Monday, June 24, 2002		Article

Design career with computers
Sumesh Raizada

WHILE moving around in a market place, one might be awed to see readymade garments, toys or electronic goods with varied designs, colours, materials and costs flooding the market. As technology of design and manufacturing is getting advanced, different variations of product are offered to attract customers from different age and income groups. Due to fierce competition, both in domestic as well as international market, it has become extremely vital for the companies to make their product attractive, colourful and durable at the prices offered.

The task of professionals who design these products so as to meet the requirement of user or the manufacturer has become extremely important. These professionals are called designers. Designers work in close coordination with the production team and create products to suit the latest trends and fashions in the market and upgrade or modify the products.

Designers make use of practical knowledge and creative abilities to develop or modify an abstract idea into formal designs for the products such as garments, books and even buildings. Designers usually specialise in a particular area of design, such as automobiles, industrial or medical equipment, home appliances, clothing and textiles, floral arrangements, signboards, interiors of homes or office buildings, television and theatre sets.

In case of electronic products, say a television, washing machine or refrigerator; a designer has to ensure that the designed product meets latest technical specification and prevalent technologies. In case of industrial or high value products, say a car or heavy machinery, these professionals have to ensure the durability, safety and the utility of the product. In case of readymade garments or fabrics, the designers need to be updated on the latest fashions, colour and print preferences among different demographic groups or at different geographical regions. Thus designers while visualising and developing have to keep into consideration various social, cultural, economical and environmental factors that could make an ultimate product a huge success or a failure.

While developing a new design or altering an existing one, a designer has to determine the client's requirement, functional utility for which the design is created and its appeal to customers. Designers often begin by researching the desired design characteristics such as size, shape, weight, colour, material used, cost, ease of use and safety.

They prepare sketches by hand or with the aid of a computer to illustrate their creation. After making consultation with the client, art director or product development team, designers prepare detailed designs using drawings, structural model, computer simulations or a prototype.

Many designers now use the computer-aided design or CAD tools to create and visualise the final products. Computer models allow ease and flexibility while exploring a number of design alternatives. It also helps in reducing design costs as well as the manufacturing time of a product. Industrial designers use computer-aided industrial design (CAID) tools to create designs and machine-readable instructions that communicate with automated production tools directly, thus increasing precision and productivity.

Designers also work as freelancers and are required to devote a considerable amount of time in developing new business contacts, reviewing equipment and space requirement, reviewing catalogues and ordering samples and supervising assistant designers. Since design encompasses different fields, some designers specialise in a particular area of design say automobile or textile whereas others work in more than one area say home interior, floral and theatre set designing.

Commercial and industrial designers, develop products like aeroplanes, cars, toys, electronic equipment, furniture, appliances and medical equipment, fashion designers design clothing and accessories. These designers create garments and work either as freelancers or apparel manufacturers. Graphic designers use a variety of print, electronic, and film media to create designs so as to meet clients' commercial needs. They use computer software to develop the layout and design of magazines, newspapers, books and other publications. They also produce promotional material and sales brochures for products and services and design company logos for commercial applications. Graphic designers also develop the advertisement for television and movies.

Interior designers furnish the interiors of homes, offices, restaurants, hospitals, hotels and theatres. They also plan the interiors when existing structures are renovated or expanded. Designers are now using computers to plan layouts, which can easily be amended to incorporate ideas from the client or builders.

Set designers create sets for movie, television and theatre productions and design special exhibition displays. They study scripts, discuss with directors and other designers and conduct research to determine the appropriate historical period, fashion and architectural styles. Exhibit designers' work with curators, art and museum directors and trade show sponsors to determine the most effective use of available space. With the increased use of computers in the workplace and the advent of the Websites, designers rely heavily on computer-aided software and hardware products for conducting business and research activities.

Creativity is an essential attribute for all design occupations. People in this field must have a strong sense of the aesthetic and colour details. Though competency in computer-aided design is must now a days yet a successful designer should possess excellent sketching abilities also. A Bachelor's degree is required for most entry-level design positions. However, many professionals in industrial design pursue a Master's degree to advance their careers. In fashion design industry, individuals with 2 to 4 year degree and having relevant experience in textiles, fabrics, and ornamentation are preferred. Set and exhibit designers mostly possess a Bachelor degrees in design or a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree from a university.

The curriculum in designing schools mostly include art, history, principles of design, designing, sketching and specialised studies for each of the individual design disciplines, such as mechanical and architectural drawing, computerised design, sculpture, architecture, and basic engineering. Course in merchandising, business administration, marketing and psychology, along with training in art, is also offered for professionals who want to pursue as freelance designers.

With computer-aided design becoming increasingly popular, employers now a days prefer IT professionals with familiarity to various design tools or professionals with exposure to computer tools.

Industrial designers extensively use computers in the aerospace, automotive, and electronics industries. Interior designers use computers to create numerous versions of interior space designs through which images can be inserted, edited and replaced easily 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, and persistent. They should be able to communicate their ideas in writing, visually and verbally. Since style and fashion change quickly, designers need to be updated on latest technology and must change according to the recent trends. They must possess problem solving skills and the ability to work independently and under pressure. Persons in this field need self-discipline to start projects on their own, budget their time, meet deadlines and production schedules. Good business sense and sales ability are also important, especially for those who work as freelancer or operate their own business.

Designers starting afresh usually receive on-the-job training. After one to three years of training they advance to higher-level positions. Experienced designers in large firms advance to chief designer, design department head or other managerial positions. Some designers become teachers in design colleges and universities. Many faculty members work as consultants or operate small design studios. Despite high employment growth, designers in most fields are expected to face stiff competition due to rapidly changing technologies and fashion trends. Thus, individuals without formal education in design and those lacking in creativity and perseverance, shall have difficulty in career growth.

The employment of designers is expected to grow faster than other occupations in near future.

Demand for industrial designers will arise as emphasis is placed on product quality and safety; new products that are easy and comfortable to use; high-technology products in medicine, transportation, etc and also due to growing global competition. Demand for graphic designers shall grow because of the rapidly increasing demand for Web-based applications and the expansion of the multimedia entertainment market, including television, movies, CDs and Internet.

The demand of interior designers for private homes, offices and restaurants is also expected to grow rapidly with the growth in economy. Professionals from other occupations, who create designs to enhance the appearance and function of a product, also have sufficient career scope in this field. They include artists, architects, engineers, photographers, computer software engineers and desktop publishers.