Anybody out there want to share their experience on how they transitined from being a designer to stepping up into a design managment role? Did you go back to school for an MBA? At what point in your career did the move take place ( # of years)? Was it your choice or was it something out of your control (supervisor quit, etc…)?
I am really struggling at this point to keep myself motivated with what I am doing. I have 7 years design experience and find top level design strategy issues more appealing that deciding on what raduis to give an edge. I feel I am at the point where I have enough design experience under my belt to direct junior design staff and be able to interface with the rest of the organization (engineering, marketing, sales) in establishing the NPD strategy for whatever company I am working for.
No MBA, I asked about this in the interview and it wasn’t of consequence. My professional experience, references and portfolio (reviewed by a well known design consulting firm they hired for that purpose) got me the job. That said, I’m hiring MFA’s–first rule of management is to hire people smarter than yourself!
I had 8 years of experience in a variety of roles and companies. A mix of consulting and corporate. I haven’t touched my Corefolio or resume since, so here’s a snapshot in time.)
And lastly, it was my choice–I was recruited into it.
I am really struggling at this point to keep myself motivated with what I am doing. I have 7 years design experience and find top level design strategy issues more appealing that deciding on what raduis to give an edge. I feel I am at the point where I have enough design experience under my belt to direct junior design staff and be able to interface with the rest of the organization (engineering, marketing, sales) in establishing the NPD strategy for whatever company I am working for.
Looking forward to people’s replies on the topic.
According to my experience you’ve got another year and a recruiter will call you out of the blue and offer that opportunity Seriously though, make sure that recruiters ARE in fact calling from time to time–keep them up to date and keep your website/folio up to date. And generally stay connected. You’ll move up the ladder faster (and will be more marketable) by moving to another organization rather than waiting to be promoted.
According to my experience you’ve got another year and a recruiter will call you out of the blue and offer that opportunity > > Seriously though, make sure that recruiters ARE in fact calling from time to time–keep them up to date and keep your website/folio up to date. And generally stay connected. You’ll move up the ladder faster (and will be more marketable) by moving to another organization rather than waiting to be promoted.
Thanks for the input! I am on job #4 for those exact reasons. Seems like the companies I end up working for decide they need a designer, but don’t give any thought to a career path once they have one. I end up outgrowing the job after a year or so because they still want the guy they hired, but my skill set has improved since then and I crave more challenging things.
I hope my career path reflects your experiences because I am really ready for that next step.
…with a bfa and after 9 years with my first id job, i was hired as an ‘engineer’ by a company which had just terminated their 10 person id studio and model shop department…my basic job was to contract and direct consultants to do the design and prototype work, interface with customer design staff, supervise the engineering documentation of new designs and oversee the preproduction runs of new product and components…after a yr i made a cost improvement proposal to my vp to develop a lean in-house id dept over the next two years…two years later and i am a design manager with 4 direct reports…since then i have gone back to the ‘board’ as a project designer, as an independent and now as a working manager…strategic is rewarding but tactical is more fun…now i can do research one day, sketch or build models the next and tell marketing to ‘bugger-off’ every chance i get.
I had a very bizzare transition from design to design management. I was out of school for exactly 1 year when the design manager of my company quit and they offered me the job. They were an incredibly cheap company and didn’t want to spend big money on a replacement. I was told to hire someone to replace me as a staff designer, so I hired someone twice as talented as I was at the time - but not someone who would challenge me as the design manager. One year later a recruiter from the competition called and offered to double my salary. I took the money and never looked back. I have parlayed that first opportunity into a string of management jobs, getting smarter at each one.
About 15 years ago I went back for an MBA because I was lacking the vocabulary for the business end of our profession. That boosted my salary even higher.
Bottom line: Success is half luck and half skill. Or as Woody Allen says: “80% of success is showing up”.
Worked in architectural engineering straight out of school doing metal design on some Frank Gehry buildings but that didn’t last long. After that I did retail and architectural design for a few years, mostly 3D work and high quality CG renderings for store interiors.
Sometime last year, however, I started to get tired of the design biz and began looking at other interests including getting an MBA or Law degree. I actually took the LSAT in December and did well but decided that it wasn’t for me. Starting this summer I’ll be back in school to study computer science, networking, and telecommunications. A few years from now I’ll probably be working as an analyst somewhere, hopefully working on solutions for the next generation of energy efficient devices and networking. That seems to be my big area of interest right now.
I have come to realize that in general, designers evolve at a much faster rate than any company. The only option is to shed your skin and move to the next level.
I’ve just enrolled in the INSEAD MBA program in France, and I’m really curious to see if there’s been any evolution on the thought of going back to school for an MBA after being a designer for a period of time.
On my end, I’ve had a good career in design. I’ve spent 7 years doing design work within an architecture firm. I’ve worked on furniture, retail environments, exhibits, and a venue in a theme park. I actually feel like I’m walking away from the design path just as my career is taking off.
All the same, business school feels like the right thing for me right now. It’s a one year intensive program, and my goal is to find a more strategic/business position within the design industry.
the design manager of my company quit and they offered me the job. They were an incredibly cheap company and didn’t want to spend big money on a replacement.
Similar thing happened to me 8 months ago. I hope it pans out for me the way you have had it pan out. I really have no management experience so its been a struggle. In a weird twist of fate, I’ve been asked to fire the person who hired me. Anyone had to do that? If so, how did you do it?
Seriously though, make sure that recruiters ARE in fact calling from time to time–keep them up to date and keep your website/folio up to date. And generally stay connected. You’ll move up the ladder faster (and will be more marketable) by moving to another organization rather than waiting to be promoted.