Which Design Degree Should You Study?

Sponsored by POLI.design 

Design is the driving force behind many cultural trends, behaviours and lifestyles, and by undertaking a design degree you’ll be the one shaping the future of these trends.  

Covering a vast range of subjects, design degrees would suit anyone who is creative, artistic, self-motivated and open-minded. 

A design degree also opens up a wide range of career opportunities. Graduates might find themselves creating concepts for new products and services, defining urban spaces, shaping brand identities or even designing museum exhibits.  

POLI.design, founded by Politecnico di Milano, is one of the leading institutions for postgraduate design courses and is ranked fifth globally for art and design in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2021. Part of the prestigious Design System of the Politecnico di Milano, POLI.design offers more than 50 master’s and higher education courses for young graduates and professionals. 

Studying a specialised design master’s degree is a great way to develop your skills in the aspect of design that most interests you. But with so many design degrees to choose from, which is the right one for you?  

Read on to explore several design areas you can choose to study from. 

Architecture and Interior Design 

Trends for buildings and their interiors are ever-changing. Architecture faces new challenges like competition, development, and modernisation every day. A degree in architecture and interior design will teach you how to design innovative solutions to these architectural problems, embed building components and create layout designs.  

Graduates with a degree in architecture and interior design often work as architects, designers and engineers.  

Whether you choose to specialise in temporary buildings, industrial design for buildings, interior design or exhibition design, an architecture and interior design master’s degree will help you build expertise in the construction industry and develop valuable project management skills. 

POLI.design offers 11 different specialised architecture and interior design master’s programmes, from Exhibition Design to Customised Environment Design. Students will benefit from the school’s connections with industry, which will see students receive design briefs from real companies. This enables students to gain valuable work experience throughout their master’s programme. 

Cultural Heritage 

Do you have a strong passion for art, literature or archaeology? Do you dream of working in a museum or on a conservation site? If so, you might want to consider a cultural heritage degree. 

A cultural heritage degree will teach you how to create cultural projects in a range of different fields. It will help you understand the social, political and regulatory frameworks surrounding cultural heritage. You will also learn how to incorporate sustainability and responsibility into your design approach.  

Cultural heritage degree graduates often work as museum curators, project organisers, exhibition designers, and exhibition researchers; or will work on a team as part of a conservation project.  

POLI.design offers a range of specialised cultural heritage master’s, each focusing on a different aspect of the subject. Students can study Design for Food; Design, Creativity and Social Practises or Design Culture.  

Digital and Interaction Design 

If you have an interest in both design and technology, you may be suited to a digital and interaction design degree. 

Digital and interaction design encompasses many aspects of digital design including product design, graphic design, computing, web and app development. Many apps and websites employ digital and interaction designers to make their products more effective and user-friendly. 

A degree in digital and interaction design will present a host of career opportunities in design studios, in companies focused on innovation of products, and in technology-based industries, such as telecommunication and media companies. 

If this sounds like something that interests you, POLI.design offers two excellent specialised master’s programmes specialising in digital and interaction design: Design the Digital Strategy and User Experience Psychology.  

Product Design 

Specialising in a product design degree will teach you the practical skills and theoretical knowledge you need to design and create successful, sustainable new products that fit the consumer’s needs.  

A product design master’s would suit individuals who are creative, passionate about design, and are looking to develop the practical skills to work in product design. You will learn about the processes that occur in designing the qualities of products, the relationship between design and technology and the social and environmental issues within design.  

Graduates typically go on to work in the design industry, helping brands develop products that optimise the user experience, conducting design research and working in trend and technological analysis.  

Popular career paths with a product design master’s include product designer, CAD technician, clothing technologist and exhibition designer, but some graduates go on to work in less typical career paths, working as graphic designers, art directors or product managers.  

POLI.design offers 11 specialised master’s programmes in the field of product design, covering everything from Yacht Design to Accessory Design.  

Communication Design 

A communication design degree will help you effectively communicate messages to a target audience, while designing and producing a messaging campaign from start to finish.  

You will discover how to use tools and visuals to express information and convey a specific message to the target audience in a way that interests and inspires them.  

After graduation, communication design master’s holders often find work as graphic designers, web developers, copywriters or creative directors. However, some graduates choose to work in less conventional careers such as brand management, multimedia design and content strategy.  

POLI.design offers four specialised communication design master’s programmes including brand communication; art direction and copywriting; strategic design and new paradigms of consumption.  

Fashion Design 

If you hope to become a fashion designer or a fashion product developer, a degree specialising in fashion design might be the right move for you.  

A fashion design degree will equip you with the practical and theoretical knowledge you need to design clothes. You will learn about the materials and technologies used, image and communication, 3D modelling and prototyping, as well as management and design.  

POLI.design is located in Milan, one of the world’s most important fashion capitals. POLI.design’s specialised fashion design master’s programmes each focus on a specific area of the fashion sector: from Fashion Tech to Fiber Design and Textile Processes.