Furniture designer

As a furniture designer you may just be involved in the design aspect of the work, or you could be a highly-skilled craftsperson producing items from your own designs

You'll either work alone or alongside colleagues, creating concepts and designs that balance innovative design, functional requirements and aesthetic appeal.

Responsibilities

Your work activities as a furniture designer will vary according to whether you are self-employed, working alone or with one or two other craftspeople, or employed by a manufacturing company, working with a group of experienced furniture designers.

You may need to:

• study and research a variety of furniture design styles
• generate sample designs using software packages such as AutoCAD, Woodwork for Inventor, SOLIDWORKS and Adobe Creative Suite, card models, sketches or hard prototypes
• discuss designs with clients for custom ordering or with manufacturers
• select suitable materials, which might include wood, metal, plastic and textiles
• prepare detailed final designs
• collaborate with other craftspeople or production department staff (such as production managers, marketing staff and design engineers) about the process of construction or manufacture
• evaluate issues such as pricing and fixing costs, fashion, purchasing, safety, materials, and manufacturing methods and techniques
• use various tools to complete projects from raw materials to finished furniture items
• organise plans and schedules around the availability of resources
• find ways to improve furniture items already manufactured
• keep up to date with the latest industry trends, materials and techniques that you can use in your own designs, as well as with competitor products.

If you're a self-employed designer, you'll need to allocate a portion of your time to marketing and business administration, as well as promoting yourself through advertising your services or attending furnishing fairs and exhibitions.

Many designers have a natural interest in associated fields of design and may spend time on collaborative projects, working with theatre set designers or retail interior designers, for example.

Salary

• Starting salaries for new graduates are typically between £22,000 and £27,000.
• With three-to-five years' experience as a furniture designer, you can earn in the region of £30,000 to £35,000. Senior positions typically range from £38,000 to £50,000.
• If you have come through the workshop from the shop floor upwards, starting salaries are typically between £18,000 and £25,000. With some experience, you can earn around £30,000, rising to £40,000 or more with several years' experience.

Pay rates vary depending on where you work, the size of the company or organisation and the demand for the job. For example, salaries may be higher with large manufacturers or well-known high street brands.

You might work for a large manufacturing firm, a small family business, cabinet maker or a design company doing work for several manufacturing firms.

Income data from Careers in Design (Recruitment) Ltd. Figures are intended as a guide only.

Working hours

You'll usually work a normal working week, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5.30pm, if you're working for an organisation, with some flexibility to work extra hours if required.

Working hours for self-employed designers may be irregular and flexibility is essential. Late finishes and weekend work may be required when deadlines approach.

Part-time work is possible for established designers.

What to expect

• A lot of your time will be spent in a design studio or workshop, but you may have to travel to visit clients and suppliers, and to attend meetings and trade shows.
• If you're a self-employed designer, you could share a workshop with other designers to help reduce costs.
• According to the Sylva Foundation, women are currently underrepresented in the heritage woodwork and furniture making sectors. They have received funding to tackle gender inequality via the Woodworking and Gender project.
• Manufacturers and design consultancies are found throughout the UK and Europe.
• Travel within a working day, overnight absence from home, and overseas work or travel may occasionally be required, depending on your choice of market and scale of work. This is most likely to occur as you gain experience and develop a good reputation.

Qualifications

Relevant degree, foundation degree or HND subjects include:

• furniture design
• furniture design and make
• product and furniture design.

Courses with a mix of practical skills and creative design may be particularly useful.

Other relevant degree subjects may include:

• art and design, 3D design or spatial design
• 3D design and craft
• ceramics and glass
• interior design
• product design.

A portfolio of work is required for entry on to degree courses. You can then use your degree portfolio when applying for jobs.

You could also start a career in furniture design by taking a college course such as a Level 3 Diploma in Furniture Design and Making.

It's also possible to enter the profession by taking a furniture-related apprenticeship, such as the Level 3 Fitted Furniture Design Technician Apprenticeship. Apprenticeships combine paid work with part-time study, meaning you can train on the job.

Although not essential, you may choose to undertake postgraduate study in furniture design. Search postgraduate courses in furniture.

Skills

You'll need to have:

• creative and practical ability
• drawing skills and strong visual awareness
• manual dexterity and good hand-eye coordination
• an understanding of computer-aided design (CAD) and other relevant software packages
• knowledge of industrial processes and techniques, safety issues and specialist fields or materials
• communication and presentation skills
• commercial focus
• attention to detail
• self-motivation, self-discipline and persistence
• flexibility and adaptability
• project management skills and the ability to work to deadlines
• collaborative skills, particularly if working in a multidisciplinary practice
• a desire to keep up to date with market trends and new ideas
• skills for running a business if you're self-employed - these could include marketing, sales, finance, buying, maintenance engineering and production.

Work experience

Entry is competitive so any related work experience is valuable. Showcase your work in a professional-looking portfolio or website containing photographs, drawings and other design work.

It's important to produce your own experimental work and enter competitions and shows to get your work noticed. On rare occasions, a graduate may be offered work because of their furniture degree show.

Many employers consider potential to be just as important as experience, so it's essential that you show a working interest in the design field. Visit design fairs and exhibitions, read design journals and keep up to date with new software and technology in the sector. Use social media to follow designers or organisations you're interested in and join, and contribute to, online design forums.

Connect with contacts you have made and apply speculatively to any companies or individuals that match your design style. You can use this approach for finding work experience opportunities and job openings.

Student membership of the Chartered Society of Designers is useful for networking, events, information and advice.

Find out more about the different kinds of work experience and internships that are available.

Employers

As a furniture designer, you may find employment with, or through:

• architectural practices
• commissioning departments of public and private bodies, e.g. councils and large corporate firms
• consultancy practices
• design practices and studios
• exhibition organisers
• furniture manufacturing companies
• interior and multidisciplinary design studios
• private buyers (occasionally)
• retailers.

You may choose to be self-employed or undertake freelance work for corporate or domestic clients. If you choose self-employment, you may have to look for income from other sources initially, including other part-time work, until you build up a client base.

Find out more about self-employment.

Look for job vacancies at:

• Arts Jobs
• The Crafts Council - also has careers information in its Crafts Magazine.
• Design Week

Specialist recruitment agencies such as CareersinDesign advertise vacancies for furniture designers. Some may only deal with people who already have commercial experience.

LinkedIn is useful for making contacts and advertises jobs.

The British Furniture Manufacturers' website has an online directory, listing suppliers that may be useful for your job search.

Networking is crucial and trade fairs can be a useful source of information and contacts.

Professional development

The amount of training you receive as a new recruit will vary depending on the company you work for. Most employers will expect you to have the basic skills but will often provide training days on new technologies and software, or on company policies. Occasionally supervision is given by a design director, but most companies do not allocate individual mentors.

It's vital that you keep up to date with developments in materials, equipment and design trends by attending and exhibiting your work at trade shows and exhibitions. Magazines such as Design Week are useful for information on the latest trends and news.

You could also join a professional body, such as the Chartered Society of Designers. Membership can provide professional recognition, access to advice, opportunities for continuing professional development (CPD) and industry contacts.

Membership of a-n The Artists Information Company is also useful for information and advice on professional development.

Developing additional practical skills may be helpful, particularly if you're self-employed. Many local colleges and design institutions offer relevant courses in areas such as upholstery, carpentry and restoration.

Further study can be inspiring and bring the opportunity to experiment, diversify and obtain specialist knowledge.

Career prospects

Larger design companies often offer more structured progression opportunities, while a greater degree of flexibility may be achieved working for yourself or in a partnership or small collective with other designers.

If you're a designer working on a smaller scale, success will depend on a mixture of your:

• contacts
• design skills
• networking skills
• profile
• reliability
• reputation
• self-promotion.

If you're self-employed, you'll usually work from a studio or workshop. Many designers at the beginning of their career share studio space to divide costs and pool resources.

Progression can be to the role of consultant designer, senior consultant designer or even manager or company director in large firms.

Other career options include:

• a sideways move between self-employment and employment or different employment settings
• specialising in an area of furniture design such as ergonomics
• creating bespoke designs to order and perhaps building up a select client base
• becoming a furniture buyer for a large company or organisation, or on behalf of other client groups, such as the tourism and hospitality sectors.

You could also consider teaching and lecturing, either as a form of career development or alongside regular design work to supplement your income. Other fields such as curating or journalism (where you can use your furniture design knowledge) offer other alternative paths.