Designers organize and design articles, products, and materials that are visually pleasing. Pleasant surroundings, beautiful clothes and floral arrangements can boost our spirits, and products and packaging that catch the eye are more likely to attract buyer than those that are not.
Many designers specialize in one particular area of design- for example, automobiles, clothing, furniture, home appliances industrial equipment, interiors of homes and office buildings exhibits, movie and theater sets, packaging, or floral arrangements. Others work in more than one design field.
The first step in developing a new design or altering an existing one is to determine the needs of the client. Then the designer considers various factors, including the size, shape, weight, color, materials used and the way the product functions. The ease of use, safety, and cost of the design are additional factors. They take into account and often set style and fashion trends.
Designers develop, by hand or with the aid of a computer, sketches of several design concepts that they present for final selection to a client, an art or design director, a product development team, or producer of a play, film or television production. The designer then makes a model, a prototype, or detailed plans drawn to scale.
Designers in some specialties increasingly use computer-aided design (CAD) tools to create and better visualize a final product. Computers greatly reduce the cost and time necessary to create a model or prototype, which gives an idea of how the product really looks.
Industrial designers use computer-aided industrial design (CAID) to create designs and to communicate them to automated production tools.
Designers may supervise craft workers who carry out their designs. Those who run their own businesses also may devote a considerable amount of time to developing new business contacts and to administrative tasks such as reviewing catalogs and ordering samples. Design encompasses a number of different fields.
Industrial designers develop and design countless manufactured products like cars, home appliances, children's toys, computer equipment, and medical, office, or recreational equipment. They combine artistic talent with research on product use, marketing, materials, and production methods to create the most functional and appealing design and to make the product competitive with others in the marketplace.
Furniture designers design furniture for manufacture, according to knowledge of design trends, competitors' products, production costs, capability of production facilities, and characteristics of a company's market. They may also prepare detailed drawings of fixtures, forms, or tools required to be used in production of furniture, along with designing custom pieces or styles according to a specific period or country. They must be strongly involved with the fashion industry and must be aware of current ends and styles.
Interior designers plan the space and furnish the interiors of private homes, public buildings, and commercial establishments, such as offices, restaurants, hospitals, hotels, and theaters. They also may plan additions and renovations. With a client's tastes, needs, and budget in mind, they develop designs and prepare working drawings and specifications for interior construction, furnishings, lighting, and finishes. Increasingly, designers use computers to plan layouts that can be changed easily to include ideas received from the client. They also design lighting and architectural details such as crown molding, coordinate colors, and elect furniture, floor coverings, and curtains. Interior designers must design space in accordance with federal, state, and local laws, including building codes. Increasingly, they plan spaces that meet accessibility standards for the disabled and elderly.
Set designers design movie, television, and theater sets. They study scripts, confer with directors, and conduct research to determine appropriate architectural styles.
Fashion designers design clothing and accessories. Some high-fashion designers are self-employed and design for individual clients. They make fashion news by establishing the "line," colors, and kinds of materials that will be worn each season. Other high-fashion designers cater to specialty stores or high-fashion department stores. They design original garments as well as follow the established fashion trends. Most fashion designers, however, work for apparel manufacturers, adapting men's, women's, and children's fashions for the mass market.
Textile designers design fabric for garments, upholstery, rugs, and other products, using their knowledge of textile materials and fashion trends. Computers are widely used in pattern design and grading. In the future, intelligent pattern engineering (IPE) systems will enable even greater automation in generating patterns.
Floral designers cut and arrange live, dried, or artificial flowers and foliage into designs to express the sentiments of the customer. They trim flowers and arrange bouquets, sprays, wreaths, dish gardens, and terrariums. They usually work from a written order indicating the occasion, customer preference for color and type of flower, price, and the date, time, and place the floral arrangement or plant is to be delivered. The variety of duties performed by a floral designer depends on the size of the shop and the number of designers employed. In a small operation, the floral designer may own the shop and do almost everything from growing flowers to keeping books.
Working Conditions
Working conditions and places of employment vary. Designers employed by manufacturing establishments or design firms generally work regular hours in well-lighted and comfortable settings. Self-employed designers tend to work longer hours-especially at first, when they are trying to establish themselves and cannot afford to hire assistants or clerical help.
Designers frequently adjust their workday to suit their clients, meeting with them evenings or on weekends when necessary. They may transact business in their own offices, clients' homes or offices, or may travel to other locations such as showrooms or manufacturing facilities.
Industrial designers usually work regular hours but occasionally work overtime to meet deadlines. In contrast, set designers, especially those in telecasting, often work long and irregular hours. The pace of television production is very fast, and set designers are often under pressure to make rapid changes in the sets. Fashion designers who work in the apparel industry usually have regular hours. During production deadlines or before fashion shows, however, they may be required to put in overtime. In addition, fashion designers may be required to travel to production sites overseas and across the United States. Interior designers generally work under deadlines and often work overtime to finish a job. Floral designers usually work regular hours in a pleasant work environment, except during holidays when overtime usually is required.
All designers face frustration at times when their designs are rejected or when they cannot be as creative as they would like. Independent consultants, who are paid by the assignment, are under pressure to please clients and to find new ones to maintain their incomes.
Employment
About one-third of designers are self-employed, a much higher proportion than in most occupations.
Salaried designers work in a number of different industries, depending on their design specialty. Most industrial designers, for example, work for consulting firms or for large corporations. Interior designers usually work for design or architectural firms, department stores and home furnishing stores, or hotel and restaurant chains. Many do freelance work-full-time, part-time, or in addition to a salaried job in another occupation.
Set designers work for theater companies and film and television production companies. Fashion designers generally work for textile, apparel, and pattern manufacturers, or for fashion salons, high-fashion department stores, and specialty shops. Some work in the entertainment industry, designing costumes for theater, dance, television, and movies. Most floral designers work for retail flower shops but growing numbers work in floral departments of grocery stores.
Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement
Creativity is crucial in all design occupations. People in this field must have a strong sense of color, an eye for detail, a sense of balance and proportion, and sensitivity to beauty. Sketching ability is especially important for fashion designers. A good portfolio-a collection of examples of a person's best work-is often the deciding factor in landing a job. However, formal preparation in design is important in all fields with the exception of floral design.
Educational requirements for entry-level positions vary. Some design occupations, notably industrial design, require a bachelor's degree. Interior designers also generally need a college education, preferably a bachelor of arts or a bachelor of applied arts degree. Few clients-especially commercial clients-are willing to entrust responsibility for designing living and working space to a designer with no formal credentials. Interior designers must also be knowledgeable about federal, state, and local codes, and toxicity and flammability standards for furniture and furnishings.
In fashion design, some formal career preparation such as a two-year or four-year degree, is usually needed to enter the field. Employers seek individuals who are knowledgeable about textiles, fabrics, and ornamentation as well as trends in the fashion world.
In contrast to the other design occupations, a high school diploma ordinarily suffices for floral design jobs. Most floral designers learn their skills on the job. When they hire trainees, employers generally look for high school graduates who have a flair for color and a desire to learn. However, completion of formal training is an asset for floral designers, particularly for advancement to the lead floral designer level. Vocational and technical schools offer programs in floral design that usually last less than a year, while two- and four-year programs in floriculture, horticulture, floral design, or ornamental horticulture are offered by community and junior colleges, and colleges and universities.
Formal training for some design professions is also available in two- and three-year professional schools which award certificates or associate degrees in design. Graduates of two-year programs generally qualify as assistants to designers. Four-year colleges and universities grant the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. The curriculum in these schools includes art and art history, principles of design, designing and sketching, and specialized studies for each of the individual design disciplines such as garment construction, textiles, mechanical and architectural drawing, computerized design, sculpture, architecture, and basic engineering. A liberal arts education, with courses in merchandising, business administration, marketing, and psychology, along with training in art is also a good background for most design fields, excluding industrial design. Persons with training or experience in architecture also qualify for some design occupations, particularly interior design.
Computer-aided design (CAD) courses are very useful. CAD is used in various areas of design, and many employers expect new designers to be familiar with the use of the computer as a design tool. For example, industrial designers extensively use computers in the aerospace, automotive, and electronics industries. Interior designers are using computers to create numerous versions of space designs. Images can be inserted, edited, or replaced-making it possible for a client to see and choose among several designs. In furniture design, a chair's basic shape and structure may be duplicated and updated by applying new upholstery styles and fabrics with the use of computers.
The National Association of Schools of Art and Design accredited about 200 postsecondary institutions with programs in art and design. Most of these schools award a degree in art. Some award degrees in industrial design, interior design, textile design, graphic design, or fashion design. Many schools do not allow formal entry into a bachelor's degree program until a student has successfully finished a year of basic art and design courses. Applicants may be required to submit sketches and other examples of their artistic ability.
The Foundation for Interior Design Education Research accredits interior design programs and schools. Currently, there are more than 100 accredited programs in the United States and Canada located in schools of art, architecture, and home economics.
People in the design field must be creative, imaginative persistent, and able to communicate their ideas both visually and verbally. Because tastes in style and fashion can change quickly designers need to be open to new ideas and influences. Problem solving skills and the ability to work independently are important traits. People in this field need self-discipline to start project on their own, budget their time, and meet deadlines and production schedules. Business sense and sales ability are important for those who are freelancers or run their own businesses.
Beginning designers usually receive on-the-job training and normally need one to three years of training before they advance to higher level positions. Experienced designers in large firm may advance to chief designer, design department head, or other supervisory positions. Some experienced designers open their own firms.
Interior design is the only design field subject to government regulation: The District of Columbia licenses interior designers, and 16 states regulate use of the title. Since licensing is not mandatory in all states, membership in a professional association is universally recognized as a mark of achievement for designers. Professional membership usually requires the completion of three or four years of postsecondary education in design at least two years of practical experience in the field, and completion of the National Council for Interior Design qualification ex animation.
Job Outlook
Many talented individuals are attracted to careers as designers. Consequently, designers in most fields-with the exception of floral and furniture design-can expect to face competition throughout their careers. Due to this competition, individuals with little or no formal education in design, and without the necessary personal traits-particularly creativity and perseverance-may find it very difficult to establish and maintain a career in design,
While most areas of design are highly competitive, this is not the case in floral design. Relatively low pay and limited opportunities for advancement restrict the supply of suitable applicants. As a result, finding a job as a floral designer should be relatively easy. Opportunities should also be good for qualified persons in specialized fields, such as furniture design.
Employment in design occupations is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations. Demand for industrial designers will stem from continued emphasis on product quality and safety; design of new products that are easy and comfortable to use; high-technology products in medicine, transportation, and other fields; and increasing global competition among businesses. Increasing demand for professional design of private homes, office space, restaurants and other retail establishments, and institutions that care for the elderly should spur employment growth among interior designers. Floral design should experience healthy growth with the addition of floral departments in many grocery stores. Growth in population and in personal incomes is expected to encourage increased demand for fashion, textile, and set designers. In addition to employment growth, many job openings will result from the need to replace designers who leave the field.
Earnings
Median weekly earnings of experienced full-time designers in all fields of design were about $590 in 1994. The middle 10 percent earn between $380 and $840 a week. The bottom 10 percent earn less than $330, while the top 10 percent earn $1,100.
Earnings of floral designers were lower than most types of designers. According to a survey beginning floral designers had average earnings of $5.52 an hour in 1994. Designers with one to three years of experience earned $6.44, while designers with over three years of experience averaged $7.68. Managers had average earnings of $9.63 an hour.
According to the Industrial Designers Society of America, the average base salary for an entry-level industrial designer with no to two years of experience was about $25,800 in 1994. Staff designers with five years of experience earned $33,500, while senior designers with eight years of experience earned $42,800; industrial designers in managerial or executive positions earned substantially more-up to $140,000 annually.
Related Occupations
Workers in other occupations who design or arrange objects, materials, or interiors to improve their appearance and function include visual artists, architects, landscape architects, engineers, photographers, and merchandise displayers.
Related D.O.I Jobs
These job titles are related to or more specific than the more general description given above. They will help you identify job options you may not otherwise discover. These descriptions are in the current edition of the Dictionary of Occupational Titles and classified by numerical order.
41.051-010 COLOR EXPERT; 141.061-010 CARTOONIST; 141.061-014 FASHION ARTIST; 141.061-018 GRAPHIC DESIGNER; 141.061-022 ILLUSTRATOR; 141.061-026 ILLUSTRATOR, MEDICAL AND SCIENTIFIC; 41.061-030 ILLUSTRATOR, SET; 141.061-034 POLICE ARTIST; 141.061-i38 COMMERCIAL DESIGNER; 141.067-010 CREATIVE DIRECTOR; 42.031-014 MANAGER, DISPLAY; 142.051-014 INTERIOR DESIGNER; 42.061-010 BANK-NOTE DESIGNER; 142.061-014 CLOTH DESIGNER; 42.061-018 FASHION DESIGNER; 142.061-022 FURNITURE DESIGNER; 142.061-026 INDUSTRIAL DESIGNER; 142.061-034 ORNAMENTAL-METALWORK. DESIGNER; 142.061-038 SAFETY-CLOTHING-AND-EQUIPMENT DEVELOPER; 142.061-042 SET DECORATOR; 42.061-046 SET DESIGNER; 142.061-050 SET DESIGNER; 142.061-058 EXHIBIT DESIGNER; 142.061-062 ART DIRECTOR; 142.081-010 FLORAL DESIGNER; 142.081-014 FUR DESIGNER; 142.081-018 PACKAGE DESIGNER; 142.281-010 COPYIST
Sources of Additional Information
For a list of accredited schools of art and design, contact:
National Association of Schools of Art and Design, Reston, VA 22090
For price and ordering information regarding a brochure that describes careers in industrial design and lists academic programs in the field, write to:
- Industrial Designers Society of America, Great Falls, VA 22066
American Society for Interior Designers, Washington, DC 20002-6006
For a list of accredited programs in interior design, contact:
Foundation for Interior Design Education Research Grand Rapids, MI 49503
For information about careers in floral design, contact:
- Society of American Florists, Alexandria, VA 22314
- American Society of Furniture Designers, Lexington, NC 27293
