Good design is in demand in many industries. There are correspondingly diverse study options: communication, media, product or industrial design as well as game design and visual communication are available.
Giving ideas a form is the central concern of the area of creation/design, which essentially includes product and industrial design as well as communication design.
• Industrial or product design includes the design of consumer goods (e.g. fashion, jewelry, household goods, furniture, packaging, consumer goods), capital goods (e.g. machines, systems, tools, medical devices, work equipment) and vehicles (e.g. cars, rail vehicles, ships, airplanes).
• The area of communication design includes the design of communication media such as newspapers, magazines, brochures, packaging, displays and multimedia. This includes, for example, the production of print templates for advertising, catalogs, customer information, instruction manuals and press products. Equally relevant are the conception, design and creation of corporate designs and media (e.g. advertising videos, games and educational films). In addition to numerous other training areas, it also involves the design of websites or electronic information and learning systems.
Overall, in addition to design and craftsmanship-technical aspects, functional and economic questions also play a role. Digital technologies ensure that designers’ design options are becoming increasingly diverse.
The range of courses in this area is extremely broad and ranges from audio design, game design, photography, communication design, media design, fashion design, product design, industrial design and jewelry design to textile design.
- The course content sometimes differs significantly depending on the course of study. In the undergraduate subject of product and industrial design, the following modules are on the curriculum: representation techniques; design history; color, shape, composition; art history; Material and manufacturing technology, media techniques CAD and DTP; Technical communication and drawing basics.
- The Communication Design/Visual Communication major covers the following: audiovisual language; color, shape, composition; Photography; Basics of communication design; interaction/interface; art, culture and design history; Typography; visual language; drawing basics.
In advanced studies, knowledge and skills can be expanded and specialized accordingly.
Artistic and creative work samples, for example in the form of an artistic portfolio, are often mandatory. Sometimes there are also assessment procedures to check personal suitability or internal university selection procedures. Some universities also require relevant preliminary internships of varying lengths.
Designers work in design studios and offices, in advertising, media and multimedia agencies as well as in development and construction departments of companies. Media and communication designers work primarily in advertising and public relations, but also in new media. Industrial and product designers find employment in the consumer and capital goods industry.
In addition, designers can also work for newspapers, magazines or publishing houses, film and television as well as software providers.
