What Designing Is All About... Designers are people with a desire to create. They combine practical knowledge with artistic ability to turn abstract ideas into formal designs for the merchandise we buy, the clothes we wear, the publications we read, and the living and office space we inhabit. Designers usually specialize in a particular area of design, such as automobiles, industrial or medical equipment, or home appliances; clothing and textiles; floral arrangements; publications, logos, signage, or movie or TV credits, interiors of homes or office buildings; merchandise displays; or movie, television, and theater sets.
The first step in developing a new design or altering an existing one is to determine the needs of the client, the ultimate function for which the design is intended, and its appeal to customers. When creating a design, designers often begin by researching the desired design characteristics, such as size, shape, weight, color, materials used, cost, ease of use, fit, and safety.
Designers then prepare sketches-by hand or with the aid of a computer-to illustrate the vision for the design. After consulting with the client, an art or design director, or a product development team, designers create detailed designs using drawings, a structural model, computer simulations, or a full-scale prototype. Many designers increasingly are using computer-aided design (CAD) tools to create and better visualize the final product. Computer models allow greater ease and flexibility in exploring a greater number of design alternatives, thus reducing design costs and cutting the time it takes to deliver a product to market. Industrial designers use computer-aided industrial design (CAID) tools to create designs and machine-readable instructions that communicate with automated production tools.
Designers sometimes supervise assistants who carry out their creations. Designers who run their own businesses also may devote a considerable amount of time to developing new business contacts, reviewing equipment and space needs, and performing administrative tasks, such as reviewing catalogues and ordering samples. Design encompasses a number of different fields. Many designers specialize in a particular area of design, whereas others work in more than one area.
Fashion designers design clothing and accessories. Some high-fashion designers are self-employed and design for individual clients. Other high-fashion designers cater to specialty stores or high-fashion department stores. These designers create original garments, as well as those that follow established fashion trends. Most fashion designers, however, work for apparel manufacturers, creating designs of men's, women's, and children's fashions for the mass market.
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