With the increase in demand for designers, many students want to make a career in the field. A Balasubramaniam shares tips that may help them in the long run
Design has become the career of choice for many a candidate, in the recent past. Design education offers an exciting new opportunity for all kinds of students as it straddles science, technology, art and aesthetics in equal proportion.
Design in India is a very old activity but a very young profession. In addition, like all things young, the profession has spawned several faces. There is the face of professional product designer, competing with global designers in increasingly global markets in making better cars, watches and phones. There is the face of the graphic designer creating Brand India by giving a visual identity to Indian businesses. There is the craft designer who is re-interpreting traditional handlooms and handicraft products and processes to suit urban spaces and international markets. An interaction designer is piggybacking the IT revolution, by developing user-centric, digital products. There are also designers becoming brands that are slowly making progress in marketing their names on products and services. Emerging in the horizon is the thinker-designer who is seen to be increasingly applying the process for bettering hospital administration and making drinking water, safe. Moreover, there is the strategic design manager, who is sitting in boardrooms and creatively putting together businesses.
This is the result of the design education in India that has been inherently generic and broad-based. Much of this is now, changing. Not all institutes offer these options. Therefore, it is wise to choose the area of work that excites you and an institute of choice that would feed this excitement.
Know what you want: It is important to look deep into yourself, to understand what you want. Are you a technical tinkerer? Do you enjoy solving product-related problems? Are you the kind who is visually literate? Do you instinctively react to good websites or apps? Are you comfortable straddling different areas of work? Do you lead a digital life? All these could point to different disciplines of design.
Know your institution: Many design institutes offer conventional disciplines of Design that tend to slot you into pre-determined domains. Some of these institutes may offer programs that were relevant 50 years ago. The curriculum should reflect the changing times and must be current according to what the industry requires.
While initially there were not many courses available for designers, education has come a long way. Today, many eminent universities offer cutting-edge education, tailor-made to suit the varying nature of the industry. It is in-depth and innovative programmes include, product design, interaction design and interdisciplinary design.
Know the contents: It is prudent to check the contents of a design programme to ascertain how relevant is it in today’s climate. Are the courses cutting-edge? Do they include the rapid technology changes? Are there labs and workshops that can help you learn? Are they career-oriented? Do they prepare you for real-world experiences? Are the courses wired to industry needs? Do the programmes help you understand your interests or are they slotting you into domains that you do not care about?
Prepare for a design career: If you think, design is your thing, then start preparing for it. Learn to communicate, through sketching, drawing, photography or even articles. Begin observing things and people around you. Become a detailed person: understand the intricacies of objects and spaces. Be creative in whatever you do. Start putting together a sampling of all your creative endeavors’. Arm yourself with the knowledge of the profession. Meet designers in the field. Observe how they work. Visualise your career.
Explore the prospects: Designers have excellent career options that can take you to pinnacles of success. The new-age professionals include:
Product designer: This designer works with new materials, processes and technologies to create new products for the masses. Whether it is a phone with a foldable screen or a vacuum cleaner with precision cleaning, this designer delights the user with re-imagined products.
Interaction designer: This is the new professional, who creates delightful digital experiences and products. This could be physical experiences as in robotics or digital ones like a fitness app.
Interdisciplinary designer: The T-shaped professional who explores the width of the domains and ends up with one specialisation. Found in most start-ups and small businesses, these designers can design a brand, publish a book, design a launch event, and put together an exhibition and the website for the same.
Design entrepreneur: The creative designer who has a business idea can become a brand to be reckoned with. They become start-ups and are armed with entrepreneurial spirit and business acumen.
Future of design: Design itself is also evolving from being a mere form-giving activity of the 1960s. The future of design is all-pervading. Designers will be expected to take on leadership roles and have to become more disruptive, responsible and inclusive. Sustainability will become the mantra for the future of design. Imagination will become paramount and creativity will be the key to solving world’s problems.
To remain significant in the future, educational institutions will have to focus on creating this talent. Find new ways of delivery. Go online. Make students collaborate. Be geography-agnostic.
The writer is Dean, Institute of Design, JK Lakshmipat University,Jaipur
