Graphic designers use a variety of print, electronic, and film media to create designs that meet clients' commercial needs. Using computer software, they develop the overall layout and design of magazines, newspapers, journals, corporate reports, and other publications. They also may produce promotional displays and marketing brochures for products and services, design distinctive company logos for products and businesses, and develop signs and signage systems—called environmental graphics—for business and government. An increasing number of graphic designers develop material to appear on Internet home pages. Graphic designers also produce the credits that appear before and after television programs and movies.

Interior designers plan the space and furnish the interiors of private homes, public buildings, and business or institutional facilities, such as offices, restaurants, retail establishments, hospitals, hotels, and theaters. They also plan the interiors when existing structures are renovated or expanded. Most interior designers specialize. For example, some may concentrate in residential design, and others may further specialise by focusing on particular rooms, such as kitchens or baths. With a client’s tastes, needs, and budget in mind, interior designers prepare drawings and specifications for non-load bearing interior construction, furnishings, lighting, and finishes. Increasingly, designers use computers to plan layouts, which can easily be changed to include ideas received from the client. Interior designers also design lighting and architectural details—such as crown molding, built-in bookshelves, or cabinets—coordinate colors, and select furniture, floor coverings, and window treatments. Interior designers must design space to conform to Federal, State, and local laws, including building codes. Designs for public areas also must meet accessibility standards for the disabled and elderly.

Set and exhibit designers create sets for movie, television, and theatre productions and design special exhibition displays. Set designers study scripts, confer with directors and other designers, and conduct research to determine the appropriate historical period, fashion, and architectural styles. They then produce sketches or scale models to guide in the construction of the actual sets or exhibit spaces. Exhibit designers work with curators, art and museum directors, and trade show sponsors to determine the most effective use of available space.

Nature of the Work
Designers are people with a desire to create. They combine practical knowledge with artistic ability to turn abstract ideas into formal designs for the merchandise we buy, the clothes we wear, the publications we read, and the living and office space we inhabit. Designers usually specialise in a particular area of design, such as automobiles, industrial or medical equipment, or home appliances; clothing and textiles; floral arrangements; publications, logos, signage, or movie or TV credits; interiors of homes or office buildings; merchandise displays; or movie, television, and theatre sets.

The first step in developing a new design or altering an existing one is to determine the needs of the client, the ultimate function for which the design is intended, and its appeal to customers. When creating a design, designers often begin by researching the desired design characteristics, such as size, shape, weight, colour, materials used, cost, ease of use, fit, and safety.

Designers then prepare sketches—by hand or with the aid of a computer—to illustrate the vision for the design. After consulting with the client, an art or design director, or a product development team, designers create detailed designs using drawings, a structural model, computer simulations, or a full-scale prototype. Many designers increasingly are using computer-aided design (CAD) tools to create and better visualise the final product. Computer models allow greater ease and flexibility in exploring a greater number of design alternatives, thus reducing design costs and cutting the time it takes to deliver a product to market. Industrial designers use computer-aided industrial design (CAID) tools to create designs and machine-readable instructions that communicate with automated production tools.

Designers sometimes supervise assistants who carry out their creations. Designers who run their own businesses also may devote a considerable amount of time to developing new business contacts, reviewing equipment and space needs, and performing administrative tasks, such as reviewing catalogues and ordering samples. Design encompasses a number of different fields. Many designers specialise in a particular area of design, whereas others work in more than one area.