Furniture Designer

• a self-employed/freelance designer usually works alone or with one or two other like-minded craftspeople;
• in-house designers in a manufacturing company may originate new designs or improve existing designs;
• consultants often work to a brief agreed with the client and will have responsibility for managing a project on behalf of that client.

• working to and developing briefs from clients;
• establishing design and performance criteria;
• testing product concept using sketches, full-size card models, hard prototypes and computer-aided design (CAD);
• liaising with other departments (in the case of a manufacturing company), eg marketing, production, supply and sales, and presenting results to management;
• analysing market trends;
• assessing the viability of new design ideas and proposals in the current and predicted market and responding to national and local economic issues;
• planning work schedules: checking and co-ordinating timescales, what resources will be available, and when production information will be ready for promotion and marketing launches.

• Salary levels vary hugely according to the size and reputation of the employer. They tend to be higher in industrial design than in crafts.
• Earning potential could rise to around £100,000 for independent, well-known designers, although this will depend on talent, determination, dedication and ambition.
• Working hours typically include regular extra hours, particularly to meet deadlines, but generally not weekends or shifts. If you are self-employed you must regulate your own hours - self-employed designers can often work up to 12 hours a day, seven days a week.
• Much of the time is spent in some form of studio space, often within a team. There will be contact with clients when discussing design briefs.
• Self-employment/freelance work is common and occasionally possible soon after graduating, although it is more common having built up commercial experience.
• Part-time work is possible once established.
• It takes a while to establish your work and reputation, so be prepared to take bread-and-butter commissions to pay the bills.
• This can be a demanding job that requires dedication and a flexible attitude towards working hours. It can be stressful when commission deadlines are particularly tight.
• There is an increasing proportion of women entering the profession as more undertake furniture and industrial design based courses.
• Jobs are quite widely available. Manufacturers and design consultancies are found throughout the UK but are more common in London and the South East. Continental Europe also has a thriving industry.
• Travel within a working day, absence from home at night and overseas work or travel are occasional. However, this is dependent on your choice of market and scale. For a reasonably progressive designer, after five or more years' experience, it is feasible that a significant amount of business could be conducted in Europe, and possibly the USA.

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