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How to Become a Design Manager: Career Guide, Courses, After 12th, Jobs, Scope, Salary

Design managers are responsible for coordinating all of the design work required during various types of project that can be related to construction, manufacturing or textile. . The design managers are responsible for bringing the various departments of the company that includes the various professionals like design team, service engineers, supervisors, etc. 

The following are some of the facts that would make a design manager’s career a highly lucrative option in India.

Most of the design managers are employed in the construction or the manufacturing sector. The construction sector is expected to become the third largest in the world with an estimated value of USD 1.4 Trillion Generating over 1 millions jobs. In the first quarter of 2023, over 22000 jobs of design managers has been added on LinkedIn ths underlying the huge demand.

The top courses that one can pursue to become a design manager in India are MBA Design Management, MBA interior design, BDes interior design and many more

Quick Facts for a Design Manager 

Industry Different Industries such as Construction, Manufacturing, Textiles, etc
Eligibility They need a Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent coursework in Designing in any Specialization.
Average Starting Salary Average Starting salary is INR 500,000 Per annum.
Job Opportunity IT, Textile Industry, Automobile Industry, Real Estate, Construction Companies, Fashion Design, Environment Design, Construction Companies

What does a Design Manager do? 

The following are the different responsibilities that a design manager must do

  • Design Managers coordinate all the projects and technical drawings under constructions. They are responsible for understanding the work needed at the various levels of projects, and are responsible for rationing of the budget.
  • They have to make coordination among architects, structural engineers, service engineers, specialist designers and BIM technicians so that they make effective and efficient use of resources in such a manner the output would get increased.
  • They are responsible for looking after teams of designers to make sure projects are produced on time as per the marked specification.
  • They have to Motivate and encourage internal as well as external design teams so that the design process would become more efficient.
  • They have to use technical experts to make sure that all the projects, designs and drawings are produced on time and are of high quality.
  • They are also responsible for decoding various coded symbols into a normal language.
  • They have to work properly so that safety and security would be maintained. They have to take care of health issues also.
  • They are required to produce maximum output by reducing financial risk during construction projects in the case of the construction industry. In the case of other industry they may have to check that the products are produced as per the product specification. 
  • They have to avoid errors and faults so that all the expectations are met according to the given project.
  • They have to work with clients to ensure all the designs available to those who need them at the appropriate time.
  • They have to maintain documentation of the designing process also.
  • They have to work in an office with various occasional site visits in different conditions.

Steps to Follow 

There are some simple yet important steps to become a Design Manager. These steps are written below in detail.

Decision Making

Candidates should start making decisions about taking Design Manager as a career from the 10+2 level. But, before this, they should have subjects like Drawing, English and Computer in their 12th class. Being a very demanding job, it requires the professionals’ undivided attention and focuses on work. As a result, candidates must determine whether they are prepared for such a demanding job. The candidates should also be prepared to take responsibility because it involves bridging the gap between the various departments and being answerable to all of them. They have to decide which course to choose. They have to think properly about their college so that they can study well for their career. They can decide to start their course in any specialization which they want to choose.

Subject Choices

Major subjects such as Drawing, Fine Arts, Computer and English would be mandatory. However, no specific subjects are required for this career as the students from any education background at school level can pursue Designing or management as a Career. Instead of subject choices, there should be a work experience for better knowledge and skills. Work Experience can be in other fields also. However, in the case of subjects good knowledge in mathematics and computer science would be necessary for the entrances.

Entrance Exam Preparation

Entrance Exams are available for different levels for studying courses related to Designing. There are various Entrance Exams such as CEED, NID Entrance Exam, NIFT Entrance Exam and FDDI AIST. In the case of post graduate admission the courses that are available are CAT, MAT, XAT, CMAT or other state level entrances such as JEMAT, etc. The various colleges or universities release notice of the entrance examination that they consider for the various courses. The candidates should keep a list of the entrance exam scored by their preferred college. They should have proper reading material and knowledge so that they can crack their Entrance Exams.

Selecting Correct Colleges

The Selection of college is a must. Every Candidate should see whether he/she is going into a good University/Institute or not. Making good relationships with the teachers would be beneficial for them which could help them in future. Many Universities such as IIFD, NID, Pacific University offer courses in Designing. After checking the placement and scholarship profile of the colleges, candidates can see whether it is good for them or not. They should also look for the overall rank of the particular colleges from agencies such as NIRF, India Today or Outlook. They should also check out their information from the former alumni of the college.

Types of a Design Manager 

There are mainly seven types of Design Manager, the detail for some of the design managers job profile has been listed below

  • Product Design Manager: These types of design managers are responsible for product design management mainly for marketing, research & information and design of new products. They mainly focus on aesthetic, semiotic, and ergonomic aspects of the product so that they can represent the qualities of the product as well as the brand. They also manage the diversity of the product design.
  • Brand Design Manager: These types of design managers are responsible for brand design management. They mainly focus on the design decisions of branding as well as brand experience, recognition and reliability of a product. They are mainly of two types including corporate brand management and product brand management.
  • Service Design Manager: These types of design managers are responsible for planning, organizing, communication and various components of a service that a company has to offer.. Managing the services would help the businesses to gain success and conquer the new markets. They also help the company to create a good experience for the customer so that the customer engagement increases and they can make a good profit.
  • Business Design Manager: These types of design managers are responsible for integrating design thinking into management. They mainly focus on Architecture and design so that they can put more profits into their business. They can solve all the problems in the business through applying various processes of design management. They have a deep understanding of the businesses modus operandi so that they can modify their business.
  • Engineering Design Manager: These types of managers are very knowledgeable so that they can represent the applications of management practices. They are specialized in influencing their team by planning, guiding, monitoring and controlling them. They are used in infrastructural projects for the welfare of the society.
  • Urban Design Manager: They are responsible for Conventional real estate development and urban planning activities for the production of the built environment. They are specialized in doing their work by following the principles of integrative negotiation. They are used in the working of city design, land use and urban planning. They can organize the cities by which they can increase their educational and professional backgrounds.
  • Architectural Design Manager: They are responsible for realization of building at an acceptable cost by giving greater satisfaction to their clients. They have been used since the 1960s and considered one of the important professions after the Second World War.The Architectural Design Manager are responsible for proper execution of a building and structure and are also responsible for creation of proper budget related to the project and also the allocation of the labour force. 

How to become a Design Manager in India 

To become a Design Manager, the candidates need to start their preparation from the 12th standard itself. The career as a design manager allows the candidates to have a niche career in the design industry in India. However, in order to become a design manager in India, the candidates need to start their preparation from the 12th standard itself. The following are some of the crucial preparations that the candidates must take at the various educational levels such as school level, undergraduate level and postgraduate level. :

School Level Preparation 

  • Students should have the knowledge of all the subjects in their commerce, science or arts stream. They should start learning the concepts of Designing, Fine Arts, and Management. 
  • The candidates should start preparing for the various entrance examinations such as UCEED, AIEED, etc so that they can secure good rank in their entrance exam. 
  • Most of the focus should be on learning the English Language as they should have good communication and interaction skills at their school level. Candidates should also focus on the vernacular languages as they have to communicate in the local languages as well. 
  • These skills would help them at the time of their interviews for their placements. Many more things they can study at their school level. They can do part-time jobs to gain knowledge. They can take extra-coaching for better skills and knowledge improvement.

How to become a Design Manager after 12th 

The Following are some of the preparation that the candidates can take in their undergraduate and postgraduate level

UG Preparation

  • Candidates have to complete coursework and gain good knowledge about colours, shades, and tones. They should also have knowledge about management. They should look to gain knowledge about how the interior design of a building is done.
  • The courses that the design manager can take at the UG level includes BA Interior Design, BDes Interior Design, etc.
  • They should develop Good communication skills, Innovativeness, Good sketching skills, Visual imagination, Good observation and Knowledge of market requirements.
  • Apart from the core course knowledge about the various design related software must be learnt by the design managers such as AutoCAD, Rivet, etc.
  • They can do part-time work so that they would know how to handle their customers.
  • Those who are willing to go for higher education to improve their future job prospects should start preparing for the entrance examination such as CAT, MAT, XAT, etc 

PG Preparation

  • At the PG Level the candidates should look to take up management courses such as MBA Design Management, MBA Interior design, MBA Fashion Management, etc.
  • The candidates should try to take up internship during their masters courses so that they are able to have proper experience about the various job position 
  • The candidates should take up some types of certification courses that allows them to improve their overall job prospects
  • Candidates who are willing to take up higher education should start preparing for the entrance examination such as UGC NET, GATE or other entrance examination to study about the research based courses such as PhD or MPhil. 

For PG Preparation, the subjects are same as a UG Preparation because this is also a Degree. But some skills should also be verified by the candidates on a high level which are Communication and Observation skills. They have to upgrade their knowledge by taking the help of new technology in which they can gain more knowledge in digital designing and many more. They can take computer knowledge as the jobs in this field required a large use of computers. Subjects would remain the same but the level of education and knowledge would be upgraded. Candidates can do M.Des., MFA, MVA, MBA Design Management Course and many other PG Courses. At this time, they would have started their career as the designing manager jobs which would be given on the basis of a UG Degree. PG Degree is only for a high-level knowledge and extra skills which would also help to place the students in better company for a higher position.

Courses to become a Design Manager 

In India various courses are available to the candidates at the diploma , undergraduate, post graduate and doctorate level in order to become a Design Manager. Candidates can pursue any of the following courses to become a duty manager in India

MBA Design Management Course 

MBA Design Management is a two years profofessional post graduate course that trains candidates in understanding what the concept of design holds for industry such as architecture, advertising, art, Information Technology, and medicine.

The average course of the MBA Design Management course ranges between INR 50000-INR 300,000. Candidates after the competition of the course are absorbed in top brand such as Steelcase, Motorola, Microsoft, Amazon, Apple, etc

Admission Process

  • Most of the institutions offer the course to the applicants on the basis of performance in an Entrance Exam followed by an Interview. 
  • The candidates are required to visit the college website and check the entrance examination that is required to take part in the admission process. 
  • After checking the eligibility criteria the candidates are required to register themselves with the examination authorities and fill up the application form and make payment. They should take out the receipt of the admission form for further use.
  • After completion of the entrance exam. A score card is provided to the candidates by the entrance exam agencies. The candidates are required to use the scorecard apply to the different institute for the admission process

Entrance Exam 

Entrance Exams such as CAT, MAT, XAT are to be qualified by the candidate to take admission to MBA Program.

Important Dates for the Entrance Exams 

Entrance Exam Exam Date Exam Mode
CAT August 2023 (Tentitive) Online
MAT

February 19, 2023

March 4, 2023

February 26, 2023

CBT Mode
XAT January 8, 2023 Online
CMAT Last week of March 2023 Online

Eligibility Criteria for the CAT Exam 

  • Candidates have to complete a Bachelor’s Degree with the minimum score of 50% is required. Candidates from the reserved categories are offered a relaxation of 5%.
  • Candidates must clear all their active backlogs before taking the final admission through any of the entrance examinations.
  • There is no age limit for CAT Exam

How to Apply for the CAT Exam ?

  • Candidates have to go to the Official Website of the CAT Entrance Exam. 
  • Candidates can register themselves by registration in which they have to create user ID and password after filling important details such as name, date of birth, email ID and phone number.
  • Login again with the User ID and password generated above for completing the application form.
  • Fill up all the important and mandatory information and asked- personal details, academic details, work experience, photographs, signature etc. correctly.
  • Make payment of CAT application fees via debit/credit card or net banking or the mode which you want.
  • Print confirmation page for future reference.

How to prepare for the CAT Exam?

  • Candidates have to study all the previous question papers for the Entrance of CAT. You have to know the paper pattern of the question paper. 
  • Syllabus and books should be provided to the students so that they can crack the Entrance Exam easily. 
  • CAT syllabus includes important topics such as Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension, Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning and Quantitative Aptitude.
  • Clear up the fundamentals. A robust understanding of the fundamentals are going to be helpful. Most of the questions in the engineering entrance exam are from the fundamentals so clear your concepts at the beginning.
  • Practice, practice, practice. Take mocks and try to solve as many sample papers as possible.

Important Links:

B.Des in Interior Design 

B.Des in Interior Design is a 4 years professional course that allows the candidates to gain knowledge about the people’s behavior to create functional spaces within a building. The course allows the students to understand how the building and its interior spaces have to be designed so that they are able form an optimum environment.

B.Des courses also allow them to manage the various teams involved in the production and design process and allow them to control.

Admission Process 

  • Candidates would get admission on the basis of merit along with entrance exam required for this Course. 
  • Candidates must first select the colleges where they want to study and look out for the eligibility criteria and the qualifying entrance examination. 
  • Candidates need to fill up the entrance examination form by visiting the official website and put up the necessary documents.
  • The students are required to visit the entrance examination website for time to time updates.
  • If the candidates have cracked the entrance examination then they must visit the college website for the cutoff scores which are generally uploaded in the college website.

Entrance Exam 

Entrance Exams such as UCEED, NID DAT, FDDI AIST, SEED, SOFT CET and UID DAT are to be qualified by the candidate to take admission to B.Des. Program.

Important Dates for the Entrance Exams 

Particulars Application Date Admit Card Release Date Date of Exam Date of Result
UCEED To be announced To be announced To be announced To be announced
NID DAT To be announced To be announced To be announced To be announced
FDDI AIST To be announced To be announced To be announced To be announced

Eligibility Criteria for the UCEED Exam

  • Candidates have to complete 12th class with the minimum percentage required (Generally 50%).
  • A Candidate can give the Entrance Exam a maximum of two times and that too in consecutive years.
  • Diploma holders whose degrees are recognized by the All India Council for Technical Education or a State Board of Technical Education of at least 3 years duration. 
  • Age Limit is below 25 years (30 years for reserved criteria). 

How to Apply for the UCEED Exam?

  • Candidates have to apply on the Official Website of the UCEED Entrance Exam. The Entrance Exam of UCEED is to be conducted in Online mode due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 
  • The candidates are required to register themselves for the entrance examination.They have to fill the Application form and upload the various documents.
  • Then they are required to pay the fees online in mode.After submitting the application fees the candidates are required to take out the receipt for further details.

How to prepare for the UCEED Exam?

  • Candidates have to gain explicit knowledge to crack this Entrance Test. Verified Books for Designing must be purchased to be consulted by the candidates. 
  • The candidates need to find out about the weightage of various sections and start preparing accordingly. 
  • Make a timetable for The entrance exam and follow it strictly. Cover every topic in each subject and assign them a particular slot in the timetable. This will ensure that the entire syllabus is covered at least once.
  • B.Des. Course is the first priority for becoming a design manager as it includes all the coursework of designing and it is available in different specializations. 
  • Candidates have to prepare for the specialization in which they have taken admission.

BA Interior Design 

BA Interior design is a 3 years undergraduate course that allows the candidates to develop important ideas about architectural design related to construction and maintenance of housing and space management skills. The course mainly focuses on designing on interior spaces and enlightens them with an understanding of utilization of world class techniques and latest trends in design and related disciplines.

Admission Process 

The admission to the BA Interior Design courses are done on the basis of merit list or common entrance test. The following are some of the steps that the candidates must take during the admission process.

  • First the candidates must look for eligibility criteria for admission to the different institute
  • Visit the official institute and fill up the registration form. In case of entrance examination go to the website of the conducting body and fill up the application form and submit documents.
  • Pay the application fee and submit.
  • Visit the website of the institute on a time to time basis for regular updates.
  • If the candidates have passed the entrance examination are called for a round of counselling or a round of GD or PI.
  • In case of merit list the colleges would put forward a list of candidates that are eligible for admission 

Entrance Exam

The entrance exam for the BA Interior design are NID DAT, UCEED, AIEED, NATA, etc.

The details of the entrance examinations have been listed below.

Particulars Application Date Admit Card Release Date Date of Exam Date of Result
UCEED To be announced To be announced To be announced To be announced
NID DAT To be announced To be announced To be announced To be announced
AIEED To Be Announced To Be Announced To be announced To Be Announced

BA Interior Design AIEED Entrance exam

The following are the eligibility if the AIEED entrance examination 

  • The candidates should have passed the 10+2 level examination from any recognized boards. The candidates should have at least 50% marks in their board examination.
  • Candidates should have attained the age of 16 years and above, as per Pearson-Edexcel norms applicable to all International Undergraduate level courses.
  • Those candidates who have passed the NATA examination are exempted from appearing in the AIEED entrance examination.
  • Students studying in Class 10+1 can also appear for the AIEED 2023. If these candidates qualify in the entrance exam, they will be eligible for direct admission in the subsequent academic session.

How to apply?

  • Register on the official website and save the credentials for further reference.
  • After successful registration, login with the credentials that were sent earlier and fill out the application form. Fill all the details carefully. The candidates are allowed to pay the application fees after filling up the details. The candidates will have to select the payment method for paying the application fees through any one of the three modes: Online Gateway, Demand Draft or through Bank of India.
  • The candidates are asked to upload the scanned copies of the documents that are asked. This will include a recent passport size photograph and signature. Don’t forget to check the document format and the size that are asked for these scanned images.
  • Candidates are then required to take the printout of Confirmation Page and duly filled AIEED Application Form, after previewing it carefully.

How to Prepare for the Entrance Examination

  • The candidates need to find out about the weightage of various sections and start preparing accordingly. 
  • Make a timetable for The entrance exam and follow it strictly. Cover every topic in each subject and assign them a particular slot in the timetable. This will ensure that the entire syllabus is covered at least once.
  • Read about the various current issues from the newspaper.

Important Notes:

How to become a Design Manager Abroad

Australia, Canada, US and UK are the best countries in which candidates can make their career in Designing. New Zealand and Italy also have some popular Universities offering Designing Courses. The foreign universities provide the candidates with better infrastructural support along with research facilities and of course a better payment after completion of the course.

Let us discuss the colleges/universities and the courses which the candidates can pursue from foreign universities and also the colleges and their respective fees

UK

Candidates who want to study in the UK regarding design related courses should keep the following things in mind before choosing a design college in the UK.

The following are the educational as well as the other requirements that the candires needs to follow

Educational Requirements 

  • The United Kingdom has a list of various universities which includes designing Courses. First of all, it gives admission on the basis of Entrance Exam. 
  • In the case of admission to the undergraduate courses the candidates should have passed their 12th or equivalent examination from an recognised board or university. The candidates should have obtained a minimum score of 65-70% in their 12th level.
  • In the case of admission to the postgraduate courses the candidates should have passed the graduation or equivalent exam from a recognized university. The candidates are required to maintain at least 65% marks in graduation so that they get admission to the top colleges.
  • The candidates are also required to have some compulsory subjects such as english in their 12th and in some cases the candidates must have mathematics as one of their graduation subjects.
  • The candidates need to pass the GRE or GMAT exam in case of admission to the PG Courses.

Other Requirements

  • The candidates are required to pass the english proficiency tests such IELTS or TOEFL. The candidates are required to score at least 6.5 in their IELTS and in the case of TOEFL the score can be around 80.
  • Also in the case of admission the candidates have to provide a letter of recommendation as well as a statement of purpose.
  • The candidates are required to submit a list of references as well as the work experience certificate if any in case of some universities

Also Note: 

Internship Placements are available in the United Kingdom. Candidates can find and apply for jobs on various websites. They have to verify that they have work experience in Designing or any other field. Due to COVID-19, UK universities are offering Indian students financial support worth up to INR 180000 to help them cover hotel quarantine costs.

Top Colleges 

Colleges/Universities Fees (INR) Courses Offered
University College London INR 2425000

MA (Art and Design in Education)

M.Arch. (Bio-Integrated Design)

Imperial College London INR 3428000 Master in Design Engineering
University of Edinburgh INR 2400000 MA (Graphic Design)
University of Manchester INR 2500000

M.Sc. (Advanced Process Integration and Design)

M.Sc. (Mechanical Engineering Design)

University of Glasgow INR 2330000 M.Sc. (International Management and Design Innovation)
University of Leeds INR 2090000

MA (Design)

MA (Advertising and Design)

Queen Mary, University of London INR 1800000

B.Eng. (Materials and Design)

B.Eng. (Materials and Design with Industrial Experience)

Queen's University Belfast INR 1840000

BA (Product Design Engineering)

B.Sc. (Product Design Engineering)

B.Eng. (Product Design Engineering)

Lancaster University INR 1510000 MA (Design Management)
Newcastle University INR 1700000

M.Sc. (Materials Design and Engineering)

B.Sc. (Mechanical Design and Manufacturing Engineering)

USA 

The USA has more international students as compared to other countries. The reason behind this is the large array of courses that it provides at the certificate, Diploma, UG and PG level. Various subjects are offered in the USA that can allow the candidates to become successful design managers. Skillset is also required to take admission to USA Universities. Internships are available in various universities. Scholarships and placements are also available at various colleges in the USA.The placements would be however mostly based in the USA.

Let us understand the admission process in the USA in a bit more detail.

Educational Requirements

  • In the case of admission to the UG Courses the candidates must have passed their 12th or equivalent examination from a recognized board. The cut off marks are declared by the universities or colleges but the candidates should score between 60-70%. 
  • For the PG courses the candidates should have passed their post graduation from a recognised university. It is imperative that the candidates should score at least 65% or more in their graduation. In some top colleges such as Harvard University the score can go up to 83-88% (GPA of 3.0 out of 4).
  • Candidates are required to pass the entrance examination such as SAT (undergraduate) , GRE and GMAT (postgraduate) for admission to the top universities.

Other Requirements

  • The candidates are required to pass the english proficiency tests such as IELTS and TOEFL. In the case of some universities the IELTS scores are only expected. The minimum IELTS score required is between 6-6.5 band width.
  • The candidates should also submit a written sample of their previous work and a statement of purpose
  • The candidates need to have the proper visa to pursue the course in the USA
  • The candidates are also needed to submit proof of their bank statement as evidence of their financial capabilities to pursue the courses.

Top Colleges 

Colleges Fees (INR) Courses Offered
Harvard University INR 4000000 Master in Design Engineering
Stanford University INR 5400000 M.Sc. (Design Impact)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology INR 4000000

M.Sc. (Computation for Design and Optimization)

M.Sc. (Design and Management)

Yale University INR 3300000

MFA (Graphic Design)

MA (Design)

Cornell University INR 4300000

MA (Design)

BA (Fashion Design)

B.Sc. (Fashion Design)

Johns Hopkins University INR 4230000 M.Sc. (Bioengineering Innovation and Design)
Northwestern University INR 7420000

M.Sc. (Business and Design Innovation)

B.Sc. (Manufacturing and Design Engineering)

University of Washington INR 2355000

MS (Human Centred Design and Engineering)

M.Sc. (Architecture in Design Computing)

University of Wisconsin INR 1900000 M.Sc. (Design and Innovation)
Washington University INR 4000000 BA (Design)

Canada

Candidates who wish to study in Canada should keep the following things in mind before applying for design or management courses in the Canadian universities.

Educational Requirements 

  • For admission to the undergraduate courses the candidates must pass their 12th or equivalent examination from a recognized board. In some cases the candidates need to pass their 12th or equivalent examination with mathematics as a compulsory subject.
  • In case of PG admission the candidates need to pass the relevant graduation or equivalent examination from a recognised university. For admission to premier colleges the candidates need to pass their graduation with a GPA of 3.0 out of 4.0. 
  • Some of the entrance examination are GRE, GMAT, etc

Other Requirements

  • In case of admission to some of the PG courses the candidates must be above 21 years of age.
  • The candidates need to pass the english proficiency tests such as TOEFL and IELTS. In case of IELTS a minimum of 6.5 score is required.
  • The candidates need to provide letter(s) of recommendation and references to the university.

Also Note

Internships and Placements are also available in various universities. Scholarships are offered up to INR 7.5 Lakhs to the graduates.

Top Colleges

Colleges Fees (INR) Courses Offered
University of Alberta INR 475000

M.Des. (Design Studies)

MFA (Art and Design)

MCMaster University INR 820000 M.Eng. (Design)
Laval University INR 665000

MA (Design)

M.Sc. (Architecture – Urban Design)

University of Saskatchewan INR 300000 M.Ed. (Educational Technology and Design)
York University INR 1250000

B.Des.

M.Des.

Carleton University INR 1100,000 M.Des.
Concordia University INR 1000,000 M.Des.
Kwantlen Polytechnic University INR 1,189,843 Bachelor of Interior design
Mount Royal University INR 1,219,613 Bachelor of Interior design

Australia 

Candidates who want to study in Australia should keep the following things in mind about the admission process.

Educational Requirements

  • For admission to the undergraduate course the candidates should pass the 12th or equivalent examination from a recognised university. The cut off score for admissions depends upon the colleges or the universities. 
  • For admission to the postgraduate courses the candidates need to pass the entrance examination (Mainly GMAT or GRE) and pass the relevant courses from a recognized university. The minimum score required to get admission in the top colleges in Australia is a minimum of 60%. 
  • Also some of the courses such as engineering requires the candidates to pass their qualifying exam with mathematics as one of the subjects. 

Other Requirements

  • The candidates are required to submit letters of recommendation during the admission process.
  • The candidates need to submit a CV with their work experience.
  • Candidates are required to produce a letter of purpose.

Top Colleges

Colleges Fees (INR) Courses Offered
Australian National University INR 1250000 B.Des.
University of Melbourne INR 1850000 B.Des.
Victoria University INR 1,539,318 Bachelor of Building Design
University of New South Wales INR 1450000 M.Des.
University of Sydney INR 1440000 M.Des. (Design Innovation)
University of Queensland INR 1745000

Master (Interaction Design)

BIT (Software Design (Major))

Monash University INR 1350000

M.Des.

M.Des. (Advanced Studies in Design)

University of Adelaide INR 1660000 Bachelor (Architectural Design)
University of South Australia INR 1,870,000 MDes Interior Architecture
University of Wollongong INR 1245000

BIT (Network Design and Management)

BIT (Web Design and Development)

Queensland University of Technology INR 1400000

B.Des. (International - Interaction Design)

B.Des. (Industrial Design)

Benefits of Design Manager 

The following are some of the benefits for pursuing a career as design manager

Salary

The average starting salary of a design manager for different jobs may vary from company to company. Salary is quite high for a design manager in various cities such as New Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida, Indore and Bengaluru. Salary of a Design Manager is around INR 10 LPA. Apart from the salary they are entitled to other benefits such as medical insurance, dental benefits, retirement schemes and many more. Salary Package is different for experienced persons. Salary Packages for Males are higher as compared to females.

Job Security

The design managers generally occupy a high position within the organization thus enabling them to enjoy a better security about their job. The design managers are responsible for coordinating with various departments and thus is an important position that does not often sees frequent changes and layoffs. Moreover the design managers job security increases with their experiences. 

Positive Impact of the Career

Positive Impacts of a Design Manager on the company as well as the individual career are as follows:

  • Doing things and following through allows them to maintain a tight control over the operation, hence creating efficiencies and improving productivity.
  • By Bringing people from multiple disciplines together to drive projects forward, they improve the integrity in the workplace and employees thus creating a positive impact on the psyche of the employees
  • Constantly searching for opportunities to be impactful.
  • They try to make communication more articulate and compelling.
  • Helps to learn, understand and live the company values.

Unique Experience

A design manager has the scope of gathering unique experience during their work life. The design manager has the scope to work with a large ensemble of people coming from different backgrounds. Interaction with the helps in upskilling their knowledge and the skills, The design managers also looks for the best practices used around the world thus creating opportunities for new experiences everyday 

Skills Required for Design Manager

Skills required for Design Manager are as follows:

Skills Details
Collaborative Design Managers have to build collaboration among team members and they should communicate with them to formulate a strategy and projects that they and their team believe in and are interested in.
Open Design Managers make their team comfortable by showing honesty so that they can avoid difficulty in communication.
Aligned Design Managers strive to create alignment within their team about all the problems and try to work around the existing resources so that they are able to find the solution within the team.
Supportive Design Managers have to support their team members by understanding their points and arguments so that they can be guided and are on the same page with the rest of the team.
Interested Design Managers should feel interested in their team, and their team would be much more motivated to see how much their manager is truly involved 
Consistent Design Managers avoid giving feedback and direction that build conflicts with the direction they had given earlier.
Clear Design Managers should be clear regarding the success of their team so that the team would make efficient and effective use of resources.
Trustful Design Managers should be truthful so that the team would be inspired and make an improved effort in their ability to execute and tackle hard problems.
Accountable Design Managers should always hold themselves responsible when failing and should quickly make course corrections so that their team does not suffer any kind of setbacks .
Transparent Design Managers have managers transparent about the work procedure so that they can be judged by their team’s performance. It would be ideal for the design managers to explain their modus operandi before they start with any new project.

Salary of Design Manager in India

The Salary of a Design Manager increases with the increase in work experience. Salary is different in different types of companies. However, the starting salary of a Design Manager in a medium sized company starts from INR 5 LPA.

Average Annual Salary

Name of Organization Average Annual Salary
Government INR 5,60,000
Private INR 4,80,000

Specialization-wise Salary

Specializations Salary (per annum)
Product Design Manager INR 21,50,000
Brand Design Manager INR 5,40,000
ServiceDesign Manager INR 10,00,000
BusinessDesign Manager INR 20,00,000
EngineeringDesign Manager INR 16,50,000
UrbanDesign Manager INR 14,00,000
Architectural Design Manager INR 7,30,000

Experience-wise Salary 

Experience Salary (per annum)
Entry Level (1 Year) INR 5,00,000
Early Career (1-4 Years) INR 7,20,000
Mid-Career (5-9 Years) INR 10,00,000
Late Career (10-19 Years) INR 12,00,000
Experienced (20+ Years) INR 20,00,000

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Ques: What is Feature Creep in the job of Design Manager?

Ans: Feature creep is a tendency for product or its requirements to increase during development beyond those originally foreseen. It occurs when extra features go beyond the basic function of a product.

Ques: How Communication Skills are important in the job of a Design Manager?

Ans: These are important as they improve guidance and close supervision. It would help to communicate with the team members so that trust could build. It would also increase performance and behavior.

Ques: Can a candidate do MBA to become a Design Manager?

Ans: Yes, Candidates can do MBA in Design Management which includes the coursework of Financial, Strategic and Fashion Technology in it. Candidates have to qualify CAT/MAT/XAT Entrance Exam to take the admission MBA Course.

Ques: What if the experience is not there while doing a career as a Design Manager?

Ans: Everyone is without experience at the starting point of a career. They have to build their work experience by doing part time jobs so that they can get good placement in future. If they have no experience while applying for a job as a Design Manager, it would be very difficult to gain the job access.

Ques: How to seek advancement in career as a Design Manager?

Ans: Some individuals in this field may choose to earn a master's degree in order to advance their career or in order to move into a management position. A design director with more experience and an advanced skill set may also decide to become self-employed.

Ques: What are the requirements while managing work on a construction site as a Design Manager?

Ans: Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) Card is mandatory to work on a construction site. Moreover, they should have an experience of at-least 3 to 5 Years to gain some skills and knowledge.

Ques: What are specializations to become a Design Manager?

Ans: Some Popular Specializations include Interior Design, Graphic Design, Jewelry Design and Product Design. Other Specializations include Fashion Design, Communication Design, Textile Design, Web Designing and many more.

Ques: Which are the top recruiters for doing product designing in the career of Design Manager?

Ans: Top Recruiters includes WIPRO, Amazon ,Flipkart, Myntra, HCL, Accenture, HUL, Google, Facebook, ITC Limited, Larsen and Toubro , Godrej, Balaji Telefilms, Redchillies Entertainment , Reliance Entertainment , Dharma Productions and many more.

Ques: Are there part time courses offered to become a Design Manager?

Ans: To become a Design Manager, there are various part-time and full-time Courses of which 75% Courses are full-time and 25% Courses are part-time. However, Certificate Courses are more preferred as compared to Diploma and Degree Courses in Designing.

Ques: What are the subjects for B.Des. Fashion Designing to become a Design Manager?

Ans: The Coursework of B.Des. Fashion Designing includes Fashion Illustration and Design, Fashion Studies, Elements of Textiles, Surface Development Techniques and History of Costumes, Colour Techniques, Visualisation and Drawing Techniques, Pattern Making and Sewing Techniques, Digital Designing &Fabric Processing and Surface Design.

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