Profession "designer". Where do you study to become a designer? Types of the designer profession

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 can be 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 acquire 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.

He is the creator of the world around us. This is due to the fact that design is present in all spheres of life of a modern person. There are several areas in this area, which also have their own specializations. Professions related to design are very diverse.

The activities of an industrial designer are divided into the following categories: design of household appliances, furniture, vehicles, tools, mechanisms, tools, machines and much more.

Depending on the chosen direction, a person is engaged in selecting visual characteristics and developing the appearance and configuration of the product.

An interior designer deals with the artistic design of buildings and premises. He creates a unique style that fills a home, apartment or office with a certain energy and aura.

The use of various accessories and design elements add personality to any room. An interior designer is a creative thinker. It harmoniously combines a variety of decorative items and maintains the color and semantic style while working on the project.

Marketers, PR managers and advertising agency workers use design elements in their profession. Business plans, ceremonies, programs require design. Their appearance plays a huge role during implementation and often the success of the event directly depends on it. Therefore, in this area, design elements are often used to implement various projects.

Graphic designers have a wide range of activities. Artists and graphic designers work in printing, art and periodical publishing houses, and design trademarks.

They develop and design projects using graphics programs on a computer. In addition, using graphics, they create mock-ups of various items and select the best option for their design, taking into account the wishes of the customer.

Computer design has become a separate area of ​​graphic design. Specialists in this profile work on creating three-dimensional computer images, 3D animation and presentations. Their services are used during the shooting and design of films, animation and computer games.

A landscape designer is engaged in the design, reconstruction and creation of artificial and living plantings, plots, parks and gardens. He uses his knowledge and puts it into practice in landscaping the area.

Creates various compositions from plants and is engaged in floristry. He selects plants, taking into account their compatibility and the conditions in which they will grow. Also, a specialist in this profile also deals with landscaping.

Architectural design is a major part of the work of an architectural engineer. This is a creative profession that requires an artistic approach and abstract thinking. Developing architecture projects requires a lot of work and knowledge. Any work begins with a sketch, but in order to realize all his plans and ideas, the architectural engineer needs to involve many more different specialists.

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, both 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 take on, 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 graduating from a university, the skills acquired there will turn out to be inapplicable, and such a graduate will not be able to work at all.

How training is structured

Preparatory courses begin a year before admission. 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.

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.

Interior design, interfaces, virtual reality, interiors, clothing. Industrial, graphic, industrial design - this profession has dozens of specializations, and therefore dozens of categories of specialists. Professional specialization leaves an imprint on the employee’s capabilities: a web interface designer will not be able to visualize a residential building project in 3D and create a concept for a future car unless he acquires additional skills. This profession is covered in many rumors, myths and stereotypes. Let's find out the truth about her.

Designer - who is it? Description of the profession

A designer is a specialist in creating models of the surrounding reality. It can be real or virtual, it can be brought to life or remain a concept.

The designer does not draw - the artists draw. At the same time, he uses drawing as a tool to visualize ideas and projects.

The main difference between a specialist and an artist is the practical application of his work. A painter can depict any surreal interior and he doesn’t care what furniture is placed there or how. The designer pursues other goals - people will live in the interiors he designs.

Therefore, to obtain a profession it is not enough to graduate from art school - you need vocational training and specialization. At the same time, society is constantly trying to level out the value of a specialist’s skills, because every second person is “his own designer.” People take 2-week courses, master the basic functionality of the 3D max program and create interiors that are impossible to live in. Customers pay for their work, see the horror on the builders’ faces and receive uncomfortable, non-functional, impractical premises, losing confidence in the profession. If you decide to get a specialty and show professionalism, you may join the fight for quality design, which is so lacking in all spheres of human life.

Types of design and responsibilities of specialists

The designer’s range of tasks is limited not only by his professional skills, but also by his chosen specialization. Of course, you can master 2, 3 or more areas, but this is extremely difficult to do. Do you often meet surgeons who are also pediatricians? Most likely no. Although both specialists are doctors, the area of ​​activity determines the specialist’s responsibilities. It’s the same in design. The most popular specializations are:

  • Interior designer. By profession, ordinary people understand the ability to select and beautifully arrange furniture in a room. Sometimes - choose wallpaper. “Specialists” who have completed 10-day courses see this in their tasks. In fact, the profession of an interior designer is much more complicated. The ideal direction for training is designer-architect. The interior is everything that's inside. Not only furniture and decoration, but also lighting, communications, architectural groups. A specialist must create not only a beautiful, but also a functional interior. He must think about the decoration, furniture, location of lighting fixtures, passage of communications and installation of equipment. He must develop the concept of a room in which it will be convenient to live or work, which will solve the assigned tasks.
  • Web designer or interface designer. One of the most in demand professions. Have you noticed how websites on the same topic with approximately the same structure can differ from each other? On some, everything is clear and accessible, on others, it is impossible to find the necessary information, and even a phone number. Design is the first thing a user sees on a website, a visual reflection of the functionality and positioning of a web resource. Here it is not enough to create a beautiful picture - it is important to consider how the site will be laid out when transferring the layout to the frontend developer, how user-friendly it will be, how the functionality will be implemented, how the company’s corporate style will be presented, and how page conversion will be achieved. The profession of a web designer requires an understanding of the principles of the site and the implementation of options. Here you need not so much to be able to draw beautifully as to know the basics of development. It is very important to be able to communicate not only with clients, but also with programmers.
  • Graphic Designer. De facto, this is a specialist who creates the shell. Typography, corporate identity and logos, navigation systems, visual solutions for packaging and media are the most popular areas of activity. The key task of the shell is to fulfill its purpose. Attract, sell, promote the brand. At the same time, it is necessary to remember the practical significance of each item. How convenient this packaging for chocolate or a box for chocolates will be, how it will be implemented in industry, whether the selected colors and fonts will be pleasing to the eye of the beholder, whether the corporate style will become recognizable - all this depends on the specialist, his talent and professionalism.
  • Landscape designer. In fact, he also performs the tasks of the designer, being responsible for the complex creation of the landscape. And at the same time, it is necessary to possess the skills of an agronomist, engineer and artist. How convenient the landscape will be from a practical point of view, how communications will be carried out, whether the given aesthetics will be individual and harmonious, whether the flowers, trees and shrubs recommended for planting will ultimately take root - a specialist must answer each of these questions.
  • Industrial designer. This is industrial design, which is responsible for the implementation of projects for large-scale production. A striking example is the automotive industry. Once a car design is developed, it will influence the fate of millions of people who buy it from the manufacturer. Here it is important to take into account not only aesthetics, but also engineering systems, ergonomics, practicality, and compliance with functional features. Industrial design is inseparable from reality even when creating concepts for which science has not yet found the necessary tools for implementation.

These are just the most popular and sought-after destinations. The design certainly doesn't end there.

Moreover, many areas are just emerging and will receive intensive development. If a fashion designer (clothing designer) is the present, then the creator of a virtual habitat is the near future. Each of the areas of the profession is relevant and promising. According to experts, interest in specialties will only continue to grow in the coming years.

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Where to get a designer profession? TOP 5 Universities

It wouldn't hurt to graduate from art school, but if you didn't do it in a timely manner, it's okay. It will provide significant advantages only before admission, where drawing and composition are usually included as an exam. However, many universities are moving away from this - it is necessary to clarify the list of entrance tests in advance. To obtain a professional education, it is better to choose a reputable university that provides training in specific areas.

  1. St. Petersburg State University.
  2. Moscow State University named after Lomonosov.
  3. St. Petersburg Institute of Design and Arts.
  4. Moscow University of Design and Business.
  5. St. Petersburg Polytechnic University.

The rating should not be taken as the ultimate truth, since much depends on the specialization. It is better to study interior design at a university with, web interfaces - with an emphasis on IT, clothing - with an emphasis on creative and artistic specialties. At the same time, the authority of domestic universities does not determine future success, which cannot be said about. Fashion designers trained in France and Italy, or industrial design specialists trained in Germany, have significant employment advantages.

What personal qualities should you have?

  • Logical thinking. You will not create a picture, but projects of reality. Therefore, it is important to be able to think logically and take into account many aspects within the framework of specialization.
  • Individuality. It combines with creativity and helps generate unique ideas that make your design individual and recognizable.
  • Attentiveness. One mistake made in web design will result in sleepless weeks for the layout designer, and in creating interiors - a complete violation of its functionality.
  • Perseverance. You won't become an artist who can wait years for inspiration - you will work within a strictly defined deadline. Therefore, it is important to have perseverance and efficiency.
  • Developed intelligence. It is important to be able to penetrate the direction in which you are engaged and understand what will reflect and visualize your design.

How to build a career and achieve success

The presentation of a profession immediately loses its attractiveness and the image of “pure creativity” if it is filled with semantic realities. Think about the meaning behind a typical large company logo, as it is a very expensive corporate property (think Nike or Mercedes-Benz). Behind the approved picture there are complex marketing research, analysis or creation of a corporate identity, dozens of ideas thrown into the trash and hundreds of sketches.

You can do this only if you do not create illusions and perceive the design as a picture. You need to receive a quality education within the chosen field and continue learning throughout your life. It is necessary to master a lot of software and technical tools, in particular illustrators and visualizers - specialists have not worked with paper for a long time.

Ideally, if you manage to get an education at an elite foreign university. If not, settle for an affordable university or college, continue your professional development, and strive to gain as much experience as possible. Learn from your own mistakes, don’t stay in one job, attend seminars and trainings, and take part in professional competitions. Connect with the global community, explore trends and trends while maintaining your own individuality.

Pros and cons of the designer profession

This specialty has many advantages and disadvantages. Many of them are conditional, most apply only to employees with little experience or frankly average qualifications. That is why we will pay attention to the average pros and cons in order to be at least somewhat objective in the analysis.

pros designer professions:

  • A sought-after, relevant and promising profession.
  • Decent wages for qualified specialists.
  • Unlimited opportunities for making good money freelancing.
  • Interesting, somewhat creative work.
  • A real opportunity to improve the surrounding reality.

Minuses designer professions:

  • Complex work that requires industry understanding.
  • Often subjective, incompetent assessment of work.
  • Low salaries for specialists without a name, qualifications, or experience.
  • Lack of instructions for solving specific problems.
  • Almost always long working hours.

It is worth noting that it is subjective assessment that is noted by most experts as a key drawback of the profession.

Even with extensive experience and high qualifications, you will constantly encounter misunderstandings on the part of customers, engineers and builders. Even specialists whose works have been repeatedly noted by the world community cannot avoid this.

How much do designers earn in Russia and abroad?

Salary depends on the field of profession, experience, degree of proficiency in software and technical tools, region, personal brand and many other factors.

The amount in any case will be the “average temperature in the hospital.” However, indicators can serve as guidelines. On average, Russian specialists receive 33-35 thousand rubles, in Moscow - 37-43 thousand, in the regions the minimum wage is 12-15 thousand rubles.

Interface designers (90-100 thousand) earn the most, followed by 3D designers (93 thousand), web designers (85 thousand), interior designers (73 thousand), furniture (65 thousand) and landscape designers (62 thousand). Specialists from European countries almost always earn more. If we consider the same interface designer, then in the USA he receives on average 3 thousand dollars a month, in Canada - 2.7 thousand, in Germany 3.9 thousand euros.

Summary

When students in grades 7-9 write an essay on the topic “My future profession is a designer,” they do not always realize the completeness of the specialist’s tasks. Before entering a university, study the pros and cons. Understand that this is not only drawing - it is, first of all, designing reality, real or virtual. This is complex work that often does not receive an objective assessment. You will need experience, constant training and long-term work on your personal brand to succeed.