Design studios are where creative juices must be kept high.
Companies and engineering firms must continually design and release new products in order to drive consumer demand. Design studios are locations where products are designed both for functionality and for aesthetic reasons. Working for these design studios are managers who either oversee all the operations of the design studio as a whole or oversee a specific project.
Function
Sometimes the design manager plays an active role in researching, refining, developing and documenting design products, according to the Software Giant. These managers are also responsible for determining the schedule that the design team will operate under. Sometimes the design manager is responsible for developing the overall design team working on the project. This manager also oversees any design changes made by the design team. These designers also must often determine what the costs will be for specific designs and have a sense of if design changes will remain within the budget, according to Kohler.
Conditions
The design studio is often a clean and comfortable studio with plenty of space in order to conduct design experiments. However, some projects use artistic chemicals that have fumes, so good ventilation is needed in order to keep the designers safe. The hours that design studios operate at can vary depending on project deadlines, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Skills
Design studio managers must be creative and strategic thinkers. This manager must also be able to communicate well in order for the other designers to understand what the manager expects. Organizational skills are needed in order to ensure that project deadlines are met. These managers must also be detail-oriented, since the details are often what is important in the design process. Interpersonal skills are needed since the design studio manager must work very well with customers, according to the Software Giant. The design studio manager must keep up-to-date with the field that the design studio primarily works in to understand how innovations can be used to improve products, according to Kohler. Computer skills are also often needed since design programs are often used in order to predict how designs will function.
Outlook
The need for designers is expected to grow by 9 percent between 2008 and 2018, which is about average across the industries, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The need for design studios would be greater, but many American companies are now carrying out operations overseas.
Earnings
According to Jobs-Salary.com, the average salary for design studio managers was $117,000, as of 2010. This salary can range from $34,000 to $190,000.
