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U. S. Job Market for Interior and Other Professional Designers Remains
Bright Through 2010 says Dept of Labor
by Paul Richard, RFC
 Interior
design employment prospects are bright in the United States, and brighter
perhaps than some other areas of design work in America, this according to
a jobs outlook report prepared by the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of
Labor Statistics. Things seem to be booming all over the job spectrum from
corporations, to the smaller design firms to government and quasi
government organizations.
Jobs may be so plentiful in the interior design fields, that many, if not
most, of the
top interior design schools are telling incoming students they can
almost guarantee job placement upon successful completion. Europe is also
apparently experiencing a similar increase, and demand is high for
students trained in American
interior design schools. Companies and organizations all over the
world are actively seeking newly qualified interior designers.
According to a report from U. S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor
Statistics:
"Overall, the employment of designers is expected to grow faster than the
average for all occupations through the year 2010. In addition to those
that result from employment growth, many job openings will arise from the
need to replace designers who leave the field. Increased demand for
industrial designers will stem from the continued emphasis on product
quality and safety; the demand for new products that are easy and
comfortable to use; the development of high-technology products in
medicine, transportation, and other fields; and growing global competition
among businesses. Demand for graphic designers should increase because of
the rapidly increasing demand for Web-based graphics and the expansion of
the video entertainment market, including television, movies, videotape,
and made-for-Internet outlets. Rising demand for professional design of
private homes, offices, restaurants and other retail establishments, and
institutions that care for the rapidly growing elderly population should
spur employment growth of interior designers.
The report stated that designers in America held about 492,000 jobs in
2000 (the latest year figures are available). About one-third were
self-employed. Otherwise, employment of designers was distributed as
follows:
Graphic designers 190,000
Floral designers 102,000
Merchandise displayers and window trimmers 76,000
Commercial and industrial designers 50,000
Interior designers 46,000
Fashion designers 16,000
Set and exhibit designers 12,000
A quality, professional education in design is essential for success. The
Department of Labor further reports that: "Creativity is crucial in all
design occupations; most designers need a degree, and candidates with a
master's degree hold an advantage." (For more information on the programs
available, click on one of the professional design schools listed on this
site. All Design Schools
Interior Design Schools).
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The Labor department says that "Keen competition is expected for most jobs,
despite projected faster-than-average employment growth, because many talented
individuals are attracted to careers as designers." Its the quality education
(many listed/linked here) that will give candidates an edge.
Some designers, all top authorities in their fields, were interviewed for an
article that appeared in I.D. Magazine/October 2002, indicated that companies
are hiring globally, however, many of them see students trained in the United
States as having more traditional design skills. All seem to agree that most
design schools are doing an adequate job of educating designers as designers and
preparing them for exciting careers both here and abroad.
One designer who heads her own, successful firm recently described the job
prospects for new designers as a "moveable feast" There seems to be plenty of
work everywhere. Many designers who were quoted in the
same I.D. work for major corporations, and they seem to indicate a preference
for students who come from schools that have a large number of their faculty
members who are also practitioners. It seems that students who are exposed to
teachers who are also in practice outside of school get better insight to the
more practical, idea side of design as opposed to just becoming proficient in
utilizing the tools of the trade, such as AutoCad.
Recruiters often talk about the students shortfall in their portfolios too.
They'd like to see more pencils sketches of ideas and how they flow into a story
of a product idea. Instead some students don't see their portfolios as a
demonstration of their own ideas and thinking, and so they fill their résumé's
with a focus on their skill at using the various tools over ideas.
Students and graduates, according to the article, who have not drifted from the
free hand sketches are the ones who seem to catch the recruiters eye. "The
portfolio that contains nothing but computer generated images doesn't provide
the sense of emotion that a designer puts into an idea," was the observation of
Seth Banks, a global designer for GE Medical Systems.
Learning also what to include and exclude form your portfolio is another outcome
of a good design course. Mr. Banks thinks your portfolio "should read like a
short story," he told I.D. Magazine. He continued saying "it needs to grab your
attention, develop a plot in a very few pages and make you want to read more."
According to Ruth Levine, of Ruth Levine Designs, "An interior designer's key
responsibilities are vision, understanding the client's brief, delivering beyond
expectations and addressing the client's needs to create an aesthetically
appealing and functional interior environment, on budget and on time. Interior
designers need to work within a design, construction and marketing team to
achieve our outcomes." Professional training is a fundamental requirement for a
career in interior design. To get started now in a career in Interior Design,
click on one of the school links.
"Interior designers are trained to create holistic solutions to the interior
environment. They work from the inside out from planning, bricks and mortar,
through to designing the furniture, the finishes and furnishings of interior
spaces," Levine added.
Getting a good foundation in design is what its all about. Just going to a
decorator's class doesn't cut it because you won't learn about essential things
like building codes, engineering requirements or graphic design, all of which
are critical to a successful career as an interior designer.
The Department of Labor's summary says: "Designers work in a number of different
industries, depending on their design specialty. Most industrial designers, for
example, work for engineering or architectural consulting firms or for large
corporations. Most salaried interior designers work for furniture and home
furnishings stores, interior designing services, and architectural firms. Others
are self-employed and do free-lance work-full time or part time-in addition to a
salaried job in another occupation. Set and exhibit designers work for theater
companies; film and television production companies; and museums, art galleries,
and convention and conference centers. Fashion designers generally work for
textile, apparel, and pattern manufacturers; wholesale distributors of clothing,
furnishings, and accessories; or for fashion salons, high-fashion department
stores, and specialty shops."
For more help in getting started on your new career as an interior designer,
click on one of the
schools of interior design listed on this site.
