Designers develop, by hand or with the aid of a computer, sketches of several design concepts that they present for final selection to a client, an art or design director, a product development team, or producer of a play, film, or television production. The designer then makes a model, a prototype, or detailed plans drawn to scale. Computers greatly reduce the cost and time necessary to create a model or prototype, which gives a real idea of what the product will look like. Designers may supervise craft workers who carry out their designs. Those who run their own businesses also may devote a considerable amount of time to developing new business contacts and to administrative tasks such as reviewing catalogs and ordering samples.
Design encompasses a number of different fields.
Industrial designers develop and design countless manufactured products like cars, home appliances, children's toys, computer equipment, and medical, office, or recreational equipment. They combine artistic talent with research on product use, marketing, materials, and production methods to create the most functional and appealing design and to make the product competitive with others in the marketplace. Furniture designers design furniture for manufacture, according to knowledge of design trends, competitors' products, production costs, capability of production facilities, and characteristics of a company's market. They may also prepare detailed drawings of fixtures, forms, or tools required to be used in production of furniture, along with designing custom pieces or styles according to a specific period or country. They must be strongly involved with the fashion industry and must be aware of current trends and styles.