Design

Design is a broad part of the creative industries and while we could touch on things like fashion and interior design, these are somewhat encompassed by other industries on this page. To keep things concise, we’re going to refer to areas such as graphic design, branding, digital design, web design and UX/UI.

In these roles, you use visual communication, layout, typography, colour and digital tools to help organisations communicate clearly and create effective user experiences across print and digital platforms. You could work in a design studio or agency, but you could also work in an in-house team for a business, charity, cultural organisation, publisher, tech company or public sector employer. Designers can also often work on a freelance basis. You may work on websites, apps, campaigns, social media assets, brand identities, reports, packaging, prototypes or design systems depending on your interests and skills.

Some roles focus more on visual ideas and branding, while others focus on user journeys, accessibility, wireframes, interaction design and how people use digital products. This means design can appeal to people who enjoy creativity, communication, technology and thinking carefully about audience or user needs.

Example job titles in design

Useful websites for researching design careers