A design manager’s primary responsibility is to lead his team of designers throughout the duration of a project. In addition, he will frequently act as a liaison between his client, business manager, and designers. This type of career can lead to work in a variety of industries and on a variety of projects.
A design manager, for example, could manage an architectural firm while designing a new building or lead a team of designers in the development of a product’s brand. Despite the fact that the industries may differ significantly, the essential job functions are essentially the same. These responsibilities include determining client project requirements, communicating a project outline to his design team, supervising employees, providing assistance as needed, and keeping track of the budget.
The ability to effectively identify his client’s needs for each project is perhaps the most important aspect of being a design manager. He must first get a clear idea of what his client’s exact specifications are in order to deliver the best possible product, design, or brand. For example, if he was designing packaging for a toy company, he would need to know things like the type of toy, whether it’s for boys or girls, the package size, and the colors to use. Before moving on to the next stage of the design process, a design manager must have this information.
A design manager must develop a project outline and communicate it to his design staff once he is certain of the client’s specifications. He will explain the client’s requests to the other designers during this phase. Following that, everyone will usually spend some time brainstorming to determine the best course of action.
Supervising staff members is another important aspect of his job. Because the design manager is the group’s leader, he is responsible for keeping everyone on track and ensuring that all designers put forth their best effort. During this time, he may break the group up into smaller groups to work on various aspects of the project. If a member of the staff is having difficulties, he will offer assistance as needed. During this time, the design manager will typically keep both his client and his business manager informed about the project’s progress.
Furthermore, the design manager must be constantly aware of his client’s budget and ensure that he does not go over it. He must keep track of expenses throughout the design process, including the salaries and supplies of the design team. The design itself, whether of an advertisement, a product, or a facility, must also be able to be produced within the budget specified by the client.