Designing Courses Australia

About Designing

You'll become

Average Salaries

Designing workers may earn between $39,000 and $68,000 per year

You’ve got a creative mind and you see the world differently. Turn that talent into an exciting new career by studying a design course.

Play a key role in the way we experience the world and engage with ideas by starting a rewarding new career as a designer. An emerging industry seeking thousands of new designers, the design sector is a dynamic new opportunity for you to challenge your creativity while building a rewarding career.

By completing a design course, you’ll build the critical skills, personal insights and theoretical knowledge required to turn your natural curiosity and creativity into an enriching career in the art and design industries. Exciting, unexpected and dynamic, a career as a designer is a unique opportunity to develop your artistic vision, shape your style and build the portfolio of creative work you need to start a career with a competitive edge.

Practical and creative, a design course suits anyone with big ideas and the commitment to pursue them.

You may study a design course as certificate or diploma course or as part of a bachelor’s or master’s degree. After completing your course, you can work as a graphic designer, web designer or illustrator, or in a marketing, advertising or communications role, using your creative skills and insights to develop compelling communications materials that engage, challenge and excite people.

What do designing graduates do?

As a designer, you’ll be responsible for designing visual communications materials, including producing graphics, illustrations, animations and videos. You may work in-house for a creative agency or other business, or work freelance as an independent designer, which will affect the nature and scope of your day-to-day responsibilities.

As a designer, you can expect to perform tasks like:

Consulting with clients and stakeholders, to determine the objectives and constraints of a design brief;
Researching and analysing assignment communications requirements and selecting appropriate design medium and tools;
Reviewing references and researching creative elements;
Producing sketches, illustrations, diagrams and layouts to communicate design concepts;
Providing informed advice on use of composition, light, colour, patterns and trends in design to clients and stakeholders;
Detailing and documenting a selected design for production;
Supervising or carrying out the design in the chosen media; and
Managing the execution of design projects, including managing and briefing staff, and managing budgets and other resources.

You may also be responsible for managing accounts and invoicing, marketing your services and seeking new clients, and connecting clients with other creative professionals, such as photographers and copywriters, depending on the nature of your work.

Career Outcomes

After completing a design course, you’ll likely seek employment as a graphic designer, illustrator or web designer, but may also choose to work in communications or marketing design, applying your creative skills to developing strategic communications.

Is designing right for you?

You’ll enjoy working in design if you:

Are creative
Can express yourself well
Have excellent communication and interpersonal skills
Are curious about the world
Can work independently
Are proactive and enterprising
Enjoy detailed work
Have excellent organisational and project management skills
Enjoy problem-solving and testing
Work well with people
Are patient and empathetic

Job opportunities

The Australian Government’s Job Outlook reports that the design industry in Australia is large and growing. Currently employing approximately 46,500 people, the industry is expected to grow strongly until at least 2020, where it will employ approximately 53,300 people. While the industry has contracted slightly over the last few years, it is expected to grow strongly over the next decade.

While the size of the profession indicates roles are available in most areas of Australia, Job Outlook notes that the sector is concentrated in New South Wales, with approximately 45 per cent of all designers working in the state.

Average Salaries

PayScale reports that designers can expect to earn a salary between $39,000 and $68,000 per year, with an average industry salary of approximately $51,000 per year. While a positive relationship exists between experience and earning capacity, PayScale notes that entry-level designers can still earn a competitive average salary of approximately $47,000 per year.

PayScale notes that over 80 per cent of designers have less than 10 years of work experience, indicating that people move from this profession as their careers progress. After gaining experience as a designer, you may choose to work in a more senior role as an art director, creative director or as a senior graphic designer.

min $39K

max $68K

ave $51K

Learnhow to become a

Learn how to become a

Industry Bodies

Location

Industry

Qualification

Payment Option

CUA50715 Diploma of Graphic Design Open Colleges

CUA50715 Diploma of Graphic Design

MSF40113 Certificate IV in Interior Decoration Open Colleges

MSF40113 Certificate IV in Interior Decoration

MSF50213 Diploma of Interior Design and Decoration Open Colleges

MSF50213 Diploma of Interior Design and Decoration

CUA40715 Certificate IV in Design specialising in Digital Design Open Colleges

CUA40715 Certificate IV in Design specialising in Digital Design

Bachelor of Design With a Major in Communication Design Swinburne Online

Bachelor of Design With a Major in Communication Design

CUA50715 Graphic Design Pathway Program Open Colleges

CUA50715 Graphic Design Pathway Program

Augmented Reality Design Course Academy Xi

Augmented Reality Design Course

User Experience Design Course Academy Xi

User Experience Design Course

User Experience Design Transform Course (Full-Time) Academy Xi

User Experience Design Transform Course (Full-Time)

User Experience Design: Accelerated Course (1 Week) Academy Xi

User Experience Design: Accelerated Course (1 Week)

Virtual Reality Design Course Academy Xi

Virtual Reality Design Course

Here's how others rate StudySelect

What do designing graduates do?

Career Outcomes

Career Outcomes

Job opportunities

Average Salaries

Learn how to become a

Industry Bodies

CUA50715
Diploma of Graphic Design Open Colleges

MSF40113
Certificate IV in Interior Decoration Open Colleges

MSF50213
Diploma of Interior Design and Decoration Open Colleges

CUA40715
Certificate IV in Design specialising in Digital Design Open Colleges

CUA50715
Graphic Design Pathway Program Open Colleges