WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH A DESIGN MANAGEMENT DEGREE?
A traditional master's in design management prepares you for a highly specific career track, but there's another option. Build a multidisciplinary foundation that prepares you to do significant work in a complex world at MFA Products of Design. While enrolled in our generalist program, you'll develop knowledge and skills that help you manage design projects while successfully learning about other design fields and graduating with more career opportunities.
With education from MFA Products of Design, you'll become a leader in all the disciplines our curriculum encompasses, including design management, industrial design, graphic design and branding, service design, and interaction design. Our program ensures you study and learn by example throughout New York City. You'll collaborate with educators on campus and in professional studios throughout the city—from IDEO and Atlason to Frog Design, Material ConneXion, and Johnson & Johnson.
Take Master's Classes in Design Management in New York
If you're torn between earning a design thinking master's degree online or pursuing another field like product design, attending MFA Products of Design can provide the well-rounded education you desire. Our approach to design education is innovative and unique—there are no specific tracks. Students will learn about and gain experience in all design fields to prepare them for their future professions. Our goal is to help you find success in an ever-evolving creative field and make a difference.
Our standard courses last 15 weeks, but we also offer five- to seven-week classes to help students have the best opportunities to further their education, experience, and skills. The faculty you'll collaborate with are some of the best in the industry. Many MFA Products of Design teachers are top designers at major organizations, such as Johnson & Johnson and the Museum of Modern Art. Our faculty members have various accolades and experience, including master's degrees in design management.
What Is Design Management?
Design management focuses on the business side of designing, ensuring the processes, strategies, and business decisions needed to provide well-designed products, communications, and more happen. Understanding design management can help businesses and companies keep their production processes efficient, helping reduce costs.
A traditional master's in design management prepares individuals to work in multiple industries. The field often uses a design thinking approach, creating products and services with the customers' best interests at the focal point. Design management cultivates the collaboration between business and design, holding the design elements accountable for realistic business ventures. It links innovation, design, technology, customer care, and management.
Essential Skills for a Design Manager
Often, design managers have the critical task of managing a team while handling a project's business goals, ensuring each plan is achievable. Design managers also ensure the team works collectively to provide new ideas and solutions for potential problems. Essential skills for these professionals include:
Strong listener: Listening is one of the most critical skills for managers. Design managers need to understand their team members' concerns to provide solutions that help them succeed. Being a strong listener also helps in times of mediation between other team members.
Leadership: Having strong leadership skills is vital for working in these roles. You'll keep your team members on task while providing support and assistance to ensure the project is complete on time and exceeds expectations.
Commercial awareness: Often, you'll be in charge of the business aspect of design for projects. Understanding the strategies and methods used for successful marketing, advertising, and other business insights can help you develop team objectives for your project.
Organization and time management: Project management is a significant responsibility for design managers. The ability to stay organized and manage time appropriately ensures every project meets the deadline.
Creative thinking and problem-solving: Creativity and problem-solving skills help design managers find solutions for design complications on projects. While managers may not work directly on the design process, they can provide vital insight to help improve the design of a project.
What Can You Do With a Master's in Design Management?
Graduate education in design management prepares students for advanced career paths in different sectors, from nonprofit and for-profit organizations to business and government. While a traditional master's in design management program offers a specialized experience, the generalist program at MFA Products of Design helps you develop the knowledge and skills you'll need to become a design manager—or any other design professional if you decide another path is right for you.
Our graduate program equips you to work in multiple industries, including product development, marketing, publishing, graphic design, industrial design, and more. In a management-focused design career, you must:
Establish business goals and objectives that support the strategic project plan.
Establish creative strategy, budgets, schedules, and production plans for multiple design projects.
Collaborate with marketing, business leadership, and product management partners to create effective and efficient brand systems.
Serve as a primary point of contact for design.
Solve business challenges in ways that improve the experience for staff, customers, and prospects.
Manage project development and review the designs' quality and accuracy.
Support teams with their challenges, providing assistance and problem-solving when necessary.
Build and maintain relationships with product leaders to develop a clear understanding of the overall business strategy for the design process of projects.
Ensure all work areas meet safety, quality, and compliance standards.
Design managers are there for team members whenever they may need additional assistance or direction. In addition to the many tasks you may oversee, you'll also spend time learning and understanding what motivates people and when to step into a project space to help team members.
Career Paths for Design Managers
A specialized master's in design management helps graduates become professionals in various fields. Your comprehensive education with classes that encompass design management and other disciplines will prepare you to handle relevant business issues while ensuring the design aspect comes out efficiently and effectively.
You could start your career as a:
Project management assistant
Marketing assistant
Production assistant
Brand manager
Design department manager
Design strategist
Design researcher
Creative director
Heads of design
Learn More About Master's Courses at MFA Products of Design
MFA Products of Design trains graduates to be leaders in the ever-evolving design industry. When you take M.A. design management courses as part of our multidisciplinary program, you'll receive the skills and knowledge to help you succeed in your career.
Whether you're already a trained designer or starting your journey in the design world, we're excited to get to know you. We accept national and international students into our program, offering the opportunity for comprehensive education in all design fields.
Learn how earning a design degree in a multifaceted program can prepare you for success and transform your future. You can contact us online to discuss any questions about our program. When you're ready to start master's courses in design management, apply to MFA Products of Design today.