Hot Jobs In Design

Career World, Oct, 2001 by P. Gregory Smith

From scissors to cell phones, design is part of your life. Find out how to make it part of your future too.

"Any artist will tell you that it's their dream to be paid for being creative," says David "Scruff" Belson. "That's why I love my job!"

Creation in Animation

Belson, who works as an animation designer in Boston, didn't start out as a designer. "I have a degree in audio engineering," he says, "which has helped me to be detail oriented and focused on the end product." Belson adds, "In both audio and animation, you need to see where you're going, or else it's a mess."

After working as a clerk in a used record store and as a bicycle messenger, Belson landed a job at Howie Green Design, a small design firm. "I work as part of a team of six designers," he explains. "Each of us specializes in a particular process; my specialty is Flash (a computer program for the Web) animation." Belson has recently completed a Web site project for a college and has designed animation for everything from music videos to mental health training spots on the Internet. In his spare time, he also hosts a weekly program on the Boston College radio station and maintains his own Web site.

Surprisingly, Belson has no formal training in animation. "I played with programs and learned," he explains, "and I learned the most from my mistakes."

While he loves the diversity of the projects he designs, Belson is concerned about keeping up with new developments. "For every wonderful thing I create, there's always someone out there trying to do a better job," he says. "You need to stay current with new cultural trends and new software, or else you're in trouble."

Designers Are Everywhere!

For every object, from skyscrapers to sneakers, there's a designer involved in the development process. Designers generally specialize in one of four categories of design work, each tied to the category of product they design. These are fashion design, industrial design, graphic design, and architectural design. Designers in all fields value creativity and functionality, however. Many people in this career area work for small private design firms, some work for large corporations, while others are self-employed. Frequently, designers work in partnership with engineers.

All designers need to have a good understanding of art concepts, and they must be able to communicate their designs to others. Often that means they need to master sophisticated computer software such as Computer-Aided Design (CAD) programs, and be able to give presentations to customers. In addition, designers must always keep in mind the needs of the people who will use their products, so that the end result is usable as well as attractive.

Always in Fashion

Who wouldn't want to be the next Donna Karan, Calvin Klein, or Tommy Hilfiger? While top-name designers come to mind when we think about fashion design, there are thousands of relatively little-known fashion designers in the United States who create the clothing, footwear, and accessories that we wear every day.

Most fashion designers work for apparel manufacturers or clothing stores and specialize in categories: children's clothing, sportswear, or fashion accessories, for example. Some fashion designers are self-employed and create one-of-a-kind designs for individual clients. All fashion designers must have a good understanding of fabric and other materials, as well as an excellent sense of style and an awareness of current trends. A career in fashion design usually requires a two- or four-year college degree in fashion design.

Designing Things

"Industrial design is a great career because it touches on so many areas: toys, sneakers, kitchen gadgets," says Karen Griefer. "You can design anything!"

After graduating from the Massachusetts College of Art with a degree in industrial design, Griefer found a job in a large computer manufacturing corporation. She was assigned to the tough problem of making computer cases attractive and functional. "The corporation had guidelines that prevented me from designing anything too sassy or splashy," Griefer explains. "I also needed to consider engineering specifications and factors like ease of removal and replacement."

Griefer solved the problem by working with the two air-intake panels. "I think I created a look that gave the computer a different edge," she says. "[The case] was visually interesting and made the product stand out."

Industrial designers like Griefer use their creativity to make products appealing, attractive, and user-friendly. While industrial designers work with all kinds of products and packaging, they usually specialize in a type of design, such as automotive, aeronautical, or electronics. These designers frequently collaborate with engineers and must have a good understanding of ergonomics (the coordination of design specifications with human factors), as well as a good sense of what is artistically attractive. Most industrial design jobs require a four-year college degree.