Choosing a Design Career in the context of Current & Future Industry Trend

Do you know how many VFX artists worked behind the scenes of the blockbuster movie, Avatar?

Well, the most expensive Hollywood movie ever was brought to life by an Indian VFX company – Prime Focus with a strong workforce of 1200 personnel out of which 700 were based in India.

That is not it! You’ll be stunned to know that the climax of Avenger End Game was executed by 14,000 VFX artists in the span of 16 weeks.

Can you imagine the scope of this ever-propelling industry?

Let’s dive in!

Introduction

Before moving to choose a career in design, let us understand “design”.

What is Design?

There are several definitions of design but it is to be understood that it is anything but just a beautiful piece of art. It is the language in which brands, objects and ideas are conveyed. Having said that, a design should never fail.

For a design to be successful, it requires the expertise of trained individuals which is the reason behind the demand for the design workforce.

This demand has been surging ever since the concept of design came into existence. Let us roll back a little.

History of Design

Although the history of design goes back to the cavemen era, actual graphic design originated with the invention of the printing press in 1440 by Johannes Gutenberg. The first logos came out in the late 1400s and the first print advertisement to come out was in 1620.

It wasn’t long before companies started witnessing the benefits of graphic design leading to the emergence of the first graphic design agency of Austria – Wiener Werkstatte.

In this digital era, design has become mainstream impacting our daily lives and the decisions we make.

The need for design and designing for need

Upon understanding the past and present of design; certainly, is a huge factor in the success of a product, brand or idea. The recent appreciation, acceptance & realization of the importance of design has created a revolution where everyone including people, brands, governments, entertainment industries and others have accommodated design at the core.

Designing tangible products or intangible products has led to many great inventions such as mobile phones, IoT devices, Augmented reality, Virtual reality and more. Today, the application of design can be seen in eCommerce, Web design, Mobile App design, Gaming, Filming, Print design, Product design, digital design and more; each requiring its own set of skills.

For any industry, design is basic to simplify processes, save time, increase efficiency, better infrastructure, higher conversion rates, enhance profitability and success.

Global growth of the Design industry

As a matter of fact, the global design service market in 2018 reached about $153.2 billion at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.6% since 2014 and is forecasted to expand to almost $249.5 billion at 13% CAGR by 2022.

The design services market includes sales of industrial, graphic, and fashion design services, as well as related goods, by companies, sole traders, and partnerships that plan, develop and administer design projects according to the client’s demands.

Further, the Global Graphic Design industry has grown 0.4% per year on an average from 2016 to 2021. At present, it is the 72nd largest industry which is ranked 9^th as Global Business Activities industry by market size.

Overall, the design industry is expected to reach $162 billion by the end of this year.

Design industry growth India

The design industry in India is opening significant growth opportunities.

It is reported that the field is growing annually at a rate of 23 to 25% in India. Having said that, the country currently requires over 60,000 personnel for designing jobs in India in the field of industrial design, graphic design jobs, communication and packaging design. Unfortunately, India possesses only 7,000 qualified designers at present.

UI/UX Designers, Fashion Designers, Interior Designers, Animation Designers, and Graphic Designers are presently in high demand in industries such as automobiles, information technology, fashion, hospitality, retail, media/publishing firms, education, real estate, and also the government.

Let us look at some of the stats in 5 key design roles in India and globally.

Graphic Design

The graphic design industry is on a constant rise. According to the report by the Bureau of Labour Statistics, by 2026, this sector is projected to grow by 5% in India. Graphic designers are now essential team members for advertising firms, print media companies, digital marketing services sector, IT industry, manufacturing and packaging industries, design studio, publication houses, game development companies and many others. Above all, the average salary of a graphic designer in India can range from 3 lakh to 9 lakh per annum depending on the years of experience and acquired skill set.

Globally, the employment opportunities for graphic designers in the field of computer system design will increase by 20% by 2026.

Animation Design

The animation industry in India is spiking steadily. From 30,000 designers in 2017, the number of animator jobs in this field is expected to increase to 4.4 lakh by 2023. The average salary of an animator in India ranges from Rs. 8000 to Rs. 40000 per month depending on the experience level.

The global 3D animation industry market is expected to reach $39.96 billion by 2028 at a CAGR of 11.7% according to a report by Grand View Research Inc.

VFX or Visual effects is another form of animation which is mainstream as can be comprehended by the facts mentioned earlier. A career in VFX can bring you the opportunity to work with renowned studios like Disney, Pixar, Dreamworks and more. VFX artists are in high demand with the advent of OTT platforms such as Netflix and Amazon. Furthermore, the global VFX industry is expected to surge to $1.44 billion by 2026 at a 12.7% CAGR. Having said that, a certification in animation can pave your way to a lucrative career.

Interior Design

Interior designing in India is gaining momentum. This industry is estimated to grow by 8.5% by 2025 as suggested by a report produced by MarketWatch interior design. Further, interior designing jobs will continue to grow by 13% in this decade. The average salary of an interior designer starts from 4 lakh per annum to as high as 30 lakh per annum.

Escalating at 4%, the global interior design industry is expected to reach $24.13 billion by 2025.

Fashion Design

The fashion design industry is targeting to reach a growth of Rs. 1000 crores from Rs. 180 crores in this decade. The initial salary of a fashion designer in India starts from 15,000 INR a month to 40,000 INR a month.

The global fashion design and production software market is expected to reach $3.8 billion by 2026 at a CAGR of 8.93%.

UI/UX Design

A UI/UX designer plays an important role in most mobile or web application designs we see. The growth can be estimated by the fact that India holds a digital economy of 1.3 billion. The average salary of a UI/UX designer is 6 lakh per annum and can go up to 10 lakh based on expertise.

According to NelsonHall, the global UI/UX industry is estimated to touch $10 billion by 2022 at a CAGR of 15.4%.

Final note

It is clear from all the above-mentioned stats that there will be a definite spike in design job roles. There cannot be a better time to plan your career in design. 

Refining your skills is a prerequisite for a thriving design career. Hence, at Explorra we have some best design courses for you to pursue under the mentorship of industry experts within India and overseas.

Today, content is at the nucleus of everything and we aim to produce experts of creative content.

From Graphic design courses, Web design courses, Game design courses, Animation courses, UI/UX courses to International Pathway Programs, at Explorra, we help you build and master skills in every aspect of design. To learn more about our courses, visit https://explorra.org/education/.