Jewellery, interior, and transportation design: Design degrees that go beyond graphic design

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07 Nov 2024

When you think of design degrees, graphic design probably pops into your mind first, followed by interior design and architecture, and then maybe followed by a few “umm” and “hmm.”

Don’t worry — you’re not alone. Graphic design is one of the most widely recognised, but other design disciplines are just as important.

Imagine stepping into a room crafted to feel like it was meant just for you — every colour, furniture, and lighting perfectly fits your taste and needs. Or scrolling through an app that feels almost like reading your mind.

These aren’t just happy coincidences; they result from a deep understanding of human behaviour combined with a blend of artistry and technology.

Pursuing a degree in design isn’t just about sketching logos or learning how to make things look “pretty.” It’s about problem-solving, storytelling, and building experiences that shape how people interact with the world.

From product and graphic design to fashion, architecture, and digital media, design degrees today offer students the chance to become visionaries in industries that mould into modern life.

It’s where the left-brain logic meets right-brain imagination. You’ll learn to not only sketch, build, and innovate but also to understand the impact of your designs on society and the environment.

12 design degrees you should check out if you’re into design

Inside Out 2 is the highest-grossed animation, with US$1,687,342,692, and had the largest team of animators ever for a Pixar Film, a total of 150. Source: AFP

1. Animation

Imagine bringing drawings to life — that’s animation. With this degree, you’ll learn the art of creating moving visuals using hand-drawn techniques, 2D and 3D techniques, cameras, CGI, and other software and equipment.

You’ll have the opportunity to dive into several essential aspects of animations, such as storyboarding, character development, sound design, scriptwriting, and cinematography.

With this, you’ll be prepared for a career in film, television, video games, and digital media — basically, industries where stories are told through motion and visuals.

The average annual salary for animators is US$79,000.

Universities that offer animation as one of their design degrees:

2. Architecture

Think blending the arts and science to shape skylines and design spaces where people live, work, and dream in.

An architecture degree goes beyond teaching you how to design buildings; it’s about place-making and creating spaces that are functional yet aesthetically pleasing while considering the social, political, and economic implications of architectural practices.

In this degree, visual design, architectural history, environmental systems and sustainability, building ethics, and urban planning are just a few courses you’ll be learning.

Career-wise, you’ll join industries like architectural design, urban planning, landscape design, and more. The average annual salary for architects is US$128,756.

Universities that offer architecture as one of their design degrees:

The origin of fashion design dates as far back as 1826, and the first fashion designer in the modern era was Charles Frederick Worth, an Englishman born in 1825 who dominated Parisian fashion in the late 19th century. Source: AFP

3. Fashion Design

A fashion design degree will have you studying fabrics, fashion theory, and colour theory. In addition to that, you’ll learn how to create styles using computer-aided design (CAD) software to bring your designs to wearable art.

Over time, you’ll learn how to analyse and evaluate fashion trends and consumer demands for styles.

This degree can lead to careers as a fashion designer, stylist, textile designer, or fashion buyer. You’ll also be able to enter industries beyond fashion, such as merchandising, marketing, communications, and public relations.

The average annual salary for fashion designers is US$70,000.

Universities that offer fashion design as one of their design degrees:

4. Game Design

Game design is a branch of video game development that focuses on applying creativity and design principles to create games for entertainment or educational purposes. The degree is about crafting stories, characters, goals, rules, and challenges that spark interactions with other characters, players, and the game.

Here, you’ll learn about user experience design, scripting, audio for games, programming, the history of games, 3D modelling, and technical writing.

A game design degree can lead you to a career as a game writer, storyline developer, game artist, world designer, user interface designer, creative director, junior designer, or system designer.

The average annual salary for game designers is US$87,647.

Universities that offer game design as one of their design degrees:

5. Graphic Design

It’s no secret that graphic design is one of the most iconic design degrees. Designing the layout of a magazine, creating a poster for a movie, and even designing packages for a product are all examples of graphic design.

You’ll earn skills to convey information or messages visually through typography, imagery, or colour. You’ll also learn about design principles, branding, user experience design, print design, and web design.

This degree leads to a versatile career path that includes those of a graphic designer, art director, web designer, brand strategist, and UX/UI designer.

The average annual salary for graphic designers is US$55,000.

Universities that offer graphic design as one of their design degrees:

6. Industrial Design

Ever look at cars and computers and wonder who dreamt up their sleek designs? The answer is people with an industrial design degree. This degree goes deep into the art and skill of creating solutions by designing the products and taking them to manufacture.

You’ll have the opportunity to learn about technical drawing, ergonomics, design business and marketing, design for manufacturing, and mathematics for design.

Career choices can range from industrial designer, model maker, computer-aided designer, 3D printer specialist, and consumer product designer.

The average annual salary for industrial designers is US$123,907.

Universities that offer industrial design as one of their design degrees:

It wasn’t until 1982 that the first US legislation supporting the interior design profession was passed. Source: AFP

7. Interior Design

If you want your home to look like Kim Kardashian’s, a degree in interior design is the choice to make. It’s about understanding how people interact with their surroundings and applying design principles to create environments that enhance the quality of life, aesthetic appeal, and usability.

This degree is a creative and technical programme that trains students to shape functional, aesthetically pleasing indoor spaces. You’ll learn this through classes such as lighting design, furniture and display design, and art history.

With an interior design degree, you can pursue careers in residential design, commercial and office design, set design, computer modelling, and even design consulting.

The average annual salary for interior designers is US$72,849.

Universities that offer interior design as one of their design degrees:

8. Jewellery Design

Focusing on art and craftsmanship, a degree in jewellery design will prepare you to design wearable art pieces, from rings and necklaces to bracelets and brooches. This degree combines creativity with technical skills, guiding you through the design, fabrication, and business aspects of the jewellery industry.

You’ll sit through courses such as introduction to jewellery skills, history of jewellery, gemology, and metalsmithing.

This degree opens doors to careers as a jewellery designer, gemologist, or product developer. Maybe you’ll even become the next Paul Flato.

The average annual salary for jewellery designers is US$49,320.

Universities that offer jewellery design as one of their design degrees:

9. Product Design

Many may say that this branch of design is similar to industrial design, but product design is more about creating products and often focuses more on developing everyday products.

The classes you will take may include design and screen cultures, design history, visual and cultural theory, brand awareness, additive manufacturing, and contemporary design research and practice.

Career options for those graduating with a degree in product design include being a product designer, graphic designer, interior and spatial designer, clothing technologist, or furniture designer.

The average annual salary for product designers is US$144,360.

Universities that offer product design as one of their design degrees:

Set designing dates back to the Italian Renaissance period in the 17th century. Source: AFP

10. Set Design

A set design degree focuses on the art and technical craft of designing physical spaces for theatre, film, television, and events.

Through this degree, you’ll learn how to create immersive environments that visually support storytelling, character, and mood. History of set design and theatre, lighting design, script analysis, and design communication and visualisation are a few classes you’ll be taking.

Industries that students with set design degrees can work in are hospitality, amusement parks, architecture, urban planning, entertainment, and more.

The average annual salary for set designers is US$64,069.

Universities that offer set design as one of their design degrees:

11. Transportation Design

If you’re interested in designing cars and motorcycles or planes, trains, or even futuristic transportation concepts, this is the degree for you. The transportation design degree combines creativity, engineering, and sustainability to prepare you for careers in the automotive and transportation industries.

You’ll have the opportunity to sit through classes such as vehicle architecture, insights for transportation design, human factors and design psychology, automotive engineering, and vehicle technology.

You can land jobs as an automotive designer, concept artist, mobility designer, or interior designer for vehicles. The average annual salary for transportation designers is US$56,698.

Universities that offer transportation design as one of their design degrees:

12. Textile Design

A textile design degree is all about turning raw materials into art that you can touch and wear. You’ll learn how to create unique fabrics, prints, and patterns.

Through this degree, you’ll learn about colour theory, textile drawing, the science of fabrics, and digital textile design.

Upon graduation, you can explore careers as a textile designer for fashion brands, home décor companies, or even create your own line of fabrics. The average annual salary for textile designers is US$70,250.

Universities that offer textile design as one of their design degrees: