How to become A Design Manager

• Design Coordinator
• Design and Build Managers
• Principal Designer

What do Design Managers do?

A Design Manager would typically need to:

• Use creative and managerial skills to ensure the multidisciplinary teams working on a project deliver quality graphic and digital designs per the prescribed time and budget
• Employ unique planning and problem-solving techniques in creating products, services, brands, and marketing strategies that satisfy customer needs and business objectives
• Create an innovative design brief that meets the client’s specifications, business needs, industry standards, safety norms, time and budget limits, and legal requirements
• Make sure their clients and team members understand the context, mechanisms, and outcomes underlying the design brief 
• Monitor the work of relevant multidisciplinary teams of design professionals to make sure the project is completed as per the schedule
• Assign tasks to different team members based on their respective skill sets; work across teams to ensure the satisfactory achievement of goals
• Manage client relationships; serve as a single point of contact between all teams and clients
• Evaluate and provide constructive feedback on individual design deliverables and aggregate team performance that need improvement or modification
• Use customer surveys and responses to focus groups as the basis for a comprehensive understanding of design performance
• Supervise the production of physical prototypes or mockups of products or services
• Establish and maintain organisation-wide design standards; review designs for accuracy and relevance, identify issues and initiate corrective actions
• See to it that designs are accessible to relevant stakeholders; document the entire design process accurately and regularly
• Deliver final blueprints with specific numbers and expected outcomes to senior management or the client for approval and implementation
• Train the design management teams on design-related developments and new business guidelines; address their concerns and offer support in a prompt and proactive manner

Design Managers work in clean, comfortable offices with occasional travel to meet clients and attend conferences. They collaborate with various teams, senior management and clients throughout the day via in-person meetings, video conferencing, emails, or telephonic calls.

Full-time Design Managers have regular schedules comprising 40-45 hour work weeks. Depending on project deadlines and organisational needs, they may have to work overtime, weekends, and holidays.

Research suggests that flexible hours and generous telework policies appeal more than salary to the younger generation. There has been an incremental increase in employers willing to give promising employees a chance to adjust their schedules per the work pressure.

Finding a new job might seem challenging. Design Managers can boost their job search by asking their network for referrals, contacting companies directly, using job search platforms, attending job fairs, leveraging social media and inquiring at staffing agencies. Self-employment and freelancing are viable options.

Design Managers are generally employed by:

• Design or Creative Agencies
• Marketing or Advertising Agencies
• Construction or Architectural Firms
• Publishing Firms
• Magazines or Newspapers
• Multimedia Companies
• Professional and Government Bodies
• Startups and SMEs
• Web Development Companies
• Digital Agencies
• Private Sector Organisations
• Public Sector Companies

Professional associations and organisations, such as the Design Management Institute (DMI), are crucial for Design Managers interested in pursuing professional development or connecting with like-minded professionals in their industry or occupation. The DMI organises workshops and offers case studies and webcasts, among other valuable resources.

Professional associations provide members with continuing education, networking opportunities and mentorship services. Membership in one or more adds value to your resume while bolstering your credentials and qualifications.

• Tight deadlines and unrealistic expectations from clients and employers
• Impact of one’s work on the organisation’s profits and business goals
• The constant need to remain creative and come up with innovative ideas that benefit the company
• Being responsible for the productivity and output of other people
• Lack of work-life balance when faced with long working hours
• Susceptibility to health issues due to a sedentary occupation that requires long hours at a computer

Enrollment in an academic programme that includes real-time experience in designing and creating pieces and standard business processes and products would help you realise your ambition to become a well-established Design Manager.

Most aspirants begin their careers as interns, apprentices or entry-level designers - highly coveted opportunities to gain valuable insight into the world of design and improve one’s prospects of getting a permanent position.

Significant experience as a graphic designer, art director, web designer, or project manager would prove advantageous, especially if incumbents inculcate crucial supervisory and managerial skills in the process of leading creative teams.

Designers prefer to spread their professional wings in the fields of interior design, architecture, fashion, graphic design, product design, and UX (user experience) design. On the other hand, interns and apprentices may find creative agencies and relevant industry-specific companies more to the purpose. Regardless of the path chosen, you will develop a deeper understanding of pertinent business practices and models.  

The experience may also help determine whether the public, private or voluntary sector is best suited to realise one’s ambitions. Your educational provider’s career service department can provide information about viable work placements, internships and voluntary work opportunities in diverse sectors.

It is never too early to begin building a well-balanced design portfolio representative of your work, goals, and achievements and make your presence known in a highly competitive industry. Proficiency in popular design software, such as Photoshop, Illustrator, Sketch, InDesign, Coreldraw, XD, After Effects, or AutoCAD, could help you build a robust portfolio.

Even while in high school, you can check with a teacher or counsellor about relevant work-based learning opportunities available in your school or community that can help you connect your school experiences with real-life work.

Join some groups, try some hobbies, or volunteer with an interesting organisation, so you can have fun while learning about yourself and be directed toward a future career.

Active engagement with the school’s art or design club can help give you a headstart in building a portfolio and improving upon it as you better your skills. 

Read about the profession and interview or job shadow experts in design management to prove your commitment to course providers and prospective employers.

Design Managers must be ingenious thinkers with a corporate shrewdness to help companies increase their revenue through innovative strategies and eye-catching visuals. 

Academic pursuits that include an interdisciplinary approach to a healthy mix of design and business courses would help aspirants cultivate an appropriate mindset. Recommended courses include a design-focused major with a business-oriented minor.

You can imbibe the essential technical skills required for this role through a three- or four-year bachelor's degree in graphic design, fine arts, computer graphics, design studies, business management, drafting and design.

A two-year associate degree or an HND (higher national diploma) in architecture, design and construction management, architectural technology, or advertising may lead applicants with exceptional creative and artistic skills to entry-level roles or corporate graduate trainee schemes. Of equal value are certificates and highly technical graphic design programmes on offer from professional skills schools.

Ideal academic programmes should be a judicious blend of art, computer design, graphics, printing techniques, writing, psychology, marketing, virtual presentation, and computer design software courses.

Although not widely mandated, some employers may prefer a master’s degree in design or business management that equips the candidate with an in-depth understanding of the creative process tempered by a more practical commercial perspective.

Recommended high school courses include psychology, sociology, economics, fine arts, foreign languages, and media studies. English and speech classes can help you with your writing, research and communication skills.

Remember that completing a particular academic course does not guarantee entry into the profession. Be that as it may, your professional qualifications and transferable skills may open up more than one door.

Do your homework and look into all available options for education and employment before enrolling in a specific programme. Reliable sources that help you make an educated decision include associations and employers in your field.

Certification demonstrates a Design Manager’s competency in a skill set, typically through work experience, training and passing an examination. Successful certification programs protect public welfare by incorporating a Code of Ethics.

Accredited design management, business management, project management, visual communications, and leadership certification from an objective and reputed organisation can help you stand out in a competitive job market and become an independent consultant.

Design Managers may also need to undergo an employment background check, including but not limited to a person’s work history, education, credit history, motor vehicle reports (MVRs), criminal record, medical history, use of social media and drug screening.

Performance, experience, and the acquisition of professional qualifications drive the career progression of Design Managers, which may vary depending on where they choose to work. Your portfolio is also vital in showcasing your work experience and ability to lead teams effectively to success.

You may take on larger design projects within the same company and lead larger teams or move to a senior position, such as Creative Director or Chief Designer. 

Design Managers with an entrepreneurial bent of mind may start their own design firm. Others choose to teach, freelance, or consult as alternative career paths after being in managerial positions for a considerable time.

The desire to accelerate career growth and personal development has an increasing number of millennials choosing to job-hop and build a scattershot resume that showcases ambition, motivation and the desire to learn a broad range of skills.

Studies prove that job hopping, earlier dismissed as “flaky” behaviour, can lead to greater job fulfilment. Employees searching for a positive culture and exciting work are willing to try out various roles and workplaces and learn valuable and transferable skills along the way.

Candidates with the necessary leadership and management skills, design experience, and relevant education have the best job prospects for becoming Design Managers.

Continuing professional development (CPD) will help an active Design Manager build personal skills and proficiency through work-based learning, a professional activity, 

formal education or self-directed learning. It enables the regular renewal of desirable certifications.

Attention to detail, effective communication, project management, creative and critical thinking, adept listening, problem-solving, team management, and inspirational leadership are professional skills that must be constantly honed for sustainable occupational advancement.

Attend online courses, professional workshops, and seminars, engage in peer learning, and network with experienced colleagues to stay abreast of the latest trends in graphics, typography, design software, design history, pop culture, counter-culture, and the zeitgeist of social tastes, politics and current affairs. Such experiences also help you specialise and find a niche to garner professional growth.

Your location may offer an MBA-level diploma for experienced Design Managers who wish to understand better how brands work and create value for clients.

Current Scenario

The employment outlook of a particular profession may be impacted by diverse factors, such as the time of year, location, employment turnover, occupational growth, occupation size, and industry-specific trends and events that affect overall employment.

Design Managers can expect employment prospects to grow at an average rate over the next few years, subject to economic well-being and the demand for new products and services in their region. 

However, the increased usage of digital technology in diverse industries foretells a distinct need for innovative designers who can create eye-catching visuals and competent Design Managers to lead them. 

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Potential Pros & Cons of Freelancing vs Full-Time Employment

Freelancing Design Managers have more flexible work schedules and locations. They fully own the business and can select their projects and clients. However, they experience inconsistent work and cash flow, which means more responsibility, effort and risk.

On the other hand, full-time Design Managers have company-sponsored health benefits, insurance and retirement plans. They have job security with a fixed, reliable source of income and guidance from their bosses. Yet, they may experience boredom due to a lack of flexibility, ownership and variety.

When deciding between freelancing or being a full-time employee, consider the pros and cons to see what works best for you.

UX Holds the Key

A worldwide bid to provide a better customer experience and ensure consumer loyalty has businesses clamouring for optimal use of UX in their products and services. Design Managers who can apply current UX trends and best practices in the context of the consumer mindset will be able to create user-friendly goods and services. 

Customer is King

Elements of design can help businesses stand taller than their competitors concerning their products and services, and branding. With design management influencing every aspect of the company, from product development and launch to operations, Design Managers can help foster healthy customer relationships and loyalty, streamline organisational processes, and increase sales in a time- and cost-effective manner.

Grow with the Client

Design Managers who earn the trust and confidence of important clients through creating and successfully implementing innovative designs are valuable assets to the company.

Design and Development Go Hand in Hand

Collaboration between design and development teams is critical to the satisfactory creation of products and services that match end-user expectations and demand effective communication to succeed. 

Types of Design Management

“Design” is a blanket term covering various mediums, disciplines, and processes. It can also apply to strategies, decisions, and plans.

Brand design management is responsible for the company’s message and how it gets projected through design (via font, colour schemes, graphics, tone of voice on social media posts, website landing pages, and more).

Business design management includes defining problems, researching and brainstorming potential solutions, building and testing prototypes and mockups, and adjusting them according to the business needs. It strives to improve organisational efficiency.

Engineering design management is similar to business design management, just more technical when engaged with areas such as manufacturing or system design.

Product design management focuses on developing and launching products. It involves building relationships with internal and external collaborators to meet business goals.

Service design management is concerned with the services used by customers. It researches the relationship between everyone using the service and how the design will meet the customer’s needs.

Consumers are more attracted to website designs embellished with photos and images, colours, and videos, with pictures and images laying claim to the greatest appeal.

With an eye for design, a knack for collaboration, and a taste for entrepreneurship, you can work to become an accomplished Design Manager focused on designing products that will redefine the future and customer experience in creative ways.

Upskill yourself constantly. Keep up with the latest trends in the industry—network with other designers and design management professionals. Visit museums, galleries, conventions, and events that help boost your knowledge about art and design. Awareness is your biggest strength.