Career Options in Design & Architecture - Salary, Roles, Growth

Reader's Digest - Innovate, Create, Elevate: Uncover the Vast Palette of Career Options in Design and Architecture with this blog!

Have you ever stood at a crossroads, overwhelmed with options, wondering which is architecture and design a good career? Choosing a career, especially in the vast field of Design & Architecture, feels much the same.

With a kaleidoscope of specialities and disciplines at our fingertips, making that perfect choice can be confusing. Yet, this decision's gravity cannot be understated.

The right career in Design & Architecture isn't just about moulding spaces or crafting designs; it's about sculpting your passion into a legacy. As you embark on this journey, remember: It's not just about where you'll go, but who you'll become along the way.

What Are the Best Career Options in Design & Architecture? 

When we talk about both design and architecture, we can divide the design into six major fields. The major fields of classifications of both fields are as follows: -

1. Architecture
2. Fashion Design
3. Interior Design
4. Product Design
5. Communication Design
6. Textile Design

(1) Architecture - Architecture is both the procedure and the outcome of planning, designing, and constructing buildings or other structures. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often recognized as cultural symbols and as works of art.

(2) Fashion Design - Fashion design is applying design, aesthetics, construction, and natural beauty to clothing and its accessories. It is affected by the culture and different trends and has varied over time and place. 

(3) Interior Design - Interior design is the art and science of upgrading the interior of a building to accomplish a healthier and more aesthetically pleasing environment for the people using the space. An interior designer is someone who plans, experiments, organizes, and manages such enhancement projects.

(4) Product Design - Product design as a verb is to design a new product to be sold by a business to its customers. A very wide amount and effective generation and evolution of designs through a process that leads to new products. Thus, it is a major feature of new product development.

(5) Communication Design - Communication design is a mixed discipline between design and information development which is concerned with how media involvement, such as printed, crafted, electronic media or presentations, communicate with people. Some designers use graphic design and communication design interchangeably due to overlapping skills.

(6) Textile Design - Textile design is the innovative and hi-tech process by which thread or yarn fibres are woven together or interlaced to form a workable, useful, and decorative cloth or fabric which is subsequently printed upon or otherwise adorned.

Check: List of Top Private Architecture Colleges in India

What Are the Emerging Career Options in Design & Architecture? 

There are 24 major fields of Design and Architecture. Above we have mentioned 6 the most pursued or you can say that the 6 fields which are in demand. But here we have mentioned all the major fields of Design.

Major Fields of Design and Architecture	Roles & Responsibilities
Architecture	Developing building plans, liaising with clients and construction professionals, ensuring architectural integrity, and overseeing the construction process.
Ceramic and Glass Design	Crafting usable and decorative items from clay and glass, understanding firing processes, and collaborating with artists or manufacturers.
Knitwear Design	Designing knitwear patterns, understanding fabrics and their behavior, coordinating with production teams, and keeping updated with fashion trends.
Accessories Design	Designing various accessories like belts, bags, hats; understanding materials and production methods; staying updated with fashion trends.
VFX Animation Design	Creating visual effects for movies, TV shows, and video games; collaborating with directors and editors; ensuring seamless integration of effects.
Fashion Interior Design	Designing fashion-inspired interiors, understanding of textiles, trends, and creating functional yet stylish spaces.
Interior Design	Planning and designing interior spaces, understanding client needs, selecting materials, and ensuring functionality and aesthetics.
Toy and Game Design	Developing toys or games, understanding child psychology, safety regulations, and market demands; prototyping and testing.
Apparel Design	Designing clothing items, understanding textiles, coordinating with production, and staying updated with global fashion trends.
Shoe Design	Crafting shoe designs, understanding materials and ergonomics, collaborating with production teams, and ensuring comfort and style.
Exhibition Design	Designing layouts for exhibitions and events, understanding spatial requirements, visitor flow, and display aesthetics.
Web Design	Creating and optimizing websites, understanding user experience and SEO, ensuring responsive and aesthetically pleasing designs.
Product Design	Developing new products, understanding market needs, prototyping, and ensuring functionality and design efficiency.
Transportation Design	Crafting designs for vehicles, understanding aerodynamics and ergonomics, collaborating with engineers, and ensuring safety standards.
Leather Design	Designing leather products like bags, jackets, and belts; understanding leather quality, treatment, and crafting techniques.
Graphic Design	Creating visual content for print and digital media, understanding client requirements, and ensuring brand consistency.
Fashion Design	Creating apparel designs, understanding global trends, textiles, and market needs; collaborating with fashion shows and manufacturers.
Fashion Communication Design	Developing communication strategies for fashion brands, understanding market trends, and crafting effective advertising campaigns.
Furniture Design	Designing functional and aesthetic furniture pieces, understanding ergonomics, materials, and market demand.
Textile Design	Crafting textile patterns, understanding dyeing and printing processes, coordinating with apparel and interior designers.
Jewellery Design	Designing jewelry pieces, understanding precious metals and gemstones, crafting, and ensuring aesthetics and durability.
Animation Design	Creating animated sequences for various mediums, understanding storyboarding, character development, and ensuring smooth animations.
Photography Design	Capturing images, understanding lighting and composition, editing photos, and ensuring visual storytelling.
Mobile Application and Game Design	Designing mobile apps and games, understanding user experience, functionality, and collaborating with developers.

Check: NID Exam Latest News

What Is the Salary Range of Career Options in Design & Architecture?

The table below shows the specialisations' starting salaries and job profiles. This table will help you to think accordingly about which field you should go to:

Design Specialisation	Job Profile	Average Base Salary (Annual)
Interior Design	Interior Designer Interior Decorator Exhibition Designer Set Designer	Rs. 3,00,000 to Rs. 3,50,000
Graphic Design	Graphic Designer UX / UI Designer Art Director Multimedia Artists and Animator Web Designer	Rs. 2,50,000 to Rs. 3,00,000
Automobile Design	Automotive Designer Automotive Engineer Product Designer	Rs. 6,00,000 to Rs. 6,50,000
Web Design	Web Designer Front-End Developer Back-End Developer Web Application Developer Design and Layout Analyst	Rs. 2,50,000 to Rs. 3,00,000
Textile Design	Textile Designer Fashion Stylist Visual Merchandiser Quality Control Personnel	Rs. 4,00,000 to Rs. 4,50,000
Jewelry Design	Jewelry Designer Jewellery Retoucher Jewellery Setter Gemologist	Rs. 3,80,000 to Rs. 4,20,000
Product Design	Product Designer UX / UI Designer	Rs. 6,10,000 to Rs. 6,40,000
Industrial Design	Industrial Designer	Rs. 5,80,000 to Rs. 6,30,000
Toy, Mobile Application and Game Design	Game Designer Video Game Designer Animator Graphic Designer QA Game Tester	Rs. 5,70,000 to Rs. 6,20,000
Fashion Design	Fashion Designer Fashion Stylist Fashion Coordinator Fashion Journalist Fashion Blogger	Rs, 3,60,000 to Rs. 4,10,000
Knitwear Design	Knitwear Designer Textile Designer Quality Control Personnel Retail Manager	Rs. 3,80,000 to Rs. 4,20,000
Leather Design	Fashion Designer Accessory Designer	Rs. 3,40,000 to Rs. 3,90,000
VFX and Animation Design	Animator Graphic Designer Modeller Character Animator 2D Animator 3D Animator	Rs. 2,90,000 to Rs. 3,40,000
Ceramic and Glass Design	Ceramics Designer Ceramic and Glass Designer Product Designer Model Maker	Rs. 2,65,000 to Rs. 3,25,000
Multimedia Design	Graphic Designer Animator	Rs. 3,30,000 to Rs. Rs. 3,80,0000
Architecture	Architect	Rs. 7,00,000 to Rs. 8,00,000

What Are the Entrance Exams to Pursue Career Options in Design & Architecture?

In India, every year, various Architecture entrance exams are conducted by different colleges, universities, and many top institutes. These entrance exams are conducted at various levels, such as state, national, and university levels.

The following are the most popular architecture entrance exams that are conducted to provide admissions to various architecture programs.

1. JEE Main Paper II (Joint Entrance Exam for B.Arch program)
2. NATA (National Aptitude Test in Architecture)
3. HITSEEE (Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science Engineering Entrance Examination)
4. GAT GITAM Admission Test (Gandhi Institute of Technology and Management Admission Test).
5. BSAUEEE (BS Abdul Rahman University Engineering entrance exam)
6. KIITEE (Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology Entrance Exam)
7. AMUEEE (Aligarh Muslim University Engineering Entrance Examination)

Check: Best Architecture Schools in India That You Should Target

Check out the list of design exams for career options in design and architecture:

1. NIFT (National Institute of Fashion Technology)
2. NID (National Institute of Design)
3. FDDI (Footwear Design Development Institute)
4. UCEED (Undergraduate Common Entrance Exam for Design)
5. SEED (Symbiosis Entrance Exam for Design)

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Career Options in Design & Architecture offer endless avenues of creativity that converge with structured innovation. From Graphic Design to Landscape Architecture, the canvas is vast, offering opportunities as diverse as they are rewarding. Remember these key takeaways as you set foot on this dynamic path:

• Diverse Pathways: Design and architecture offer a spectrum of specialities, from interior design to landscape architecture.
• Education Matters: Choosing the right degree program and gaining practical experience are crucial steps.
• Portfolio Power: A strong portfolio showcases your design prowess and sets you apart.
• Networking Necessity: Building connections opens doors to exciting opportunities.
• Continuous Evolution: Embrace technological advancements to stay at the forefront of your field.