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Design Occupations

Job holders in this unit group plan, direct and undertake the creation of designs for new industrial and commercial products, stage sets, and other areas.

Wages

New workers
AVERAGE
Experienced
£14,057
£26,491
£47,934

New workers start around £14,057. Normal pay is £26,491 per year.
Highly experienced workers can earn up to £47,934.

Available jobs

In the past year there were 29,077 vacancies for this type of job

5.81%

Projected job growth over the next 8 years

Related courses

People work towards these careers by taking these courses at college and uni.

What they do most days?

  • Define, design and implement a creative visual merchandising strategy.

  • Create many types of special effects make-up, which can include prosthetics.

  • Observes and manages intellectual property issues.

  • Specifies materials, production method and finish for aesthetic or functional effect, and oversees production of sample and/or finished product.

  • Undertakes research to determine market trends, production requirements, availability of resources and formulates design concepts.

  • Prepares sketches, designs, patterns, prototypes, mock-ups and storyboards for consideration by theatre/film director, management, sales department or a client.

  • Liaises with client to determine the purpose, cost, technical specification and potential uses/users of product.

Hard Skills

Hard skills are specific, learnable, measurable, often industry or occupation-specific abilities related to a position.

Skills are ranked based on the number of job adverts that list them as required skills.

  • Product Design

  • New Product Development

  • Prototyping

  • Project Management

  • SolidWorks (CAD)

  • User Experience (UX)

  • Figma (Design Software)

  • Computer-Aided Design

  • 3D Modeling

  • Mechanical Engineering

Soft Skills

Soft skills can be self-taught and usually do not necessitate a certain completed level of education.

Skills are ranked based on the number of job adverts that list them as required skills.

  • Communication

  • Research

  • Innovation

  • Problem Solving

  • Detail Oriented

  • Management

  • Sales

  • Planning

  • Self-Motivation

  • Presentations

How do I get a job like this?

People in these types of job started their career paths after studying courses like the ones below.

Routes to this career

See all

Graphic Design

Edge Hill University

BA (Hons) · 3 Years · Full-time · Ormskirk · 09/2025

Tariff points: 112/120

Fashion

Nottingham College

BA (Hons) · 3 Years · Full-time · Nottingham · 22/09/2025

Tariff points: 48/48

Product Design

Coventry University

BA (Hons) · 4 Years · Sandwich · Coventry · 09/2025

Tariff points: 112/112

Interior Design and Styling

Arts University Plymouth

BA (Hons) · 6 Years · Part-time · Plymouth · 09/2025

Tariff points: 104/120

Interior Design

University of the Arts London

BA (Hons) · 3 Years · Full-time · London · 29/09/2025

Tariff points: N/A

Graphic Design

North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College

HND · 2 Years · Full-time · Hinckley · 22/09/2025

Tariff points: 64/64

Graphic Design

Canterbury Christ Church University

BA (Hons) · 3 Years · Full-time · Canterbury · 09/2025

Tariff points: 112/112

3D Design and Craft

University of Brighton

BA (Hons) · 3 Years · Full-time · Brighton · 09/2025

Tariff points: 104/120

Design for Performance

Rose Bruford College

BA (Hons) · 3 Years · Full-time · Sidcup · 09/2025

Tariff points: 64/64

Graphic Design

Liverpool Hope University

BA (Hons) · 3 Years · Full-time · Liverpool · 09/2025

Tariff points: 104/104

Related careers

Interior Designers

Clothing, Fashion and Accessories Designers

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