• Three out of 10 designers are self-employed - almost 5 times the proportion for all professional and related occupations.
• Creativity is crucial in all design occupations; most designers need a bachelor's degree, and candidates with a master's degree hold an advantage.
• Keen competition is expected for most jobs, despite projected faster-than-average employment growth, because many talented individuals are attracted to careers as designers.

Job Description

Designers sometimes supervise assistants who carry out their creations. Designers who run their own businesses also may devote a considerable amount of time to developing new business contacts, reviewing equipment and space needs, and performing administrative tasks, such as reviewing catalogues and ordering samples. Design encompasses a number of different fields. Many designers specialize in a particular area of design, whereas others work in more than one area.

Commercial and industrial designers, including designers of commercial products and equipment, develop countless manufactured products, including airplanes; cars; children's toys; computer equipment; furniture; home appliances; and medical, office, and recreational equipment. They combine artistic talent with research on product use, customer needs, marketing, materials, and production methods to create the most functional and appealing design that will be competitive with others in the marketplace. Industrial designers typically concentrate in an area of sub-specialization such as kitchen appliances, auto interiors, or plastic-molding machinery.

Graphic designers use a variety of print, electronic, and film media to create designs that meet clients' commercial needs. Using computer software, they develop the overall layout and design of magazines, newspapers, journals, corporate reports, and other publications. They also may produce promotional displays and marketing brochures for products and services, design distinctive company logos for products and businesses, and develop signs and signage systems - called environmental graphics - for business and government. An increasing number of graphic designers develop material to appear on Internet home pages. Graphic designers also produce the credits that appear before and after television programs and movies.

Interior designers plan the space and furnish the interiors of private homes, public buildings, and business or institutional facilities, such as offices, restaurants, retail establishments, hospitals, hotels, and theaters. They also plan the interiors when existing structures are renovated or expanded. Most interior designers specialize. For example, some may concentrate in residential design, and others may further specialize by focusing on particular rooms, such as kitchens or baths. With a client's tastes, needs, and budget in mind, interior designers prepare drawings and specifications for non-load bearing interior construction, furnishings, lighting, and finishes. Increasingly, designers use computers to plan layouts, which can easily be changed to include ideas received from the client. Interior designers also design lighting and architectural details - such as crown molding, built-in bookshelves, or cabinets - coordinate colors, and select furniture, floor coverings, and window treatments. Interior designers must design space to conform to Federal, State, and local laws, including building codes. Designs for public areas also must meet accessibility standards for the disabled and elderly.

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Working Conditions

Designers who work on a contract, or job, basis frequently adjust their workday to suit their clients' schedules, meeting with them during evening or weekend hours when necessary. Designers may transact business in their own offices or studios or in clients' homes or offices, or they may travel to other locations, such as showrooms, design centers, clients' exhibit sites, and manufacturing facilities. Designers who are paid by the assignment are under pressure to please clients and to find new ones to maintain a constant income. All designers face frustration at times when their designs are rejected or when they cannot be as creative as they wish. With the increased use of computers in the workplace and the advent of Internet websites, more designers conduct business, research design alternatives, and purchase supplies electronically than ever before.

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Employment

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Education, Training & Qualifications

Interior design is the only design field subject to government regulation. According to the American Society for Interior Designers, 19 States and the District of Columbia require interior designers to be licensed or registered. Passing the National Council for Interior Design qualification examination is required for licensure. To take the exam, one must complete at least 2 years of postsecondary education in design, at least 2 years of practical work experience in the field, plus additional related education or experience to total at least 6 years of combined education and experience in design. Because licensing is not mandatory in all States, membership in a professional association is an indication of an interior designer's qualifications and professional standing - and can aid in obtaining clients.

Because computer-aided design is increasingly common, many employers expect new designers to be familiar with its use as a design tool. For example, industrial designers extensively use computers in the aerospace, automotive, and electronics industries. Interior designers use computers to create numerous versions of interior space designs - images can be inserted, edited, and replaced easily and without added cost - making it possible for a client to see and choose among several designs.

Individuals in the design field must be creative, imaginative, persistent, and able to communicate their ideas in writing, visually, and verbally. Because tastes in style and fashion can change quickly, designers need to be well-read, open to new ideas and influences, and quick to react to changing trends. Problem-solving skills and the ability to work independently and under pressure are important traits. People in this field need self-discipline to start projects on their own, to budget their time, and to meet deadlines and production schedules. Good business sense and sales ability also are important, especially for those who freelance or run their own business.

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Job Outlook

Overall, the employment of designers is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through the year 2010. In addition to those that result from employment growth, many job openings will arise from the need to replace designers who leave the field. Increased demand for industrial designers will stem from the continued emphasis on product quality and safety; the demand for new products that are easy and comfortable to use; the development of high-technology products in medicine, transportation, and other fields; and growing global competition among businesses. Demand for graphic designers should increase because of the rapidly increasing demand for Web-based graphics and the expansion of the video entertainment market, including television, movies, videotape, and made-for-Internet outlets. Rising demand for professional design of private homes, offices, restaurants and other retail establishments, and institutions that care for the rapidly growing elderly population should spur employment growth of interior designers.

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Salary Expectations

Median annual earnings for graphic designers were $34,570 in 2000. The middle 50 percent earned between $26,560 and $45,130. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $20,480, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $58,400. Median annual earnings in the industries employing the largest numbers of graphic designers were as follows:

• Management and public relations $37,570
• Advertising $37,080
• Mailing, reproduction, and stenographic services $36,130
• Commercial printing $29,730
• Newspapers $28,170

The American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) reported 1999 median earnings for graphic designers with increasing levels of responsibility. Staff-level graphic designers earned $36,000, while senior designers, who may supervise junior staff or have some decision-making authority that reflects their knowledge of graphic design, earned $50,000. Solo designers, who freelance or work independently of a company, reported median earnings of $50,000. Design directors, the creative heads of design firms or in-house corporate design departments, earned $80,000. Graphic designers with business responsibilities for the operation of a firm as owners, partners, or principals earned $90,000.

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Related Occupations

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Associations, Resources & Accreditation

• National Association of Schools of Art and Design

• American Institute of Graphic Arts

• American Society for Interior Designers

• International Interior Design Association

• Foundation for Interior Design Education Research

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Source:

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Associate
Westwood College Online

Bachelor
American InterContinental University

Certificates
Sessions.edu