Design is one of the most challenging, fast-moving, and visionary fields to work in and it can be financially rewarding as well, says Dr Sanjay Gupta
There’s no place quite like the design industry. It’s where creativity and technology meet, and where innovation thrives. Design is absolutely everywhere-from the clothes we wear to the apps we use, from the cars we drive to the chairs we sit on. As a designer, you have the power to shape the world. There are many careers that can be launched after taking a design course. Those with a passion for fashion may become retail clothing buyers, display merchandisers or fashion designers. Media jobs include magazine cover designer, photographer, design associate and layout editor. Then there are marketing opportunities like graphic designer, packaging developer, concept and design technician or production manager. The retail industry careers include showroom design consultant, store designer, display coordinator and visual merchandiser.
Design is one of the most challenging, fast-moving, and visionary fields to work in-and it can be financially rewarding, too. Below are five high-paid fields.
Digital drawing & Illustration
One can choose to be animators, graphic designers, illustrators, game developers, game artists, designers, creative directors, web artists, art directors, installation designers, eBook illustrators, storyboard artists, instructors, professors, or freelance artists. This field is slightly different from pure design. It teaches the artists the use of a wide range of software, artistic and technical techniques to create art. Digital design and illustration programmes prepare students for careers in the world of digital design and art by combining traditional painting and drawing skills with new media digital applications and output strategies. Digital designers and illustrators get to work in diverse industries like advertising, multimedia, gaming, graphic design, film and video, architecture, automotive, the medical industry and even in criminal investigations as forensics.
Transportation Design
Professionals who work in transportation design are known as industrial designers. They produce designs for automobiles, aircraft, watercraft, mass transit systems and two-wheeled vehicles, taking into consideration aesthetics, ergonomics, manufacturing, marketing, safety and economics. They also specialise in areas like hybrid vehicle, recreational vehicle or aircraft interior design. Transportation designers usually start their careers with a bachelor’s degree in industrial design, and many go on to earn a master's degree. Learning how to take a product concept and design a producible item is the focus of a transportation designer. Transportation designers can specialise in an industry, such as aviation or mass transit, or a specific transportation type, such as hybrid or electric transport. A bachelor’s in industrial design programme provides the training in CAD software and in product design needed by these professionals.
Product Design
This is all about creating 3-D products through an efficient process of idea generation, development and evaluation. Product designers have an understanding of the relationship between art, science and technology, and have the ability to exploit each of these things in different ways to create new products.
A designer’s role in an organisation involves envisioning, imagining, conceptualising and creating products that people can use and cherish in their daily life. Product design or industrial design being a gentle mix of art and technology can help elevate human life experience by providing effective solutions to the identified consumer needs. A product designer works towards improving the novelty, usability, functionality and aesthetics of a product. Studying product design provides a broad theoretical knowledge and practical skill set as one would require using production methods and materials creatively.
Game Design
The industry has witnessed tremendous growth over the last 10 years. With the market touching the `1,300 crore mark in 2012, it has encouraged various international animation companies to outsource work to India. A game designer is someone who has a vision of what the game is as it goes through iterations during its development cycle. Besides computer and console gaming, mobile games are a new part of the gaming sector Established jobs for a game designer include working with game developers or game publishing companies. These can range from small — to large-sized companies producing games for other vendors. One career path to game design could be starting as a game tester and then gradually moving on to game designing. This can offer a good grounding in the industry and enable insights into different areas, since employers seek some experience for mid-level positions.
Design Management
This is all about the business side of design. It encompasses the ongoing processes, business decisions, and strategies that enable innovation and creation of effectively-designed products, services, communications, environments, and brands. At a deeper level, design management links design, innovation, technology, management and customers to provide competitive advantage for organisational success.
Earlier, design management was seen as limited to the management of design projects. Over time, it has evolved to other aspects of the organisation on a functional and strategic level. Design management professionals can work in various industries, including advertising and marketing, architecture, graphic design or motion pictures. Entry-level design management professionals can work as marketing assistants, production assistants and project management assistants. More experienced design management professionals can seek employment as brand strategists, advertising executives, product developers, project managers, marketing managers and business directors.
The writer is Vice-chancellorat World University of Design