A designer is a person who designs things; usually, however, they are also a person who conceptualizes the objects designed. A designer has the creative ability to turn abstract notions into concrete thoughts. A designer is usually involved in the planning and development of something – such as a building or an institution – but they may also work on the creative aspects of things.
Designers are employed by architects, building contractors and private persons wishing to create something beautiful or original. A designer is also called a principal designer, a project director or a project manager. A principal designer is responsible for coming up with a blueprint or design work program, which will show the layout and placement of objects in a particular room or building. A design is the blueprint or vision of an object or structure, presented in a detailed and artistic manner so as to enable someone to visualize the end product.
A designer can work independently in his/her own firm or be employed by a principal contractor, a domestic client or a public sector company. Domestic clients typically hire designers for specific projects such as interior decorators, roofers or furniture makers. Public sector companies typically hire designers for architectural, engineering, architecture or structural works. A designer can also work independently in his/her own studio or with a small team of designers and other staff. Many designers begin their careers by working for a domestic client.
Designers follow two general theories followed by their employers: functional and structural. A designer will base most of his/her decisions on the analysis of human factors and their relation to the physical environment. These factors will include space, time, cost and complexity of the project. Functional designers concentrate on solving practical problems by rethinking the assumptions underlying a particular process or product design. Structural designers to translate these theories into realistic designs and the resulting layouts are used by mass production.
Both functional and structural theories followed vary according to the scale of the project and the type of the project. Large projects typically require both structural and functional designers. Small projects, such as those that address aesthetic or social concerns usually only need a structural designer. The theories followed by the industrial design team also depend on the project type.
A graphic designer is someone who combines the aspects of art and science in order to create products or works of art. Their interaction with others forms the basis of graphic design work. Graphic designers often have specialties, such as advertising designers, web designers or visual designers. Their interactions with others forms the basis of interaction design work. Interaction design work involves the creative process by which a graphic designer directs a user to a predetermined outcome, whether this outcome is something that is intended by the designer or something that actually happens in real life. A visual designer coordinates the interaction design work.
