Furniture Designer: The Path to the Profession

Today’s furniture industry is geared towards mass production. The company produces wardrobes, beds, canapés and many other designer pieces for modern living spaces. Designers combine functionality with the latest trends. However, what should not be forgotten are the preferences of the customers, a long durability, ergonomics and the practical aspect.

Designer’s Skills

The design of the piece of furniture should be both creative and practical. On the one hand, designers have the ability to draw very well, but they are also proficient in common design software. They are also excellent at working with different shapes, colours and patterns. Above all, however, they have excellent visual imagination and very good linguistic skills for depicting three-dimensional objects. Like all artists, all furniture designers should have a keen sense of aesthetics and beauty and a good eye for detail. You should be able to combine beauty with function and in this way create an interior design that is practical, comfortable and beautiful. Furniture designers should be able to work with a wide variety of materials and highlight their advantages, such as wood, metal or fabrics.

Studies and training

There are several training options to become a furniture designer. The majority of larger companies require a bachelor’s degree in product design, industrial design, architecture or interior design. Thus, the future designers decide on one of these courses of study. The courses help designers and producers to broaden their understanding of art and architecture. In-depth knowledge of styles, art movements and principles of good design is also imparted during the course.

Topics related to industrial design, such as designing a piece of furniture, allow students to gain practical knowledge. This helps them to construct stable, long-lasting and functional pieces of furniture. The mathematical knowledge that you learn during your studies also leads to a factual and functional approach to the market.

Requirements

Furniture designers work not only for large companies, but also for smaller independent firms. But there are also designers who make furniture on demand, just like us. Employees in large companies spend most of their work in an office and occasionally travel to test fixtures and exhibitions. Furniture designers who work for small businesses can spend most of their time in their workshop.

The Portfolio

The Portfolio

A designer’s portfolio usually starts out very simple. A student’s may include various drawings and photographs. It shows the transition from simple methods to a mature style. Experienced artists already have photos of finished products in their portfolio, which show a variety of materials and styles. It is crucial that it contains good quality photographs. Thus, the quality and the sense for detail can also be recognizable in the products themselves. Online portfolios are becoming more and more popular. Students can use the service of the online portfolio, which makes the process of creating it much easier. Professional designers can even create their own website.