The successful designer must have flexibility to come with a diversity of work and deal tactfully with a variety of clients. The designer is often away from headquarters meeting with clients.
Hours can be irregular and involve nights or weekends.
Every design firm, large or small, must cope with a large amount of paperwork, such as writing specifications and placing orders, figuring estimates and keeping track of all administrative details necessary in dealing with hundreds of items of merchandise. The apprentice designer should be prepared to do all kinds of routine work including record keeping, typing filing cataloging samples and researching old and new merchandise sources. After becoming thoroughly familiar with the firm's operation, the new designer may draw floor plans coordinate color schemes and join client consultations and installations under supervision of an experienced designer.