Creative & Design Jobs | Jobs Classifieds

Creative and design jobs are many and varied. The following is a discussion of some of the careers available, with comparisons between prerequisite qualifications, training, prospects, salaries and working conditions.

TEXTILE DESIGNER
Textile designers create fabrics used for producing clothes, car upholstery, curtains, furnishing fabrics or carpets. The work involves researching for ideas and inspiration, experimenting with colour / texture, considering the properties and uses of particular textiles and producing sketches and samples. Liaison with customers, for approving samples of completed items, is required. Textile designers use computer-aided design (CAD) software.

Prerequisite Qualifications
There are no minimum qualifications. However, practically, most textile designers have a Higher National Certificate / Diploma (HNC / D) or a degree. For the HNC / HND, minimum requirements are one "A" level in art and design subjects; for a degree, minimum of two "A" levels, plus five GCSEs (grades A-C). Course admissions tutors expect to see a portfolio of design work.

Training
The Chartered Society of Designers (CSD) offers seminars in its continuing professional development (CPD) scheme. Delegates are awarded a certificate on completion of each seminar and CSD members are also awarded CPD points. Members achieving 100 CPD points in one year are awarded a Professional Practice Certificate. NVQ Level 3 in Design is also available. City and Guilds offer the Certificate in Design and Craft at Level 3.

Prospects
Textile design is a very competitive. Relevant experience and contacts in the industry are essential for finding work. Even well established designers can go out of fashion. However, the textile business is one of the largest in the world, and there should always be a demand for creative, talented people.

Salary
Newly qualified designers earn between �11,000 and �18,000 a year. Experienced designers can earn between �20,000 and �32,000. Design directors earn between �25,000 and �40,000 a year. Freelance designers are paid a fee for each commission.

Working Conditions
Textile designers usually work normal office hours from Monday to Friday, although additional hours might be required to meet deadlines. Freelance and self-employed designers set their own hours.

FASHION DESIGNER
Fashion designers design and make clothes for:

Haute couture: A prestigious field producing unique creations for exclusive clients.
Designer ready-to-wear: Produced by the same haute couture houses and bearing the all-important designer logo.
High Street Fashion: What most of us wear, with the more fashionable items often based on the latest ready-to-wear collections.

Prerequisite Qualifications
Normal entrance is after taking a degree or HND in fashion. In England and Wales, entrants to these courses usually complete a national diploma or foundation course, lasting one or two years. For these you would generally need five GCSEs, and sometimes an "A" level, although some foundation courses would accept you with relevant experience and a good portfolio. In Scotland, degree courses take four years. The first year equates with the foundation year in England and Wales, and introduces you to general art and design. Pre-entry experience is highly desirable, as experience of any kind in a design studio can only enhance prospects. Retail experience can also be useful.

Training
New designers must be prepared to work in a junior position, before gaining promotion. Developing contacts in the industry and gaining experience will quicken this process. Career progression usually means moving to a new employer--from design room assistant, the lowest level job that is actually in the design room, to assistant designer, designer and even head designer.

Prospects
Competition for places is fierce. 33% of fashion graduates do not get a job in fashion design, although they may work in fashion journalism or as stylists or buyers. Womenswear is both the biggest sector of fashion design and the most competitive. Childrenswear and menswear are less difficult to break into. A portfolio, demonstrating your ability to design for your target market, is critical.

Salary
Starting salaries are around �14,000 to �17,000 a year, rising with experience to anything from �25,000 to �55,000. Top design directors earn �100,000 or more.

Working Conditions
Deadlines, pressures and anti-social hours can intrude on private life, working through the night to prepare latest creations. Otherwise, Monday-Friday, 9 to 5, is usual.

INDUSTRIAL / PRODUCT DESIGNER
These designers use their creative craft and engineering skills to design and shape products of almost any sort, from domestic appliances to automobiles and aircraft. It involves making improving existing products, or designing, modelling, testing and producing prototypes of new products. Either way, designers must have a thorough understanding of materials, production processes and the potential market.

In addition to creative work, designers must make presentations to senior colleagues or clients, in bidding for a contract. They also liaise with professionals in production, finance and marketing, to discuss appropriate production processes, costs and other commercial issues.

Prerequisite Qualifications
Always read job specifications very carefully, as job titles can be misleading. Some organisations emphasise engineering-related skills, and an engineering qualification is required. Others look for artistic and creative input, without expecting any specialised engineering knowledge. On the technological front, a degree or HND in an engineering discipline with design content would be relevant. On the creative side, a degree or HND in a subject such as spatial design, 3-D design or product design would be desirable. Courses that include a relevant industrial placement can be particularly useful.

Training
Training is mainly on the job, in areas such as Computer-Aided Design (CAD) and product knowledge. Designers are required to enhance expertise through in-service training (to acquire specialist knowledge of equipment and software) and further study. There are specialist-training organisations offering workshops and short courses tailored designers' needs, in areas such as project and time management and effective negotiating skills.

Prospects
It should be possible to progress to a senior designer post in a large organisation, where the variety of specialised roles permit such progression. A few large consultancies may be able to offer similar opportunities but, typically, opportunities in smaller consultancies are more limited and progression may only be achieved through movement between employers. There is a significant demand for experienced designers, especially those with experience in specific areas and a thorough understanding of technology.

Salary
Earnings vary considerably but typical starting salaries range from �16,000 to �20,000. With experience, your salary should increase from around �26,000 to �41,000. You could earn in excess of �60,000 as a senior consultant.

Working Conditions
The role requires a flexible attitude to working hours in order to meet deadlines or to resolve design difficulties. Although extra hours should be expected, these would not normally include weekends or shifts.