpose, the designer was perceptive enough to include a watertight cuff. Additionally, the interior lining is made of hypoallergenic vinyl rubber.

The designer, Lloyd Wheatley, is a CAD designer and SolidWorks specialist based in Durban, South Africa. He completed his Mechanical Draughting and Design education at the Academy of Advanced Technology, one of the country’s largest technological institutions. When he isn’t working as the design head of a garden equipment facility, he offers his services as a freelance CAD modeler and industrial design service

2) Elife Portable Charger

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The Portable Charger by Ace Cool was developed for Elife and was meant to be sold on Amazon, among other marketplaces. It is a portable charger capable of charging up to three devices at the same time. Because it connects by USB, you can use different cables to charge a variety of devices.

Ace Cool developed this photorealistic 3D render on SolidWorks. It is meant to be slim and easy to carry. Plus, it comes in a variety of colors to suit different market preferences. Apart from the prominent company logo, each unit clearly shows the three USB ports on the side. For easy viewing, the power level indicator is located on the front panel.

Ace Cool is a freelance industrial designer hailing from Rewari, India. He completed his degree in Mechanical Engineering and currently works as a designer for machines and other products. Among his most impressive skills are 2D to 3D conversion and photorealistic rendering. He is most adept at SolidWorks and KeyShot.

3) Freefly Beyond VR Headset

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The Freefly Beyond VR Headset is an upgrade to the previously released Freefly. It is a virtual reality headset meant to be used with either an Andriod or iOS mobile phone. Of course, its most important feature is its remarkably sharp optics as well as its 120-degree field of view. Additionally, for a truly immersive VR experience, the Freefly Beyond VR Headset boasts two Crossfire capacitive triggers, so you don’t need any external controllers.

Unlike other VR headsets, Freefly Beyond was explicitly designed to offer maximum comfort and ventilation. It is lightweight and has ample padding that molds around the face. Plus, the padding is lined with perforated faux-leather, which further minimizes sweating around the face while it’s on.

LUMA-iD is a team of product designers services based in London, United Kingdom. They specialize in industrial design and are most competent in product design as well as 3D printing. Apart from the Freefly headsets, they are known for several products including Frame Again, which appeared on the popular entrepreneurial-themed British reality TV series Dragons’ Den.

4) War & Peace USB Flash Drives

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The War & Peace Flash Drives are contrasting designs for more artful USB devices. According to the designer, Ares, the Greek god of war, inspired the War design. On the other hand, Eirene, the Greek goddess of peace, inspired the Peace design. Both inspirations are evident in not only the colors but also the contours of each unit.

To come up with the final 3D renders of the memory sticks, Micaela Crosbie worked on Adobe Photoshop, Adobe InDesign, and SolidWorks. Apart from careful thought as to the form and function, these were developed specifically for simple manufacturing with ABS plastic, acrylic plastic, and LED components.

Micaela Crosbie is a product design professional based in Pretoria, South Africa. She completed her Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Design at the Open Window Institute – one of South Africa’s leading educational institutions for art and design. Apart from product design, she excels in creating photorealistic renderings.

5) Coconut Tool

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As mundane as it may seem, The Coconut Tool, invented by Hugh Wegwerth and designed by Chris Hazzard, has been produced and has received commercial acclaim. On Amazon, this specialized tool has received an average of 4.6 out of 5 stars from almost a thousand reviews.

The Coconut Tool is exactly what you might think. It is a tool that helps you easily remove the meat from coconut shells. It has a molded handle for a comfortable grip, and the specially curved blade makes easy work out of taking the flesh that is now commonly regarded as a superfood.

Chris Hazzard is a 3D modeling and CAD design expert based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Although his Cad Crowd portfolio contains only a few entries, the majority have won the Editor’s Pick label. Additionally, all have gone through commercial production. Apart from The Coconut Tool, his designs that have turned into reality include an off-road trailer hitch and some modern garden sprinklers.

6) Mechanical Clock

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The Mechanical Clock by cloXart is reminiscent of Leonardo da Vinci’s clock drawings, except without the pendulums. Additionally, this one sits atop a parquet-style wooden base. Nevertheless, the collection of multiple gears in this working clock design gives it the same old-world aesthetic.

The designer developed this mechanical clock using SolidWorks. It was meant to be manufactured using CNC, which was why this design has also been programmed on Powermill. On a similar project, cloXart used an Arduino-based electromagnetic driving system to power another CNC mechanical clock.

cloXart is a mechanical engineer and machine designer based in Portsmouth, England. Although he is most recognized for his 3D and 2D design services, he is also skilled in toolpath programming for CNC machines. cloXart has designed other mechanical clocks before but is actually most experienced in developing tools, jigs, and mechanisms for the automotive and manufacturing sectors.

7) Guitar Capo

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The Guitar Capo by medmihaly was created as an entry for a Cad Crowd design competition. Among guitarists, a capo is mostly a functional tool made to raise the pitch of their instrument. The design wasn’t much of significant concern. However, the client for this product design contest wanted to develop an aesthetically pleasing capo meant to be just as beautiful as the guitars that they go on.

Although it took five different tries, medmihaly won the first prize in this Guitar Capo Design Contest. The winning version was developed on Solid Edge and clearly exhibits the sleek and modern design that the project called for.

Medmihaly is a CAD design professional based in Pecs, Baranya, Hungary. Undoubtedly because of his impressive work in developing the guitar capo based on competition specs, he has earned the Cad Crowd Top Designer badge. His other notable works include a wearable sensor and a steampunk jet engine.

8) Stretchair

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The Stretchair is a medical mobility device developed by Winco Manufacturing. Its main benefit is that it can easily transform between a wheelchair and a perfectly horizontal platform to aid health workers in transferring limited-mobility or disabled patients to and from their beds.

The Stretchair designed and rendered by MatteRealize offers the same functionality. Its main difference is that it boasts an aesthetic that’s typical of today’s popular ergonomic executive chairs. It has four caster wheels for optimum mobility. And, it reclines in a way that makes the leg rest and backrest perfectly in line with the seat. The metal bars behind the headrest make it easy for the caregiver to handle.

MatteRealize is a team of product designers headquartered in Alberta, Canada. For their DIY design work, they rely on their expertise in Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire and SolidWorks. While the Stretchair is one of their most notable works, they have also made other design contributions to the medical field, including the concept and prototype for a dry eyes device. They have also developed 3D renders for inventions, specifically for the purpose of crowdfunding.

9) Gyrospeed Fidget Spinner

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The Gyrospeed Fidget Spinner by Martin Boillat is not your typical handheld spinning toy. It boasts a sleek design that doesn’t just offer a smoother and more enjoyable experience but also a more beautiful aesthetic. Its brushed aluminum finish with rose gold accents further contributes to a more expensive look.

This premium fidget spinner design spins from the center, as with similar devices. However, this one has a single tiny sphere enclosed in each of the three lobes. Each of the spheres also rotates independently along its own axis with every movement of the entire spinner. That makes it more interesting, if not a little more fun and hypnotic.

Martin Boillat is a 3D design professional located in Lorraine, France. In 2019, he completed his education in mechanical engineering. But, he has spent over half a decade honing his skills in CAD software design. For most of his work, his software of choice is CATIA v5. Using this, he has demonstrated his design skills not just with a variety of fidget spinner concepts but also with some impressive faith-based jewelry designs.

10) Bluetooth Speaker

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The Bluetooth speaker by Jason Fear was actually an original concept by a client who engaged his services for a proper 3D render. Using his skill in V-Ray, he was able to make a vague concept come to life. The photorealistic image was also enough to describe the idea to potential investors and future buyers clearly.

One of the most prominent features of this Bluetooth speaker is its spherical design. The central sphere houses the audio components while sitting atop it is a mobile phone dock to minimize clutter. The extended arms below the mobile phone holder likely functions as a holder for larger phones and tablets.

Jason Fear is a Cad Crowd Top Designer based in Vancouver, Canada. He specializes in concept design as well as 3D rendering. He is skilled in a variety of CAD software including Autodesk Inventor, Rhinoceros, SolidWorks, and V-Ray. Apart from successfully rendering this Bluetooth speaker, his portfolio boasts works that he has done in the field of athletics. These include an e-bicycle frame developed for Vorpal and a surf hand plane for Garage Handplanes.

11) Lipstick and Liquid Lipstick Design

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The Lipstick and Liquid Lipstick 3D render by Redouan Elmirou were developed specifically for a Cad Crowd contest. The client asked for a high-end packaging concept inspired by those used by Chanel in their Allure liquid lip line or Givenchy in their Rogue lipstick collection. The design needed to be sleek, yet with classic silhouettes to suit the nature of luxury cosmetics.

For this project, Redouan Elmirou boasted his skills in Autodesk Fusion 360. Although he developed multiple versions with small iterations, his final design was chosen as the winner of the 1st prize. His render won out of 56 total entries from equally talented designers.

Redouan Elmirou is a Dutch engineer specializing in 3D rendering and CAD design. His educational background is in engineering, specifically in product design. It was in this field that he pursued his Bachelor’s degree at The Netherlands’ HZ University of Applied Sciences. According to him, he is most skilled in industrial design, new invention development, and gadgets design.

12) Laptop Stand

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DjayRC Design’s laptop stand concept was developed for a Cad Crowd design competition using SolidWorks 2018. The render gives you a good appreciation of all its benefits and how it would normally be used with a typical laptop and mouse.

While it did not win the first prize, this laptop stand garnered full marks from the client. It is a sleek, minimalistic platform that’s angled from the top. Tilting it at the top are drawers that extend from each side. This allows you to store all sorts of small items, including a portable mouse. Also extending from the side of the stand is a mouse platform for your convenience.

DjayRC Design is a Cad Crowd Top Designer based in Maharashtra, India. In 2013, he earned his Autocad Designer Certification from Kohinoor Technical Institute. Apart from product design and industrial design, he specializes in conceptual and mechanical design. A single glance at his portfolio reveals his diverse interests as he shows off his renders for a variety of products, including 3D printers, jewelry, and exercise equipment.

13) Portable Espresso Machine

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The Portable Espresso Machine by Said cad was developed as a design concept for Nespresso, thus bearing the iconic logo. Just as the name implies, it is a gadget explicitly built to allow you to make decent coffee while on-the-go. It is powered by a rechargeable battery to boil water, and it has a digital display to show temperature and other relevant information.

Through this unique concept, Said cad was able to show his aptitude for gadget design. Additionally, it boasts his skills in both CATIA V5 R20 and Keyshot 5. The combination of his excellent concept and clean render has earned this portfolio piece the Cad Crowd’s Editor’s Pick badge.

Said cad is a CAD design and 3D modeling expert based in Tangier, Morocco. He holds a Master’s degree in mechanical engineering and is exceptionally skilled in CATIA and KeyShot. On Cad Crowd, he has earned the Top Designer badge and has won the Bronze prize for a fitness step design contest.

14) E.L.F. (Emergency Lamp / Lamp / Flashlight)

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The E.L.F. is a product concept that offers the functionality of an emergency lamp, a table lamp, and a flashlight, all in one device. Using the included base, the E.L.F. is meant to sit atop a table where it can function as a lamp. The base also keeps the battery fully charged, so when the power goes out, it automatically goes on and works as an emergency light. At any time, you can also pick the unit up from the base for a portable light source, not unlike your typical flashlight.

Io Design created the E.L.F. using SolidWorks. It was designed to have an elegant plastic housing that would match the style of any modern or minimalistic space. Unlike typical emergency lamps that generally have a utilitarian look, this one was specifically designed with particular focus on its decorative value. 

Io Design is a concept design, 3D rendering, and general design expert hailing from San Francisco, California. He earned his degree in Industrial Design and has since been working as a product designer. For over 15 years, his product design and 3D modeling services have been sought out across a multitude of industries. On Cad Crowd, he has earned the Top Designer badge and has won at least one gold medal for his design of a 3D-printing-ready shield.

15) Bicycle Trailer

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The bicycle trailer concept by benito was developed for a Cad Crowd design contest. Unfortunately, the competition ended before he could even submit his designs. Nevertheless, it is among the few 3D renders that have earned the Editors’ Pick badge. 

Benito developed his bicycle trailer concept to serve multiple functions. It mainly works either as a pushcart or trailer that has waterproof roofing. In addition, it features a roof rack where you can secure several items, including beach gear. Inside the trailer is a removable seat, which can also function as a tabletop for toddlers. Lastly, it includes a compartment for a cooler. While it can’t be seen in the 3D model, benito described this trailer to feature Bluetooth audio equipment within the ceiling.

Benito is a Cad Crowd Top Designer who specializes in architectural, structural, and mechanical design. Although he completed his studies at the Florida Institute of Technology, he is currently based in Newport Beach, California. In his career that has spanned over two decades, he has completed a number of successful industrial design projects. On Cad Crowd, he has won 2 gold, a silver, and 5 finalist awards. 

16) Fishing Rod Holders

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At first glance, the fishing rod holders by Luka B. might not seem incredibly impressive. However, his skill in design as well as in CAD rendering really shines through in the details. Generally, fishing rod holders are attached to the sides of canoes so that anglers don’t need to hold on to their rods over long hours in the water. By securing their rods in rod holders, anglers can engage in other leisure activities on the boat and then take over the rod only when they sense a bite.

This render by Luka B. shows how the holders would look when they’re already mounted. It features a metal bracket with components that look like the angle could be adjustable. This was developed as a contest entry and, although it didn’t win the first prize, it was good enough to earn Cad Crowd’s Editors’ Pick badge.

Luka B. is an R&D and project management engineer based in Kranj, Slovenia. He holds two Master’s degrees. The first one, which he earned from Slovenia’s University of Ljubljana, was for Construction and Design. The second was for Manufacturing Technology in Management, which he obtained from the UK’s Cranfield University. According to Luka B., he is most adept at product development and optimization, moldflow simulations, manufacturability improvement, and numerical model validation.

17) Cocoons Slim

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Cocoons Slim was designed by aad for a specialty sunglass design competition hosted by Cocoons Eyewear. Cocoons Eyewear is best known for their professional-grade fitovers, which are protective eyewear made to be worn over prescription glasses. This design by aad serves the same purpose but boasts an upgraded, more modern aesthetic.

The Cocoons Slim design has the contemporary look of today’s popular styles, and the side covering provides further protection from the elements. Additionally, it boasts yellow/amber-tinted lenses, which help make objects look sharper and increase contrast in low-light conditions. These lenses also help block blue light, so they help protect the retina.

Aad is a furniture designer, fashion designer, and 3D rendering specialist from Athens, Greece. They are a Cad Crowd Top Designer, currently ranked 56th among all the designers on the site. Among their most notable product designs are a modern 12-volt fan and a robot lawnmower.

18) 3-Wheel Portable Scooter

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The 3-Wheel Portable Scooter by Adriano Ordoz Barissa was developed for a Cad Crowd design competition. Although his design didn’t garner the top prize, he came in at 2nd place. Considering that the project ended with 73 entries, his design was definitely a success. Through this entry, he definitely achieved the targeted look and feel. However, what stood out the most was his careful thought in conceptualizing an entirely manufacturable product.

Adriano Ordoz Barissa’s 3-wheel portable scooter is compact and portable, making it an appealing last-mile transportation option. His concept is made of folded and welded steel sheets featuring parts made with injected ABS, nylon, and fiberglass.

Adriano Ordoz Barissa is a Cad Crowd Top Designer and ranks within the top 50. He is based in Cravinhos, Brazil, and he refers to himself as a PowerMill, industrial design, and CAD design expert. On Cad Crowd, he has earned 2 gold and 2 silver medals. Eleven of his works have also been considered as finalists in various design contests. Apart from the 3-wheel portable scooter, among his top-rated designs are a floating seed sprouter and a donkey calf raise attachment.

19) VR Headset Stand

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The VR Headset Stand by ProtoTech Workbench was developed as an entry to a design competition. This design and render was selected as the best out of 65 entries from dozens of other competent designers, and it’s easy to see why.

ProtoTech Workbench’s VR Headset Stand features a bust-like form on which you can dock a typical virtual reality headset along with other related accessories like headphones and hand controllers. It has built-in LED lighting as well as multiple USB charging ports. Its form, as well as striking colors, definitely stand out, making it a great decorative item all on its own.

ProtoTech Workbench is a team of designers based in Bucharest, Romania. On Cad Crowd, they have earned the Top Designer badge and have won the top prize in four design competitions. Additionally, seven of their other works have previously made it to the final round of judgment. Among others, ProtoTech Workbench considers themselves experts in product design and development — a claim that is definitely backed up by the quality of work in their portfolio.

20) Plate Sauce Cup

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Fadli developed the Plate Sauce Cup as an entry for an online design contest that called for a sauce container that attaches to the edge of a plate. That allows the user to have easy access to dipping sauces without giving up space for food. Additionally, using multiple cups helps avoid mixing and practically eliminates the inconvenience of having to balance numerous containers. 

The design developed by fadli features a tomato-shaped container that attaches to a plate using a torsion spring hidden beneath the tomato’s leaves. It was explicitly designed so that it would be easy to mass manufacture through a plastic injection molding process. This design won second place among a total of 68 entries.

Fadli is a mechanical engineer and CAD design professional based in Surabaya, Indonesia. In 2014, he completed his Mechanical Engineering S1 degree (Indonesia’s Bachelor’s degree equivalent) at the Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember. Since then, he has worked on innumerable product design visualization and rendering projects. Since joining Cad Crowd in 2014, he has earned the Top Designer badge and has won 4 gold, 2 silver, and 13 finalist awards from a wide range of design competitions.

21) Door and Window Security Sensor

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The Door and Window Security Sensor by supra77 functions like similar products but has a more aesthetically pleasing housing. Most products of this type aren’t developed with design in mind. However, this one perfectly balances visual appeal with the ability to blend in — something important considering that it’s meant to function as a security device.

Supra77 developed multiple designs of the same concept for a design contest, which he won both the first and second prize for. Using SolidWorks to create his realistic renders, he was able to show his ability to design based on specs and also with a focus on manufacturability. 

Supra77 is a CAD design specialist hailing from Jakarta, Indonesia. He is a Cad Crowd Top Designer who has won the gold prize in five different design competitions. Additionally, he has earned two silver and a total of 12 finalist awards. Because of his accomplishments, he currently ranks within the top 34 out of almost 25,000 designers and CAD specialists on the site.

22) Cylindrical Planter

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The Cylindrical Planters by Michael Dimou features a functional, minimalistic design for today’s modern homes. The materials seem to be a combination of wood and a special polymer. The detail of the wood is a significant part of the design aesthetic, and solidly colored parabolic curves highlight it.

Michael Dimou completed his concept on Autodesk Inventor 2016. Although his entry was not chosen as the 1st prize winner, it definitely stood out from over 90 other entries. His cylindrical planters are not only visually pleasing but also functional and easy to manufacture.

Michael Dimou is a product designer and mechanical engineer based in Athens, Greece. In 2016, he completed his mechanical engineering studies at the Piraeus University of Applied Science. Additionally, he has earned Autodesk Certifications for AutoCAD and Inventor. While he only joined Cad Crowd in 2016, he has already earned a Top Designer badge along with two gold, one silver, one bronze, and nine finalist awards. Additionally, he ranks at the top 24 out of almost 25,000 accomplished designers and CAD specialists on the website.

23) Cat Bong

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The Cat Bong by RBLdesign was intended for a design competition. However, the contest ended before he could submit his entry. Even so, it is one of his favorite concept designs. In fact, he loved it enough that he planned to crowdfund it and get to a point where it would be ready for manufacturing and commercial availability.

As brilliant as it is, the Cat Bong Concept by RBLdesign has not been taken to market. Nevertheless, it shows off not only his skill in product design but also his remarkable talent in using SolidWorks, where he merely played around with surfaces to achieve this photorealistic glass look. He was also able to boast his skills in Keyshot, which he used for the render.

RBLdesign is a CAD designer based in Milano, Italy. According to him, he is most skilled at SolidWorks and 3D Studio Max. Although his declared areas of expertise include 3D modeling, art design, and jewelry design, a quick glance at his portfolio makes it evident that he is talented at developing a wide array of products. Since joining Cad Crowd in 2015, he has earned the Top Designer badge and won a total of eight gold, one silver, and 16 finalist awards. As such, it is no surprise that he ranks within the top 20 designers and CAD experts on the website.

24) Insulated Caffetiere

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The Insulated Caffetiere by DesignAssist was conceptualized for a French Press design competition. The contest called for the functionality of a typical french press, but with the added benefit of insulation that would keep coffee hot for hours.

DesignAssist used Creo 4 for his entire design process. Although his entry was not selected as the winner, it is not only beautiful and marketable but also easy to manufacture without material waste. It is made of a combination of plastic and stainless steel with a sleek design that’s appropriate for the tastes of today’s modern coffee enthusiasts.

DesignAssist is based in Oxford, United Kingdom, and he calls himself a “Real-world Design Consultant.” And while he says he is merely a part-timer on Cad Crowd, he has not only earned the Top Designer badge but also ranks within the top 15. Equipped with over 25 years of experience and his innate talent for design, he has won 10 gold awards and 17 finalist medals. Apart from mechanical engineering, he excels in new invention development and injection molding design.

25) Seated Calf Raise Machine

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The Seated Calf Raise Machine by REDA was developed for Achilles through a design competition. Although he isn’t specifically experienced in conceptualizing exercise equipment, this innovative design shows his ingenuity as well as talent for visually-appealing products. Out of 51 total entries, his design won the first prize.

REDA’s design of the product itself deserves praise. He obviously gave lots of thought to what the machine’s user would actually require. But, what really shines through is his talent for 3D modeling. His entry has incredible detail and gives the impression of robust construction, as well as the premium quality consistent with Achilles’ brand identity.

REDA is a CAD Design, Product Design, and 3D Modeling expert based in Nantes, France. On CAD Crowd, he is not merely a holder of the Top Designer badge but actually places within the top 3 of global rankings. Additionally, he is an incredibly prolific designer. Over the past five years, he has collected about 700 entries for a variety of online design contests. His portfolio boasts 15 gold-winning designs on top of 1 silver, 2 bronze, and as many as 37 finalist medals.

Cad Crowd features some of the best freelancers offering 3D modeling and design services. Additionally, it hosts some of the most interesting, not to mention compelling, online design contests that motivate its designers to create their best work. That said, it’s no surprise that there are hundreds of other impressive industrial design projects that deserve recognition. Whether you’re a client looking for a designer or a designer looking for some inspiration, look beyond these top 25 and check out the Designer Portfolio Showcase.