4 careers you didn’t know a Master of Design could get you

Are you someone drawn to the more creative side of life? Perhaps you’re more interested in colours than corporate culture, shapes instead of spreadsheets, and patterns more than profit margins.

If you’ve done your undergraduate degree and landed in a profession that feels more like a paycheque than a passion, know that it’s never too late to take your creative interests seriously — or take your skills to the next level.

Emily Carr University of Art + Design, an educational haven for creatives in Vancouver, has an interdisciplinary Master of Design program where you can start pursuing the creative career of your dreams — or elevate your resume to where you want it to be.

Here are just some of the careers you could be pursuing with a Master of Design (MDes) degree from Emily Carr:

Senior Product Designer

Do you have an eye for shapes and colours and an insatiable curiosity for the way people select and use products?  If you also have knowledge of materials and production methods, the technical, practical, and scientific career path of a Senior Product Designer could be ideal.

Usually working from studios, workshops, or offices, senior product designers design everything from desks to digital technology and aim to do so in the most cost-effective way possible. They make drawings and 3D models and work with everyone from engineers and model makers to sales and marketing.

Visual Communication Designer

Visual communication designers often get confused with graphic designers, and although they’re similar, visual communication design involves a mixture of graphic design, user interface (UI), and communication.

From pamphlets to animations, a visual communication designer dictates concepts for products. A good visual communication designer needs to be a conceptualizer, an excellent problem solver, comfortable with advanced software, and have the ability to handle multiple projects at the same time.

Textile/Apparel Designer

More interested in the fabric and fashion side of creativity? Do your eyes light up at the perfect cut of a coat, or are you always noticing the finer details in a cushion with eye-popping patterns?

Using drawings as well as advanced software programs like Adobe Illustrator, textile and apparel designers are highly creative individuals who have a high attention to detail for shapes, patterns, textures, and colours. This competitive, exciting, and challenging career requires an in-depth understanding of technique and the ability to problem solve, stay on budget, and manage your time to meet strict deadlines.

User Experience (UX) Design Lead

UX designers use psychology and process design to make sure that the products their team is working on are meaningful for users. In other words, they look at the product from the person who is going to be using it and ask whether it works — in terms of branding, design, usability, and function.

Using things like wireframes (the structure of how a product will be used) and creating strategies such as personas (hypothetical people that will be using the product), this exciting career path is ideal for creative people who are more interested in how people’s minds work.

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Emily Carr’s two- and three-year Master of Design degrees (offered in both Interdisciplinary and Interaction formats) are research-oriented and practice-based. New part-time options also give students the flexibility needed to maintain a happy work-life balance.

These programs are ideal for those already pursuing a career in design and looking to take their career to a new level. They’re perfect for designers who think outside the box and are passionate about designing things that bring about change, locally and internationally. Ultimately, the courses teach students how to think critically with their creative research, in a studio environment.

Emily Carr University is an internationally-renowned research-based institution focused purely on creative education. It has a brand new, stunning, state-of-the-art campus located in the heart of Vancouver.

Don’t delay any further on pursuing the creative design career you’ve always dreamed of. Check out Emily Carr’s website today.