A good number of students are drawn to design or believe they are built to be designers. Design careers involve students applying their creativity and combining it with skill. There are different career paths that students with the passion of design can follow depending on one’s preferences. Design careers are known to be well paying. Hence, it is not surprising that a good number of students are drawn to design as a career choice.
As a student, choosing the right design field is essential since it determines whether you will love what you do and whether you will be willing to go the extra mile to see it through. So, let’s dive into the different paths you can take under design.
Graphics Design
It is among the widely known careers in this field. These are the individuals who construct marketing designs, brand identities, product promotions, websites by the use of computer software. Graphic designers can choose to be independent contractors or be part of an in-house team for a company. Some of the skills involved in graphics design include:
- Social media;
- Packaging;
- Web design;
- Knowledge of creating and editing software.
UX Researcher
Also known as a user experience researcher. In this profession, one is trusted with making the applications for mobile phones, computer software, video games, and websites more user friendly. They analyze the feeling and reactions of customers about a specific system or design and how well the customers can interact with it.
As a user experience researcher, one needs to have skills such as; prototype creation, conducting research, and user experience wireframes.
Fashion Design
Here, the professionals are focused on clothing and other accessories. Fashion designers are responsible for sketching great designs for new trends of clothing. After the sketching, the color and material selection is made.
Fashion design requires individuals who are keen on studying trends through the study of magazines and even observing fashion shows. The skills required here are the ability to sketch good design, sales management, and customer relations.
Interior Designer
Interior design is also well known, whereby the professional is tasked with bettering the aesthetic value, functionality, and even safety of a particular space. It can range from designing homes, offices, hotels, resorts, among others. Interior designers have to choose all the aspects of a space from the flooring, the furniture to be placed, the lighting patterns, colors, and other elements of a building.
They have to collaborate with other professionals involved in the construction of the building, such as architects, engineers, and builders. Just like with the professionals from an essay writing service, some specific skills are demanded.
They include:
- Contact with customers;
- Knowledge of design software;
- Sales and purchasing.
Product Designers
They are the individuals responsible for the way particular products look and the various unique features that make them stand out. An example is the different types of gaming consoles, phones, and a lot of other commercialized products. These individuals also have to collaborate with other specialists, such as engineers, product managers, sales teams, and customer support.
Their work involves research, hi-fi, and Lo-fi design, ideation, the implementation and the testing of the products. Product designers care about users and aim to create the perfect design of the product that is both aesthetically pleasing and functional.
Animator or Multimedia Artist
This is the field responsible for the fantastic effects you see in movies, TV shows, and also video game development. These individuals work with 2d and 3d media of any kind. Their job is to bring the ideas that artists present to them to live by the use of various software.
The skills needed here include:
- Knowledge of motion graphics;
- The Maya software;
- User experience wireframes.
Advertisement and Promotion Management
The designers here work for freelance agencies for customers who seek exposure, such as campaigns. These individuals need to be quite creative with the knowledge of capturing the attention of the public. This job involves a good deal of business, so one might have to acquire some background in business. The skills required here include experience and knowledge in:
- Projects management;
- Social media;
- Budgeting;
- Advert campaigns;
- Digital advertisement.
Here, you will have to collaborate with both the creative and business teams for the campaigns.
Final Thoughts
Design career paths mostly depend on what a student prefers and what they see themselves doing in the future. However, if making a choice is difficult, a student can analyze all the different areas of design in-depth and find the one that appeals to them most.