This is for the Young Designers who are Creative but confused about which field to take up. Also for the Businesses to analyze whom they need to collaborate with.
When I started posting on LinkedIn, the first thing I wanted to express was how different design fields are and what difference they make. There are few overlaps between these areas. An innovation is combination of three components design, business and technology.
Art
Fine arts
3D Modeling & Rendering
Design
Product Development
Communication Design
Apparel Design
Space Design
Business
Design Management
Product Management
Technology
Engineers
Scientists
Arts & Crafts: They are mediums to define our culture. Even before we had language we had Artforms to communicate. The cave paintings at Ajanta-Ellora depict the same. Over the years we had different ages and we have developed our Art forms in a much-sophisticated manner. Today we have arts that are displayed by a 3-year-old on a wall or a famous painting in any exhibition. There are courses designed to pass on knowledge about these arts with different courses.
Fine arts: It is the study & making of visual works of art. It can be in the form of dancing, paintings, photography, film, architecture, etc. In diploma, Undergraduate or Postgraduate courses available today students are taught to express themselves through different mediums. Mostly focused on Visual representation like painting, sculpting, and ceramics.
“The main aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but also their inward significance”. -Aristotle
3D Modeling & Rendering: Some artists work on virtual media. The modelers and renderers can play different roles. These artists use different software and expertise in them. They work on different kinds of projects and provide visualization for different projects related to animation, space visualization, Product visualization, etc.
Design
Product Development: Product development is a team effort involving different skillsets. The design process involves Empathize
Define, Research, Sketch, Design, Implement, Evaluate, Iterate. Sometimes these steps are carried out by different teams, sometimes it is carried out by the same person.
Design Research: Research is a very important aspect of designing. Every project consciously or subconsciously starts with research. Layman calls this Market research, but there is a deeper approach to it. When a business starts there is a statement which goes as," I noticed a gap in the market that is... " or " I noticed there is a huge demand of..." This research when done professionally can reduce the chances of the business wandering off to nowhere. There are many methodologies known to designers to understand the needs of the user empathetically. Today, there are lots of startups coming up, and just market research is not enough.
Don't create product and then ask consumers to buy them, Analyze what consumers are demanding and Design for them.
Industrial Design: I studied product design for my bachelor's and I have tried my best to understand the difference between these two terms. And the only thing I have been able to conclude is Product design is a subset of Industrial design. To my best understanding, an Industrial designer has a better understanding of manufacturing processes. And they are more inclined toward tangible products. (There is a difference between Industrial designers and Industrial design Engineers.)
Mechanical Engineers: A technical knowledge for making an image into reality. They work on the feasibility aspect of a design. They take care of the product's feasibility as well as manufacturing.
Product Design: A new product goes through an analytical process and relies on a problem-solving approach to improve the quality of life of the end-user and its interaction with the environment. It is about problem-solving, visualizing the needs of the user, and bringing a solution. They can further specialize in the following areas:
Toy and Game Design, Defense Design, Transportation & Automobile, Furniture Design, Ceramic and Glass Design
Interaction Design:
Computer Engineers: It is very difficult for me to explain this in one title. It comprises Computer science engineers, IT engineers, Electric engineers, Embedded engineers, Software engineers, Hardware engineers, etc... The engineers who work with the electrical aspects of Design, that is wiring, PCBs, Codes, etc.
UX Designers: It is focused on the process of enhancing user satisfaction with a product by improving the usability, accessibility, and pleasure provided in the interaction with the product or service. It is a myth that it is limited to digital products, it is about the overall experience of the product. A user experience design is more inclined towards design thinking.
Retail Design: Ikea, Cosco, and Target are a few examples of Retail design. Designing the experience for retail space. It is focused on designing a great experience for shoppers in space and displays for improving the retail experience.
Communication Design: The design that communicates the information to the user, and viewer efficiently. Communication Designer uses creative design principles to create marketing strategies.
Information Design: Instead of reading large documents, using visual storytelling to explain the information more readily. The most important goal for information design is the clarity of communication. The simplest example is how we use graphs and charts. I found this wonderful blog on Interaction design by Kai Tomboc at easel.ly
Graphic Design: Graphic design is a subset of communication design where graphic designers create characters and communication designers sew them into stories. They apply elements of design to visually appeal to the users.
UI Design: A User experience designer works on improving user interaction by using the product similarly User interface designer works on the visual aspects of the product. The user interface designer ensures that the visual elements of the design interfaces. There are three main types of UI Design.
Graphical user interfaces (GUI), Voice-controlled interfaces, Gesture-based interfaces
Film and Video: The Film and Video Communication discipline aim to transform students into versatile, design-informed directors, fluent in the conception and production of films for a range of educational, cultural, social, entertainment and marketing needs. (source nid)
Photography Design: A subpart of motion photography, that is films are still photographs. A picture can tell a thousand words. Similarly, a photographer can capture an image so well that they express their emotions through the image. There are lots of principles and methodologies for taking a picture better than anyone taking a filtered image from their mobile phone. There is a lot of knowledge that goes on in taking a good image.
Here is an Instagram page where I upload pictures taken by me, my_work_collection.
Exhibition Design: It is a component of space design that involves preparing a good experience for the people walking through the space. They communicate a wonderful story through a space such as museums, galleries, trade shows, thematic interior-design environments and scenography for festivities, cultural and theatrical events, environmental branding and signage systems, experience design, and virtual museums/environments.
Animation Design: They communicate stories through motion graphics using materials or digital media to create characters that don't exist. The movies that we call cartoon movies are animated movies with cartoons as a form of representation. There are also several stop-motion movies. I love the idea of how the lego movie was created. It is the art of creating special effects and other designs for various forms of media, including video games, movies, and even social media posts.
Apparel Design: The most famous design field fashion is part of the huge umbrella of Apparel Design. The field is dedicated to the look and feel of a person. Every user has a different personality and dresses in particular attire to express themselves. A villager, businessman, student, teacher, or government official, everyone has different attire to express or to be comfortable in their workplace. Also, the clothes we wear on a working day are different from clothes when we are going for a picnic. Also, the attire we have in the daytime and nighttime are different. It may be your tailor or a ready-made shop that designs products that might suit you. The clothes you keep aside like who would wear such clothes are also useful for someone else. When I mention clothes I also want to mention accessories that complement them and all this is part of Apparel Design.
Lifestyle Accessory Design: It is expected to study design methodology, consumer behaviour and market dynamics trends. Other componetnts of acessory design is to study past, apply today and forecast future of the industry using materials and production processes, business practices. It is not confined to the lifestyle of the person only for dressing aspect, but also about the lifestyle in the space. The way a person and their surrounding express themselves. It involves jewellery, shoes, footwear, bags and many more. They are efficient in the use of different material also known as CMF (Color, Material and Finish).
Textile Design: The science behind the fabric. The design and development of a fibre to fabric and infusing different geometry into a garment are all the works of a textile designer. There might be two methodologies either to make a pattern, knitting the fabric in such a way that it forms unique patterns or print, to apply patterns onto a flat fabric.
Fashion Design: As it is a widely used design term I would use a simple wikipedia defination. Fashion design is the art of applying design, aesthetics, clothing construction and natural beauty to clothing and its accessories. It is influenced by culture and different trends, and has varied over time and place.
Space Design: This might not be a specific domain, but I wanted to group the designing in the land or area available to us humans on earth. I can understand how this could be confused with the outer space and I am looking for a better word. I have already mentioned space in 3D Modeling & Rendering, Retail Design, Exhibition Design, Lifestyle Accessory Design. But in this section I am more focused on the specifics of Architecture related domains. They all are closely related and can work well together. With an example of a building, an architect works on the development and design of a building with a proper understanding of codes and authority, civil engineer implements the ideas, Interior designer makes the functionality as well as aesthetics of the house consider the sample house in the building, Whereas an Interior decorator acessorise the place to beautify.
Interior Design: An Interior designer makes the indoors Funtional, beautiful and safe for the users. They understands the necessities of the consumer and provide solutions for making their life easier. They create pleasing spaces by assessing space requirements, determining optimal furniture placement, and selecting decorative items, all while adhering to relevant blueprint, building code, and inspection requirements.
Interior Decoration: An interior decorator has responsibility of making the place aesthetic. They do not study the technical knowledge needed to make changes in foundation of the house. They are limited to assesorize the rooms appling the visual principles of design.
Architects: An Architect is a professional who turns building design into reality. They develop concepts for structures and then work with engineers to make sure those designs can function as desired in their intended setting or project goal. They also study the surroundings and weather condition of the area they are assigned to design and develop in such a way that their creation lasts longer.
Civil Engineers: Along with architects, civil engineers work on various projects such as constructioon of roads, bridges, buildings, tunnetls, etc. They have responsibility of designing, managing and constructing of such projects.
Business:
Design Management: In every business there are Management roles, to understand what design roles needs to be carried on in a project, it is required a person with the knowledge of both design and Management/business. Their goal is to ensure that design is going as expected by the business strategy.
Product Management: They also overlook the design process similarly to the design management, but are more inclined towards the management than design aspects.
Technology
Engineering: They use math and science to solve different technical problems. Their main duties include developing new products for companies or individuals to use, providing maintenance to current products to enhance use and designing new machines to improve an organization's efficiencies.
Scientists and Researchers: someone who systematically gathers and uses research and evidence, to make hypotheses and test them, to gain and share understanding and knowledge.
In my first blog, I conveyed a Story of design and innovation this time I want to explain different design roles and others connected to them. Please comment below if I missed someone or made any mistakes. I will update and revise this based on my learnings. Do share your views to help budding designers understand more effectively.
Hello, This is Sukoshi Nagar. A Multidisciplinary designer. I am willing to share my thoughts on Design and Innovation. Please Subscribe to receive notifications when I post. I am planning to post a blog monthly.
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