Design

An estimated 65% of today’s school kids will end up working in jobs that don’t exist today.¹ But rather than being daunted by that statistic, we’re giving students the skills they need to prepare for it.

New opportunities for skilled designers will continue to emerge as all industries are affected by advancing technologies, changing social values and consumer behaviours. Companies are increasingly embracing contemporary design practices and developing permanent roles for designers to contribute to their future thinking.

We're responding to the needs of our world by teaching students how to align values with emerging technologies. You’ll learn how the use of technologies like virtual and augmented realities, robotics, rapid prototying techniques and 3D printing can work in support of the need to create peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future.

If you’re curious, creative and enjoy working in a team, a career in design might be for you. Design can take you everywhere.  Many of the roles becoming available are in design - a field that has seen significant innovation and change in recent times. Positions such as Experience Designer, Design Strategist and Innovation Manager didn’t exist a few years ago, but are now in demand and pay well. A report by New Zealand’s leading employment marketplace SEEK shows Design roles made up 30% of the highest-paying jobs in 2018².

Designers collect data, assess design needs, discuss solutions, evaluate outcomes and find a way forward. Designers are increasingly relied on to lead innovation. They find work in multiple industries including business, science and entertainment. Designers are hired to address business challenges and opportunities in a responsibly disruptive way, to drive innovative solutions and exceptional user experiences.

The job market is constantly changing, and new roles will continue to appear. We teach the core design skills these jobs require. You will learn how to contribute research, ideation, visualisation, prototyping, testing, storytelling skills and project management alongside knowledge of best practice in the field.

As a graduate, you’ll be ready to take on many design roles, including some you may not have expected! This unchartered territory is precisely the kind of place designers thrive. Our goal is always to ensure you graduate understanding all the opportunities available to you.

• Experience Designer (UX)
• Service Designer
• Interface Designer (UI)
• Interaction Designer (IxD)
• Creative Technologist
• Design Strategist
• Digital Sesigner
• Information Designer
• Systems Designer
• Customer Experience Designer (CX)

Some tips for job seeking:

We recommend you explore job search engines such as SEEK and LinkedIn to learn more about the jobs listed above. You can also find opportunities by combining job titles such as ‘Experience Strategist’ or ‘Digital Interface Designer’.

Try searching for jobs in New Zealand and worldwide. Expanding your search beyond New Zealand helps you see what jobs might be established in some countries and on the horizon for others.

^{1. World Economic Forum (2016). Future of Jobs Report.}

^{2. View jobs 10, 13-16 and 18 in the SEEK report.}