So You Want to Be a... Department Store

When you walk into a department store, whether you know it or not, you are walking into a living advertisement. Every square inch of floor and wall space has been designed to attract your interest, keep you in the store, and encourage you to make a purchase. Heading up this carefully designed consumer trap is the department store display designer.
What is a department store display designer?
The department store display designer is the individual in charge of selecting the fashions, designs, displays, and layout of different sections within the department store. He or she wants to entice you and keep you interested in the latest fashions. The longer you stay in the department store, the more likely you are to purchase something. Thus, a department store display designer needs to possess a creative mind with tremendous business savvy. For this reason, having a degree from an interior design school is essential for success.
What interior design schools can teach you
Programs vary, but most interior design schools will teach you the basics: lighting, fashion, colors, materials, set design, spacing, and 2D & 3D art. If you decide to become a department store display designer, your interior design school will also teach you about marketing, consumer psychology, advertising, and maybe even basic economics. In addition, you'll probably learn a great deal about computers since the fashion and design world have wholeheartedly embrace technology in recent years.
After interior design school
After interior design schools, you'll have a range of options from which to choose. The U.S. Department of Labor predicts that job opportunities for department store display designers will grow as fast as the national average for other jobs. However, with a degree from an interior design school coupled with some creativity, there is no limit to how far you can go.
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