Overview

Overview

Design Management is an increasingly important discipline linking design and business. It’s now well understood that good design is good business.

Graduates with design management skills care are becoming increasingly sought after as design studios, advertising agencies and the wider business community recognise the commercial significance of good design. If you’re interested in managing the design process and working with both designers and clients, then this is the course for you.

Design management focuses on the needs of both the client organisation and the design team; whether they are in-house or freelance. By joining this course, you’ll develop the skills needed for a career in design management, design leadership, design project management, creative account handling, strategic design portfolio management and brand management.

You’ll learn that design management is all about making design-relevant decisions in a market and customer-oriented way as well as optimising design-relevant commercial processes. Design management acts as the interface between management and design and functions as the link between technology, design, marketing and sales.

Being a successful design manager requires a good knowledge of all aspects of visual communication, from the creation of design concepts all the way through to the final product. It also requires a good understanding of design business practice. Because our courses cover a wide range of design disciplines and business applications, students studying design management are surrounded by every aspect of this important industry.

To study to work in design management, there are two approaches: design and commerce. At Raffles College we offer both. If you would like to be a design manager in a design agency, you should do design management within our Bachelor of Design. Or, if you're more business-oriented, then you can also choose this major from our Bachelor of Commerce. You decide.

Careers

Careers

Design Manager

Design Managers provide the management of the design process both within an organisation and often as a consultant external to an organisation. The design manager’s role can range from where they oversee all design processes in an organisation to the management of a simple design project.

Design Studio Managers

Commercial design studios require comprehensive management by an experienced design manager. Graduates of this course will find themselves ideally suited to this type of career.

Project Managers

There are some forms of project management that require design knowledge and design management expertise.

Special Events Coordinator

All new designed products from the car to the fashion collection are launched at the beginning of the marketing cycle. As a graduate of this degree you would be able to be a leader in the development and organisation of these design-led events.

Product Development and Buying

Retailers often rely on a design manager to develop their range of products for sale and presentation in their retail environment. The design manager / buyer seeks out the product, the manufacturer, briefs the designers, assists with the logistics and leads the in-store placement.

Brand Manager

Many organisations require individuals to become responsible for their brand to ensure the development of the brand, to enhance brand value, and to improve profitability brand recognition and brand equity.

Advertising Account Executives

Advertising and promotion agencies are the leaders in developing the consumers’ response to new products and new brands. Agencies need expert staff to guide in the development of communications and design, promoting their commercial clients and their products.

The rewards

The careers opportunities for design management professionals are huge as design becomes increasingly integrated with mainstream business. Salaries range from around $120,000 or more for an International Design Manager, and you can expect to earn around $45,000 p.a. as an entry-level Design Manager.

Course Outline

Course Outline

The Bachelor of Design Degree (majoring in Design Management) is 3 years full time.
Course Outline & Subject Descriptions (PDF)

Associate Degree Exit point