How to become a Craft Designer

Craft designers, also known as Craft and Fine Art Artist, specialize in designing and hand crafting three dimensional functional or decorative items like jewellery, pottery, ceramics, ornaments, tableware, furniture and glassware. Craft Designers work with various types of supplies such as ceramics, glass, textile, wood, metal, paper, etc. to make unique pieces of craft. They may design a product to be made in a manufacturing set-up, or as a 'one-off', a customize piece, made in-house for a specific client, using a variety of methods and materials.

Job Description, Roles, Duties, Tasks, and Responsibilities:

• Use hand or power tools, or machinery to cut, shape, fit, join, or mold to process materials
• Choose supplies based on strength, color, texture, weight, size, etc. to make the product
• Advertise and sell products with the help of social media and brochures  
• Attend art and craft shows to continue learning and  market products
• Make product prototype or model for design testing
• Communicate with clients to understand their requirements and to obtain feedback
• Create product packaging and pricing schemes
• Research customer buying patterns
• Plan art and craft ideas and sketch product design by hand or on a computer
• Market research latest trends, styles, or designs for maximum sales
• Decide how to make a product and determine it’s costing price
• Modify a design to fit budget and meet customer’s requirements
• Ensure the finished item looks attractive and functional
• Sell items at craft fairs, exhibitions, online stories, galleries, or shop
• Generate creative ideas or new ways for making an item
• Create portfolios of the items you’ve made to highlight artistic styles and abilities.

Along with creativity, a craft designer must possess the ability to juggle many work tasks together efficiently and in a timely manner. One must have creative thinking with problem-solving abilities to execute a well-crafted idea. They must also have impeccable communication skills, both in verbal and in written form.

One must also be skilled in presentation and the use of specialized graphic design, computer software necessary for preparation of designs. Most artists’ handcraft products, thus must have adequate manual dexterity abilities to safely and efficiently use tools and materials to create their art. They must also possess knowledge of the materials and supplies they choose to work with and make their products.

A successful craft designer must have the ability to visualize a concept, judge, and choose appropriate colors and designs that translate the ideas into illustrations. Aspiring designers must also have an incredible eye for detail.

It will require you to make ultimate use of your creative potential, imagination, and artistic expression as they would have to adapt their style if needed. Thus, they need to be flexible and be acceptable to criticism.

They must also possess the abilities of self-promotion and self-motivation, and the ability to work to deadlines. Lastly, one needs to know basic business know-how and be good at communicating and negotiating with clients.