Designer profession. What branches of design exist? Profession designer: types

The profession is aimed at optimizing the appearance of the product. Art, technology and marketing are the three components of this field of activity. To successfully implement the goal, a professional looks for high-quality prototypes and analyzes ready-made market samples. Using three-dimensional modeling, he solves the problem of relating the appearance and functionality of an individual product. The specialist calculates how to reduce costs and make the product safe. An industrial designer maximizes efficiency by using graphic programs: 3D Studio Max, SolidWorks, solidThinking, Rhinoceros, Pro/Engineer, 3D CAiD, Solid Edge.

Personal qualities

A harmonious combination of technical and artistic inclinations is optimal for industrial design. Specialization in industrial activities requires a practical mind. In addition, the designer is an esthete with an ideal sense of style. A developed eye and accurate color perception are required. A designer is not an artist, so perseverance, rather than inspiration, plays a more important role in the result.

Where to study for this profession.

Admission to a designer requires the results of the Unified State Exam in Literature, or. Also, the variability of the list increases with Mathematics or Foreign Language. It is mandatory for the applicant to undergo a creative test consisting of two parts: Drawing and Composition. To submit documents, you should select the “Industrial Design” profile.

In the first two years, the student is taught basic Drawing, Painting, and Composition. With the help of non-trivial tasks, the teacher teaches the student to think original and see things from a different angle. At the same time, students receive training in using professional software. In the final years of the bachelor's degree, all special subjects will be studied in more depth. However, to master the profession on a full scale, it is advisable to increase the training period to six years.

Examples of universities:

St. Petersburg State University of Industrial Technologies and Design - SPbGUPTD;

Pros and cons of the profession.

Career. Places of employment.

Industrial designer vacancies are usually posted by production and art workshops and design studios. Employment is also possible at various enterprises in the city. Sometimes designers become freelancers and later found their own agencies. The initial salary level ranges from 20-30 thousand rubles. Specialists with experience can count on an increase in the base rate to 55 thousand rubles.

Related professions.

Related specialties include web designers.
An industrial designer is a rather rare specialist in Russia. Due to the high demand for the profession, designers from other fields tend to change their specialization. With great desire and a competent approach to business, the process is not so complicated. It is worth studying professional literature and mastering the necessary software.

The profession of a designer is interesting, creative and creative. In addition, now she is in great demand. It’s easy to get a job as a designer even without experience. Its main advantage is that you can master the profession at any age.

Profession interior designer

The profession of interior designer appeared not very long ago. And it immediately became very popular.

Previously, everyone furnished their own apartment or house. And now many people are increasingly resorting to services.

A specialist will help you choose the most suitable housing design option or do it in the style that you choose. But taking into account the necessary aesthetic requirements and acceptable combinations.

Profession landscape designer

The profession of landscape designer has replaced the profession of gardener. It appeared back in the 16th century and was constantly improved.

A clothing designer has good taste and spatial creative thinking. In addition, he is well versed in fabrics, their combinations and applies all acquired knowledge to sewing clothes.

Profession advertising designer

An advertising designer must competently apply his knowledge and skills within the framework of the advertising agency and the appearance of the client company. This involves balancing between creativity and the practical implementation of your ideas.

The profession of a designer has its advantages and disadvantages.

This is one of the most prestigious and well-paid activities. The designer has an unlimited field of activity for his imagination. He can realize all his ideas and get paid for it. But the designer must have perseverance and hard work, be able to accept someone else’s point of view, compromise with his own beliefs, and in some cases, insist on his own and convince the client.

The profession of fashion designer plays an important role in the fashion world. A specialist in this field creates new models of clothing, hats and shoes. A fashion designer can achieve a lot and become a famous couturier. But this requires a lot of work.

This article will help you in working on your essay, preparing for a report, presentation, or class.

Reference

Since ancient times, man has been organizing his home, where the criteria of convenience and safety were in the foreground. The first roots of the word “design” began there. In English it means “creative idea, composition, project.” Back in the 19th century, with the development of industrial production, the need for design and artistic activity arose. A little later, in the 20th century, the first design schools began to appear. Accordingly, specialists appeared who began to be called designers.

Demand for the profession

Quite in demand

Representatives of the profession designer are quite in demand in the labor market. Despite the fact that universities produce a large number of specialists in this field, many companies and many enterprises require qualified Designers.

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Description of activity

The activities of a designer are quite diverse and have their own classification. This is the design of landscape, printing, Internet, clothing, interior, dishes or human image. Consequently, as many areas of human activity as there are, there are as many design specialists who focus on it. Therefore, the scope of implementation of creative ideas for a designer is unlimited.

Wage

Moscow average:average for St. Petersburg:

Uniqueness of the profession

Quite common

The majority of respondents believe that the profession designer cannot be called rare, in our country it is quite common. For several years now, there has been a demand in the labor market for representatives of the profession designer, despite the fact that many specialists graduate every year.

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What education is needed

Secondary vocational education (college, technical school)

To work in a profession designer, it is not necessary to have a higher professional education in the relevant specialty. For this profession, it is enough to have a diploma of secondary vocational education obtained from a college or technical school, or, for example, it is enough to complete special courses.

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Job responsibilities

Type of labor

Exclusively mental work

Profession designer refers to professions exclusively mental (creative or intellectual work). In the process of work, the activity of sensory systems, attention, memory, activation of thinking and the emotional sphere is important. Designers They are distinguished by their erudition, curiosity, rationality, and analytical mind.

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Features of career growth

If a designer is a master of his craft, then he can easily realize his professional skills in any field of activity, despite the fact that this profession has few career opportunities. Often, moving a specialist up the career ladder only means an increase in wages, primarily due to an increase in the amount of work performed. Which is also, in general, a good positive thing. To achieve professional growth, a specialist can engage in self-education. For this, there are various master classes, as well as specialized literature.

Career Opportunities

Minimum career opportunities

According to the results of the survey, Designers have minimal career opportunities. It doesn’t depend at all on the person himself, it’s just a profession designer does not have a career path.

How users rated this criterion:

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National Research University Higher School of Economics
National Research University Higher School of Economics
IGSU
Institute of Public Service and Management
VShFM
Higher School of Finance and Management
RGUP
Russian State University of Justice
IBDA
Institute of Business and Business Administration
RGUTIS
Russian State University of Tourism and Service
Moscow Polytechnic
Moscow Polytechnic University
RGSU
Russian State Social University
MGRI-RGGRU named after. Sergo Ordzhonikidze
Russian State Geological Prospecting University named after Sergo Ordzhonikidze
MFUA
Moscow Finance and Law University
MIP
Moscow Institute of Psychoanalysis
IGUMO and IT
Institute of Humanitarian Education and Information Technologies

Institute of Business and Design

VShKU
Graduate School of Corporate Governance
IEAU
Institute of Economics and Crisis Management
MIPT
Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (state university)
REU im. G. V. Plekhanova
Russian Economic University named after G. V. Plekhanov
MGIMO
Moscow State Institute of International Relations (University) MFA of Russia
Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Foreign Ministry
Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation
NRNU MEPhI
National Research Nuclear University "MEPhI"
RANEPA
Russian Academy of National Economy and Public Administration under the President of the Russian Federation
VAVT
All-Russian Academy of Foreign Trade of the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia
Lomonosov Moscow State University
Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov
State IRYa them. A. S. Pushkina
State Institute of Russian Language named after. A. S. Pushkina
MGMSU named after. A.I. Evdokimova
Moscow State Medical and Dental University named after A. I. Evdokimov
RNIMU
Russian National Research Medical University named after N. I. Pirogov
MSLU, Linguistic University
Moscow State Linguistic University
Financial University
Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation
RGAIS
Russian State Academy of Intellectual Property
Literary Institute named after A. M. Gorky
Literary Institute named after A. M. Gorky
PMGMU named after. I.M.Sechenova
First Moscow State Medical University named after. I. M. Sechenova
RTA
Russian Customs Academy
RGUNG named after. I.M.Gubkina
Russian State University of Oil and Gas named after I.M. Gubkin
VGUYU (RPA of the Ministry of Justice of Russia)
All-Russian State University of Justice (RPA of the Ministry of Justice of Russia)
MSTU im. N.E. Bauman
Moscow State Technical University named after N. E. Bauman
RSUH
Russian State Humanitarian University
MISiS
National Research Technological University "MISiS"
GAUGN
State Academic University of Humanities under the Russian Academy of Sciences
RAM named after Gnessins
Russian Academy of Music named after Gnessins
MGAVMiB im. K.I.Skryabina
Moscow State Academy of Veterinary Medicine and Biotechnology named after K. I. Scriabin
RUDN University
Peoples' Friendship University of Russia
IPCC
Moscow State Institute of Culture
RKhTU im. DI. Mendeleev
Russian University of Chemical Technology named after D. I. Mendeleev
State University of Management
State University of Management
AGP RF
Academy of the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation
MGK im. P. I. Tchaikovsky
Moscow State Conservatory named after P. I. Tchaikovsky
MSPU
Moscow City Pedagogical University
MIET
National Research University "MIET"
MSUTU im. K. G. Razumovsky
Moscow State University of Technology and Management. K. G. Razumovsky
MARCHI
Moscow (state academy)

About the profession designer

Most of us believe that anyone can be a designer - just think, rearrange the furniture in the apartment, choose wallpaper to match the color of the upholstery or curtains to match the color of the walls. However, design is rather a philosophical concept and means the unity of the material with the spiritual, that is, complete harmony in everything.

History of the concept of the term design

The word design first appeared about four centuries ago and was clearly used throughout Europe. The Italian expression "designo intero" meant an idea born from the artist and inspired by God - the concept of creating a work of art. The 1588 Oxford Dictionary gives a similar interpretation of the word: "A plan or scheme conceived by man for something to be carried out, the first sketch of a future work of art."

Until recently, the specialty of designer simply did not exist in our country. Architects-designers “stamped” standard residential areas, shops, schools, kindergartens and cinemas, which did not differ in variety in either external or internal decoration.

Job description:

Design - from the English “design” - project, plan, drawing - a term denoting a type of artistic and design activity, covering the creation of an object environment (cars, things, interiors) and based on the principles of combining convenience, economy and beauty.

The designer is the creator of the world around him. He strives to cover all spheres of life of a modern person, and he is interested not only in the appearance (shell) of objects, but also in their internal essence and functional relationship. In its pure form, the profession of a “universal” designer does not exist as such. Even if you manage to find courses or a university specialty where they will teach everything at once, then in any case, for your future professional activity you will choose one, maximum two specializations.

There are about 10 design areas and the same number of specializations in each of them. We will look at the most popular trends in modern design.
Industrial design is divided into design of tools, household appliances, furniture, transport design and even design of mechanisms.

Graphic design is a wide field of work not only for the designers themselves, but also for artists and designers, who at one time relied on studying the latest technologies, rather than on the centuries-old experience of world artistic culture. Today they are on top, as can be judged by the level of salaries and the development of the field of graphic design itself, which includes printing, web design, TM design (trademarks and signs) and other types of visual design using computer graphics.

One of the most promising areas of modern design is 3D design (it has emerged from graphic design into a separate direction). The most promising areas of “volumetric” computer design today, in which you can already work and earn money, are 3D animation, 3D presentations and interior design (layouts). Many experts consider this area to be the most promising, since it is closely related to the field of multimedia, which is developing by leaps and bounds. A “conveyor” for the production of 4D and 5D products is just around the corner.

Landscape design includes the work of a specialist both on the computer and directly on the ground. The main areas of activity where the knowledge of landscape designers is in demand and changing is the creation of artificial and living ones, as well as the reconstruction of destroyed landscapes, decorative dendrology, landscaping of the environment and residential premises, and floristry.
Architectural design has more to do with the work of an architectural engineer than with the work of a designer. The qualification of an architect requires more knowledge than is provided by training in the specialty “Architectural Design”. Therefore, when choosing the profession of an architectural designer, it is worth assessing your strengths as an engineer. If you are not confident in yourself, you will have to take advanced training courses or study again, but this time to become an architect.

A designer of clothing, shoes and accessories is a worker in the fashion industry. An extremely popular specialty, however, many specialists are faced with the fact that finding a top job in this field is very difficult, and sometimes almost impossible. You can earn good money, but the fame will most likely go to the brand owner.

Designer is one of the most in-demand professions.

In what areas do designers not work: interior, clothing, cars, gardens and much more! Designers work in a wide variety of fields where conventional design skills may be less present. In what areas do designers not work: car designers, scenery designers, fashion designers, jewelry designers, game designers, graphic designers, industrial designers, interior designers, landscape designers, system designers and web designers. It is the designers who come up with the “look” » household appliances and cars, clothing and shoes, skyscrapers and cottages, etc. And they do this taking into account the tastes of the customer, fashion and convenience.

“Designers become creative people who feel nature, dynamics, light,” says Professor Andrey Efimov, head of the design department of one of the universities. “Applicants first take drawing and drafting, and only then general education subjects.”

But you should not perceive the work of a designer as a process of inventing things or objects. The lion's share of his work is the creation of diagrams, drawings, projects, which serve as a transit point between the idea and its implementation. To do this, those who have discovered the desire to become a designer, and it can come at any age, go to special training courses or receive appropriate education, the course of which will necessarily include the study of drawing and special programs that will be useful to the future specialist.

Designer is a broad term that describes a person who designs a variety of things. Design means creation, and being a designer means being a creative person in a certain field. Typically, the word "designer" refers to someone who draws or uses other visual images to organize their work. Designers are usually responsible for creating a model that will explain step-by-step the entire process of creating an item, including also the concept of how the product will be used and what, how and how much it will be made from.

Personal qualities:

To master a profession you need: a combination of technical and artistic talent in a person, practical intelligence, developed visual and figurative thinking, rich imagination, good aesthetic taste, a sense of style, developed color perception and an accurate spatial eye. What is needed is perseverance, perseverance, stress resistance, accuracy, the ability to do long-term painstaking work, self-criticism, sociability, and high performance. You will also need the ability to feel and understand your contemporaries, to take into account their needs, passions, national characteristics, age, and financial situation.

Education (What you need to know?):

The work may require good knowledge of the humanities, aesthetics, skills in graphics and painting, and technical knowledge of the field in which this specialist works.

In the center of things

However, the coveted design diploma is only the beginning of a career. After graduating from college and independently choosing the profession that interests you (after all, there is practically no distribution now), it is best to immediately start working. And even if you don’t get much money at first, the main thing is to gain experience. Try, say, friends who are involved in design. There are no such? Make contacts at the institute, at exhibitions, in salons.

As a rule, designers hold a full-time position in companies or enterprises for some time, but, if they have talent and skills that are valued in a particular area, they often begin to work for themselves in the shortest possible time. On the other hand, industrial designers cannot exist in isolation from their production, and since their work is highly valued, they can work in one place until retirement, and, in special cases, do not even have the right to consult outside the enterprise.

Start with a small amount of work. Acting as if in the role of an apprentice. Be sure to photograph the final result, called the author's work, with the prior consent of the customer. And then show your future clients that this is just the beginning! Not ready to work independently yet?

Get a job in a private or public company. Just don’t “drop out” from the professional environment, because everything changes very quickly in the design services market.

Place of work and career:

At home, in the office, in the field of printing and printing, on the Internet, in production. Own agency.

Both director and creator

Even the most brilliant specialist alone will not be able to furnish an apartment, cottage or office. He needs a variety of contacts, acquaintances with professionals in related fields. What follows is something without which further design of the project is not possible. This is a thorough and sensible measurement of the proposed premises. The designer must not only rewrite the dimensions of the walls, he must write down all the vertical dimensions, estimate the amount of daylight in the rooms, check the sewer and ventilation ducts, measure the height of the openings and window sills, all these parameters will be useful during further work.

In addition, the designer must know where to buy this or that building material. And of course, it is the designer who must negotiate with clients - wealthy and often capricious people. During the first meetings, the designer must understand and “get to the bottom of” all the requirements and wishes of the customer, draw up a plan for further work and explain to the customer which of his wishes can come true and which are not desirable to fulfill.

Figuratively speaking, the designer is at the same time an actor, director, psychologist to some extent and the director of his own “theater”, which sometimes resembles the theater of the absurd. But at the same time, you still need to find time for creativity!

Reference

Demand for the profession

Quite in demand

All statistics

Useful articles

Description of activity

Wage

Moscow average:average for St. Petersburg:

Uniqueness of the profession

Quite common

How users rated this criterion:

All statistics

What education is needed

Secondary vocational education (college, technical school)

How users rated this criterion:

All statistics

Job responsibilities

Type of labor

Exclusively mental work

How users rated this criterion:

All statistics

Features of career growth

A designer is a specialist who deals with design and decoration.

The main goal of a designer’s work is to give expressiveness to the appearance.

The design profession can be divided into the following branches:

industrial, deals with the design and creation of household appliances and vehicles;
environmental design, creates an interior, decorates buildings, areas;
graphic, works on the creation of trademarks and advertising;
3D design, creates animations, presentations, layouts using a computer program;
landscape, specializes in work related to the design of a plot of land, park, garden;
the design of clothing, shoes and accessories dictates a new style and fashion direction.

The number of directions in the field of design is expanding and increasing every day: puppeteers, color correctors, stained glass artists and others.

History of the designer profession

Design originated in ancient times, when people first began to face the issue of convenience of tools and everyday life.

Modern design is associated with the fact that in the 19th century industrial production began to develop, and then the need for design and artistic activity arose.

The first design school appeared in the 20s of the 20th century, as the need for these specialists increased.

Professional holiday

Designers celebrate their professional holiday in a very fun and creative way. Quite often, various creative and very interesting events are organized on this day, where designers can relax and show off their creations.

Advantages and disadvantages

Working as a designer is quite profitable:

good profit;
guaranteed wages;
its own clientele;
opportunity to work from home.

But there are also some disadvantages:

irregular work schedule;
there is a risk of moral exhaustion and depression.

Sometimes the client’s taste does not at all coincide with the taste of the specialist, and then orders must be fulfilled or even exceeded at the discretion of the client, and not the designer himself.

Who is the profession suitable for?

This profession is a real calling for those who prefer creativity and creativity, for those who have good taste and developed imagination, and are not used to monotonous and boring work.

This area is ideal for those who love to draw, create beauty, have skills in working in the necessary design programs, and dream of creating and enjoying their masterpieces.

Requirements for the profession

Designers are usually required to meet the following requirements:

presence of artistic taste;
presence of a portfolio;
experience working with customers;
availability of specialized education;
knowledge of basic specialized computer programs;
creative approach to everything.

A designer must be able to think imaginatively, use his imagination in a timely manner, be patient, assiduous and have a high efficiency.

Job responsibilities

perform high-quality artistic and design work according to the client’s order;
develop technical design projects;
draw up and approve a sketch;
create an illustration for the text;
create a general style for a website, publication or other project.

Responsibilities of a fashion designer:

develop sample models;
select an assortment of fabrics and accessories;
accompany the process of testing samples;
start production;
track fashion trends.

Responsibility

The designer's responsibility is to:

performance or untimely performance of official duties;
failure to comply with current instructions;
violation of internal labor regulations.

The specialist is also responsible for labor discipline.

Designer Permissions

The designer has the right to:

obtaining information that is necessary to complete tasks;
providing proposals to the administration regarding the improvement of its work and enterprise;
making decisions that are within your competence;
requirement from managers to ensure normal working conditions.

General characteristics of the profession

Who is a designer? A designer is a person with artistic abilities, which he realizes through the creation of beautiful creations.

At the moment there are quite a lot of directions in design.

Apartment designers work to plan apartment buildings. Interior designers come up with an exclusive image inside the apartment itself.
A clothing designer creates sketches and collections of clothing. Incredible masterpieces and new trends are created and dictated by these specialists. It is to them that we should be grateful for new clothing models.
Designers have become quite popular in advertising, because each type of product requires a special approach.
One of the most popular areas in design is a graphic designer. This is a creative and interesting profession. Computer innovations helped her move to a new level, and the talents of specialist designers and their creativity became the basis for the development of websites, layouts, printed materials, packaging, and other materials in various areas of life.
The volume of cottage construction is increasing, and, accordingly, the projects of landscape designers are increasing. These specialists are becoming in demand.
The youngest, but quite rapidly developing branch of design is web design. The number of Internet users is growing rapidly, and their desire to have their own websites and advertise products is also increasing, and this leads to a huge demand for specialists in this field. At the moment, the work of web designers is the most highly paid.

The word design is translated from English as design. It is design that has become the basis for absolutely every branch of design.
The needs of society determine the tasks of designers, and not at all the impulse of creative people. Bringing other people's ideas to life can be very difficult. Therefore, designers need to be patient, friendly and inspired.
When hiring designers, the main criterion is the portfolio. Interviews may even take place in silence. High-quality and creative samples of work are the best indicators.
The ideal way to declare yourself as a worthy designer is to participate in various exhibitions and competitions. This way you can significantly increase your earnings.

Professional skills and abilities
A fashion designer must have the following:
ability to draw by hand and in graphic editors;
know the basics of design;
master the technology of tailoring;
be an experienced PC user;
have good command of office equipment.

Very important skills for any designer will be: prompt and effective solution of assigned tasks, diligence, responsibility and communication skills.

Personal qualities of a designer
These specialists must have the following qualities:
observation;
creative thinking;
developed imagination;
communication skills;
mobility;
patience;
ability to work in a team;
sense of tact.

A good designer must be able to concentrate on two sides of an object: the outside and the inside: details, essence and functionality.

Design career
The demand for the designer profession was, is and will always be at its best. Its relevance and popularity are also increasing every day.
If a designer constantly improves himself, masters new techniques, attends various trainings and seminars, and gains experience and knowledge, then he is guaranteed a brilliant career.
Also, a specialist’s career growth depends on how branded the products of the company where he works are. After all, if it is recognizable and has a good reputation, then it is much easier for a designer to gain popularity and high income. And soon the opportunity may arise to start working for yourself.

Places of work
There is no shortage of designer vacancies in modern times. They are invited to work:
light industry enterprises;
fashion houses;
salons or studios;
design studios;
clothing production;
experimental workshops.

Talented designers can eventually open their own design studio.
Earnings
How much does a designer earn?
So, a novice designer gets about 100 dollars in Ukraine.
A specialist with about a year of experience already receives about $200.
And designers who have a higher education and more than three years of work experience earn from $400.
In Russia an experienced specialist earns on average 600 dollars.

A designer's salary is based on the following factors:
region;
experience;
the level of education;
skills and abilities;
fame.

If the designer has managed to earn a name and grateful clients, then he can engage in private practice and regulate his own flow of clients and income.

Education required for a designer
To become a professional designer, it is not enough just talent and zeal; you also need to receive a special education.
Today, there are specialized schools and educational institutions where future designers are trained in this craft.
You can also complete design courses, but the most effective thing is to graduate from a higher educational institution.
When choosing an educational institution, you need to remember that there is no universal designer, and there cannot be. Each designer is a professional in a particular direction of art.
New materials, methods of creating images, and various techniques appear and are improved every day. All this requires constant training and self-improvement from a specialist, because he simply must go hand in hand with new trends.

How to become a designer yourself
If the word designer excites you, but you don’t have the opportunity to study in this specialty, then don’t despair. After all, there are ways that will bring you closer to your goal.
To become a graphic designer yourself, you need:
Learn to see.
Learn to draw.
Start learning colors, fonts, grids.
Go to learning the basics of graphic design.
Study literature related to your area of design.
Sign up for master classes, seminars, online design courses.
Master Photoshop or other graphics programs.
Articles written

It is human nature to surround yourself with not only comfortable, but also beautiful things. Naturally, such things do not appear on their own, because even if a person knows what this or that thing should look like, he has no idea how to bring his vision to life and make sure that the creation is not only beautiful, but also functional. And this is where a designer comes to the rescue - a professional who knows exactly how to harmoniously combine beauty, usefulness and convenience.

It is common for a person to surround himself not only with comfortable, but also with beautiful things that can reflect the inner world of their owner and give a feeling of comfort and coziness. Naturally, such things do not appear on their own, because even if a person knows what this or that thing should look like, he has no idea how to bring his vision to life and make sure that the creation is not only beautiful, but also functional. And this is where it comes to the rescue designer- a professional who knows exactly how to harmoniously combine beauty, usefulness and convenience.

In other words, a designer embodies our fantasies, dictates fashion trends, and makes our lives more beautiful and comfortable. Almost every thing that we use today (regardless of whether it is clothing, office supplies, cars or interior items) is the result of the work, first of all, of the designer, and only then of the manufacturer. Therefore, it is not surprising that the profession of designer today is considered one of the most popular and highly paid specialties, and thousands of yesterday’s schoolchildren dream of getting it.

So who is he, a designer? What pitfalls await young design professionals on their professional path? Where can I get this profession and is it suitable for everyone? We will try to answer all these, as well as many other questions, within the framework of this article.

Who is a designer?

A designer is a specialist responsible for the artistic design and construction of objects, things and elements of the environment. The main task of any designer is to create a beautiful and at the same time comfortable living environment.

Name designer profession comes from the English word design (project, plan, drawing), which united all specialists in one way or another connected with improving the human environment. The history of the emergence of the profession goes back to ancient times, when humanity first realized the importance of convenience and ergonomics of household items and tools. However, in its modern form, the profession was formed only in the 19th century, when the need arose for numerous replications of products, and therefore for the development of prototypes, projects, drawings, models, etc.

Today, the design profession includes about a dozen narrow specializations: landscape designer, web designer, clothing, interior, furniture designer, etc. It is noteworthy that there is no “universal” designer, since each professional thoroughly masters the skills of only one (maximum two) specializations. This is explained very simply - each direction of design has a huge number of its own characteristics, knowledge of which predetermines the level of professionalism, and therefore the quality of work. Accordingly, a true professional cannot physically master knowledge of all areas of design at the same time.

Of course, designer responsibilities are largely determined by the direction of the design. However, regardless of specialization, the responsibilities of the designer include: development of the concept of appearance and selection of materials for the manufacture of products, development of technical documentation (drawings, sketches, diagrams, working designs, layouts, etc.), assessment of the significance and competitiveness of the designed products , studying the technical capabilities of manufacturing products, monitoring the implementation of the project and providing advisory assistance.

What personal qualities should a designer have?

A designer is, first of all, a creative profession, so it is impossible to imagine such a specialist without creative abilities and a subtle artistic taste. It is also mandatory for a designer to have the following personal qualities:

rich imagination;
developed visual-figurative thinking;
accurate spatial eye;
excellent sense of style;
perseverance;
communication skills;
self-criticism;
accuracy;
stress resistance;
creativity;
observation.

Well, since the designer is a bit of a technical specialist, professional designer He will only benefit if he has such qualities as an analytical mindset, a predisposition to master the latest technology and the ability to create not only visually attractive, functional and ergonomic, but also cost-effective products.

Advantages of being a designer

If you ask any designer what the advantages of his profession are, then in response you will definitely hear a spatial story that this work allows you to show your creative abilities and receive aesthetic pleasure from the result. Of course, there is a great deal of truth in this. But this factor is not the only one advantage of being a designer. After all, a modern designer is:

the ability to work both in the office and at home, in the country, in nature, on vacation - in general, anywhere where you can use your own computer with the necessary set of programs;
demand - humanity will always strive to improve its standard of living and environment, which means the need for designers will constantly grow;
high level of payment - even a beginning designer in Russia on average can count on a salary of 30-40 thousand rubles, and the higher the level of professionalism of the designer, the higher the amount of payment he can claim.

The “right to make mistakes” can also be considered an undoubted advantage of being a designer. A designer is one of those few professions where mistakes do not have catastrophic consequences, and they can always be corrected.

Disadvantages of being a designer

It is not difficult to guess that the profession of a designer has not only advantages, but also disadvantages. And almost all designers cite the main disadvantage of their profession as limiting the flight of creative imagination to the limits of the customer’s desires. In addition, sometimes designers have to implement projects that they themselves can only call tasteless. But this is the desire of the client who pays, so you have to “step on the throat” of your own aesthetic taste and create products according to the customer’s requirements.

Despite the fact that from the outside designer's work It seems easy, interesting and varied, but in fact it is very complex, painstaking and even boring. From time to time, creative crises occur, which instantly affects the financial well-being of a specialist. There are also periods when you have to work in emergency mode, and then you have to forget that normal people have weekends and holidays.

And most importantly, sometimes it’s not enough just to realize the customer’s fantasies. You also need to convince him that the designer did exactly what the client wanted. And this is much more difficult than implementing even the most daring project.

Where can you get a design profession?

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To date become a designer possible both in universities and in secondary specialized educational institutions. If you already have a higher or secondary specialized education behind you, but you want to get an additional profession, then you can study to become a designer at special courses or at one of the higher design schools.

By the way, many talented world-famous designers began their careers as self-taught. However, even the brightest talent, like a diamond, needs to be “cut,” so you shouldn’t neglect formal education (especially since all famous self-taught designers sooner or later go to improve their skills at universities). To date the best design universities in Russia are considered:

Moscow State Art and Industry Academy named after. S.G. Stroganov;
Russian State Humanitarian University;
Institute of Contemporary Art;
Institute of Business and Design;
Moscow State University of Design and Technology.

The main difference between design and what non-professionals understand by it is this: design does not end with appearance. Find out all the features of the profession: where to get training, how and where to get a job, features of the work process, demand in the labor market and much more.

Demand

Payability

Competition

Entry barrier

Prospects

Designer is a serious, complex and endlessly interesting profession.

Designs for the consumer

The main difference between design and what non-professionals understand by it is this: design does not end with appearance. Let's take the appearance of a person: hidden behind it is a complex organism with thoughts and feelings. So, looking at the result of design work, a layman sees only a picture, a designer sees a ton of work behind it.

What does a designer do?

The designer designs. It constructs a world for the user - convenient and attractive. He knows what is designed well and what is designed poorly. Someone needs to decide this. Imagine that this someone looks at the drawings of the spaceship, touches the wiring, sits in chairs, puts on spacesuits, breathes oxygen - and puts his signature: “Checked. Approved. Everything is good, convenient and safe.” This man thinks like a designer. The main task of a professional is to transform into the person to whom the design is addressed and decide what is good for him and what is bad.

Everyone expects from a designer beauty, style, lightness, energy - meaning by this the picture drawn to the consumer on the packaging of the TV. But what does a packaging designer actually do? He makes a tool for storing goods. Essentially, any design item is a tool. If the tool is useless, it means that the design was not even used here. The box for storing goods should be beautiful and attract attention; be convenient for storage in a warehouse, store, home; comfortable to carry; it should have readable and convenient symbols for quick search in the warehouse and in the catalog. Will the packaging be light? Wouldn't it take up a lot of space to be transported in a container from the other side of the world? Is it possible to save money on this? Will it get wet if you carry it in the rain? What is it like to put goods in it, take it out, put it back again? How much material will it take to make it? How expensive, environmentally friendly and technologically advanced is this material? How attractive is he? Maybe it will be an innovative polymer or cardboard, without images and inscriptions? Is it labor-intensive to make packaging from such material? How much time and money will it take? Is this packaging recyclable?

Get a sought-after profession

UI designer

Master the design profession included in top 10 most popular in Russia. Formation of the interface: from searching for ideas to implementation. Hierarchy of a design project: from creating a composition, building typography and a modular grid to a unified visual style.

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UX designer

Studying the user audience and its needs. Creating an interface that improves the user experience. Research-based design and prototyping of interface solutions. Formation of a holistic understanding of the product.

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Interface design

Basic elements of the user interface, psychophysiology of perception, data collection and analysis, UX and UI design, Customer Journey Mapping, design tools, assessment of the quality of user interfaces, work in groups at workshops.

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Web Designer

Tools for a web designer, modular grids, design and prototyping, adaptive design and preparation of layouts for layout, composition, color, typography and visual hierarchy in web design, project management systems, presentation of work and portfolio preparation.

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The designer answers himself a million questions, makes a lot of decisions, and foresees everything. If he thinks only about beauty, he will not make good things - and that is what he does: a designer creates good things. Many things. Every day. He makes a decision: how will people get to work tomorrow? Will the patient be saved? Will Apple sell a billion copies of its new laptop? Will everyone know in the morning that the clocks have been changed? Is it time to modify traffic lights to save dozens of lives at a treacherous intersection? Or maybe your toaster will tell you the news tomorrow and remind you to take an umbrella?

I will repeat myself and am ready to repeat myself a hundred times: design is not art, not a picture, not an appearance. The designer creates a solid structure, a frame. Each subsequent job is a new task, interesting and challenging.

Solving this problem is your responsibility. You can invite an illustrator, photographer, programmer or psychologist to help, or you can do everything yourself. You can make a book cover incredibly attractive or revolutionary in convenience, you can invent a bicycle that costs a dollar or make one in an unexpected shape - but you have to make the cover and you have to make the bike. Which tool you use - the mathematical mind or feelings and taste - is up to you.

Industrial and graphic design

Industrial or industrial design (industrial design) is one of the most interesting areas in the profession. Create a new thing - your own - and release it around the world; making it cheap, durable, economical, environmentally friendly, beautiful and as convenient as possible - these are the tasks of an industrial designer. A car, a vacuum cleaner and even a paper clip, that is, industrial products - this is the life’s work of an industrial designer.

The work of a graphic designer is sometimes more boring, but varied. And in it, unlike industrial design, an animated person can more easily express himself - by following simple technical rules, he will have complete freedom of action. A graphic designer creates a lot of things: packaging, print and online advertising, logos and corporate identities, websites, magazines and books, CD and DVD covers, navigation systems (signposts) and infographics (diagrams and graphs), presentations and advertising brochures , newspapers, even computer game interfaces. What a graphic designer does not do: he does not draw (there are illustrators for this), does not write slogans and press releases (this is the task of a copywriter), does not deal with business plans and sales (this is the prerogative of a manager), does not repair or maintain computers ( system administrators reign here), does not make films (this is done by cameramen and directors), does not program websites (webmakers are responsible for this), does not place advertising (there are advertising managers for this). All these skills are useful and are sometimes applied at the will of the designer, if it is beneficial to him in a particular case. However, they have no right to impose them on him.

A designer does not draw - should a designer even be able to draw? I’ll answer the question with a question: does a doctor need to know anatomy? Design exists in visual categories; the ability to draw is the only way to understand from the inside the processes of creating visual space. We are not talking about high artistic skill: the designer is only partly an artist. Drawing skills are precisely this part. The agility of a self-taught person is not enough here, however, an art school will not help much. A university education or private lessons will provide a much higher quality of drawing, thereby bringing you closer to understanding your future work. The practice of drawing will develop a sense of form, light, color, proportions, composition - and will also instill skills in working with materials and will contribute to the development of artistic taste. The ability to draw is useful to varying degrees in different areas of graphic design; When it comes to industrial and technical, fashion and interior design, illustration, photography, 3D graphics and visualization - the skills of a draftsman are directly required. Design is not drawing, there are art academies for artists, but handicraft skills should not be written off as scrap: the Japanese, Poles, Iranians are all handmade designers and are all held in high esteem. The drawing itself is just a tool among others; You can choose it, or you can not choose it. The main thing is not to put it ahead of the essence of the design task.

Orders and money

A superficial attitude towards the specialty and the Russian “be your own designer”, widespread among customers, drives down prices. Therefore, companies often hire self-taught incompetents who create hundred-dollar “masterpieces.” The same ones we see on signs, in magazines, in packaging, in advertising - everywhere. After all, someone did all this. Someone who considers himself a designer. Low qualifications are not uncommon. To become a designer, it is not enough to just study at a university or just have work experience. You need to work, study at a university, study independently outside of the university (there are plenty of websites and books around) and at the same time love design, and not everyone accomplishes such feats. So this work in Russia is assessed in proportion to the overall level of professionalism - not high.

Despite the fact that pseudo-specialists are content with hundred-dollar orders, and customers with the resulting hundred-dollar work, there are also European-level prices, and they are accepted among real design specialists. Prices in a good studio start, for example, from 1,500 euros per logo. Some work is easier, some is more difficult; corporate identity for a medium-sized company can cost either 10 or 20 thousand euros; a website for several tens of thousands of conventional units will not surprise anyone. The amount of an order from well-known freelance designers can greatly exceed these values. However, it is necessary to realize that this money is not allocated for “beautiful something” or even “nothing”: good design requires a lot of work, equally mental and manual, a lot of time and the work of a number of specialists. Professional marketers, copywriters, photographers, illustrators, technical designers, programmers, flashers, technologists, 3D and visualizers, psychologists are involved in serious work... There is no “all in one” here: the designer quickly finds his own narrow specialization and sticks to it; His specialization is why he is valued.

However, there is no such thing as unsuitable work - there is an unprofessional approach to work.

For a professional, every task arouses interest and game excitement, solving a new unusual problem spurs him on, long-term monotonous work trains the will and consolidates skills.

For everyone, of course, there are topics that he will never tackle, but I can’t imagine a designer who, as luck would have it, is approached only by religious sects, political parties and pirates (religion, politics, crime - a standard set of taboos for a designer).

The professional environment is ambiguous. Quite often, people in design think more about themselves than about their work - and produce mediocre design, thereby leaving Russia on the outskirts of the world. But not everything is so hopeless. You just have to keep in mind that there will be another obstacle that needs to be overcome; there will be resistance, there will be windmills - and there will be Everest to climb. We are strong and brave. We are young. Finding a large order is a very real task. Serious businessmen-customers well understand the importance of a professional solution to a design problem, since it is the design that directly affects the quality of the product, its demand, the cost-effectiveness of production and transportation, and, in general, profit.

Who is the profession suitable for?

Only a strong and purposeful person will become a designer; a passive and whining person will be overshadowed. Don't believe in cheap education; Don’t think that the ability to draw is everything. There will be a lot of boring disciplines. You also don’t need to assume that they will teach you everything: the professionalism of a designer is, first of all, artistic taste, visual experience, erudition, the ability to think original, soberly and quickly. None of this can be taught - you can only learn it. But the university will provide you with quite fertile soil for independent growth.

Where to study

Design education requires dedication. Design does not tolerate lazy people. Don't confuse design with illustration or photography, with advertising or website creation. Do not choose design if you have not entered another specialty: you will quickly get tired.

A number of universities, not necessarily well-known, offer a high level of design education. It is not difficult to distinguish them. It’s enough to come to exhibitions (they are always in the halls of universities) and ask yourself: is what I see applicable in life? The exhibits are always works made in the spirit of a given educational institution and, from this point of view, considered the best at the university. They apply in life - great. But if you didn’t notice anything other than beauty and shockingness, no matter how much you looked, then this university teaches beauty and shockingness, and not design at all.

As a rule, people who teach design well are people with a modest character, specialists with a narrow profile who, in addition to teaching, have a design practice (I met such people only three times).

Alas, teachers sometimes misunderstand the essence of design, and as a result, in the catalogs “Best Packaging Design” or “Best Industrial Design” we see a lot of work, although nice, but, alas, not best suited for the consumer, and therefore unprofessional. Their accurate diagnosis is a product of the university. Creative, famous, charismatic people harm the design learning process. They don't always know how to teach. Even if he has taste and has his own point of view, the star will consider it beneath his dignity to argue in its favor - and will simply try to impose it on you by constantly evaluating your work. Grades will set the student on the wrong path - and after graduation, the skills acquired there will not be applicable, and such a graduate will not be able to work at all.

How training is structured

A year before admission, preparatory courses begin. Even if you don't know how to draw, a year's lessons with a teacher can help you get the hang of it. It is also worth taking preparatory courses at this university in composition. Firstly, they will get used to you, and secondly, often during this period of study time the fundamental course of the so-called propaedeutics is shifted. In general, composition (which will be called propaedeutics, introduction to the specialty, design, engineering, and engineering) is the main subject. It is in these classes that you will receive 60% of all useful information - if you are lucky with the teacher.

After the preparatory courses, you will have to take exams. Traditionally, this is a creative competition (average grade from exams in drawing, painting and composition), Russian (USE) and foreign languages - orally. Exams in creative disciplines go like this: drawing and painting are given a simple set-up and given two days to create a masterpiece, 4 hours per subject. (Other options are 6 hours, the exam is taken in 1 day, etc.) The composition is taken in one day. You cannot take away the work: everything is sealed along with the audience.

In the first two years, interesting subjects and assignments will involve you in your specialty, and the teachers will try to instill in you their taste and dispel the stereotypical thinking that has stagnated in us throughout our entire studies at school. Getting a person to think original is quite a difficult task, and when you are asked to depict hatred or melancholy using only squares of black cardboard that cannot be torn or painted, you really think about the fact that you have been thinking flatly until now. Throughout your training, you will be taught computer technology - you will have to master a completely new set of programs - as well as drawing, painting and, of course, composition.

In the third year, you will begin to study special subjects in more depth. Things will become more interesting and fun: competitions, exhibitions, first work will begin... However, you should not forget that all artistic specialties require a six-year education, and design is no exception. You can limit yourself to a bachelor's degree, but then you will waste four years of your life: it is simply impossible to fit a voluminous program into such a short period of time.

The diploma is defended in the sixth year. The task is to reproduce a large project - for example, to develop a design for a glossy magazine. According to the general opinion of all graduates, only if you start work in advance can you complete everything on time. Start it in the fifth year and you will be rewarded: your classmates will fall behind simply because they started when they were supposed to - in the sixth year - and did not have time to give their projects the final shine.

If you successfully defend your diploma, you will probably receive a recommendation to continue your education at this or other educational institutions - and this will even allow you to study for free. Some universities send you for an internship abroad, others give you a job assignment... However, remember that it is not the diploma, but the acquired knowledge that will work for you, and only willpower and hard work will help you save the world.