Popular careers: Design
Information about the profession of designer in Switzerland: typical jobs, activities, salary and career opportunities .
Designing the products of tomorrow, developing visual ideas, realizing your potential in the design industry and turning your creativity into a career: that is the dream of many graduates. The design industry offers a wide variety of different jobs, each with its own unique characteristics. If you specialize in artistic design, you could become a digital artist or fashion designer, for example. If you focus on technical design, a position as a graphic designer could be of interest to you. With this variety of career fields, the question arises as to what career opportunities are available and how the work is paid. We explain what you can expect in this popular field, how you are paid in different industries and areas and what skills you should have in order to be successful.
This is what you do as a designer
Design is one of the most popular professions, and the industry is colorful and diverse. As a designer, you create and design objects, products, processes, graphics, services or experiences.
The range of possibilities is as diverse as a paint box, and that's why every creative mind will find its calling here. Fashion fanatics who know all the latest trends in the fashion world will find their fulfillment in fashion design. Computer-savvy technology geeks will also get their money's worth in the profession of designer. As a graphic designer, you combine creativity with technical knowledge to create graphic communication tools using images and sound. You help customers and companies to spread their messages in a way that is aesthetic and memorable. As a UX designer, you focus on the experiences a user has with products, services or environments. You research customer needs and develop solutions to improve the customer experience. As a polygrapher, for example, you edit texts, images and graphics for various print and digital media.
As you can see, the field of design is extremely broad. Jean-Paul Gaultier is just as much a designer as Jonathan Ive. One is active in the fashion industry, the other has helped design many of Apple's most popular products. The two professions are practically incomparable, yet they both have the same job title.
These are the 20 most sought-after design jobs in Switzerland
The job title of designer encompasses everything from designing fashion to developing computer systems. Many people with a creative streak are put off by the myth that only a few designers actually manage to make a living from their job. This may be true for many professions and not all types of design are equally in demand. But there are certainly numerous creative jobs as a designer that offer excellent prospects and are at least as in demand as many other professions.
To give you some clarity and orientation, here you will find a list of the currently most frequently advertised positions in Switzerland.
Job title
Advertised jobs (CH)
User Interface-Designer
2'662
Digital Artist
355
Graphic Designer
331
Decorator
255
Webdesigner
245
Typeface and advertising designer
182
Polygraph
166
Design Engineer
139
Animation designer
116
Art Director
62
Multimedia-Designer
47
Layouter
39
Fashion designer
37
Conceptual designer
34
Usability Product Specialist
28
Communication Designer
24
Design Manager
20
Production Designer
18
Gamedesigner
15
Community Manager
132
Stand der Auswertung: Juli 2022
Are you looking for a job? Here you can find all jobs in Switzerland in the field of design.
These are exciting employers for design jobs
As already explained, as a designer you can gain a foothold in a wide range of industries and areas, depending on your specialization. Of course, choosing a suitable employer is also part of a smooth start to your professional life. So which companies are worth applying to? We have put together a list of exciting employers in the design sector in Switzerland for you.
Company
Headquarters
Zürich
Bern
Klingnau
Bern
Mehrere Standorte
Zürich
Bern
Zürich
Zürich
Zürich
Bern
Zürich
Zürich
Basel
Zürich
Mehrere Standorte
You can find many other exciting companies in the design sector with Scrambl's SkillMatcher!
This is what you need to be able to do as a designer
What knowledge and skills can you use to impress in an interview? And what activities can you expect in this industry? We have analyzed job advertisements from Switzerland and summarized the following selection of skills for you:
Typical activities and knowledge for careers in the field of design
Top skills for user interface designers
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Optimize website layouts
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Designing user interfaces
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Create wireframes
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Create mockups
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Create prototypes
-
Develop design guidelines
-
Conduct user analyses
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Conduct requirements analysis
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Conduct usability tests
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Create storyboards
-
Create user flows
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Scrum
-
Adobe Creative Suite
-
OmniGraffle
-
CSS
-
HTML
-
Balsamic
-
UXPin
-
Vector design
-
Graphic design
-
Adobe XD
-
Figma
Top skills for digital artists
Perform 3D modelling
After Effects
Adobe Premiere
Adobe
illustrator
Developing characters
Creating game worlds
Create web layouts
Usability
Cinema 4D
Ocatane Renderer
rendering
Design and create 2D animations
Design and create 3D animations
Edit videos
Top skills for graphic designers
Create design templates
Create print templates
Develop product designs
Implementing product designs
Designing brochures
Design newsletters
Image composition
Create company logos
Design packaging designs
Designing online media
Designing print media
Develop advertising material layouts
Developing corporate design
Top skills for decorators
Conceptualize window display design
Conceptualize sales room design
Create photomontages
Create models
Develop decoration concepts
Design sales promotions
Implementing visual concepts
Responsible for product presentation
Support store redesigns
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Illustrator
Top skills for web designers
Design websites
Optimize websites
Create mockups
Create storyboards
Designing web solutions
Designing applications
Design banners
Ensure usability
Create site maps
Create wireframes
Create design ideas
Scrum
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Creative Suite
Adobe Illustrator
CSS
HTML
JavaScript
Top skills for type and advertising designers
Designing labels
Produce labels
Designing advertisements
Coating materials
Digital printing
Operating the cutting plotter
Produce labels
Labeling exhibition stands
Top skills for polygraphers
Edit layouts
Edit texts
Create graphics
Conceptualize media projects
Implement image adjustments
Create corporate design guidelines
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe InDesign
Adobe Photoshop
Designing online media
Designing print media
Develop visual concepts
Develop content ideas
Manage online shops
Design video files
Top skills for design engineers
Lead design projects
Develop assemblies
Develop systems
Create 3D drawings
Create 3D drawings
Create 2D visualizations
CAD
AutoCAD
Solidworks
Create drawing documentation
Create models
Analyze prototypes
Exploring product ideas
Conduct product tests
Analyze materials
Carry out certifications
Create 2D configuration drawings
Create 3D configuration drawings
Top skills for animation designers
Implementing game ideas
Modeling objects
Modelling figures
Animating models
Animation software
Adobe Creative Suite
Motion Capture
Unity
Camera animation
UnrealEngine
3D Studio Max
Top skills for multimedia designers
Design websites
Designing computer-animated cartoons
Designing screen interface layouts
Motion Design
Develop storyboards
Define technical requirements
Figma
sketch
Adobe Creative Suite
Video production
Audio production
Photo editing
Develop campaign short films
Develop product videos
3D rendering software
Top skills for layout designers
Create graphic concepts
Coordinate projects
Create layouts
Implement layouts
Design websites
Designing books
Edit photos
Integrate images
Design posters
Select color
Using layout software
Top skills for fashion designers
Designing fashion products
Designing fashion collections
Designing fashion shows
Making garments
Designing models
Drawing patterns
Sewing fabric pieces together
To take measurements
Fashion
Make model sketches
Designing clothes
Designing accessories
Operating sewing machines
Create material calculations
Top skills for Usability Product Specialist
Organize usability tests
Organize usability evaluations
Record test results
Develop suggestions for improvement
Designing user interfaces
Conduct user analyses
Develop software UI concepts
Accompany test case creation
Create operating concepts
Analyze user journeys
Create UX concepts
Create wireframes
Balsamic
Create storyboards
Create click dummies
Developing UX research concepts
Top-Skills für Kommunikations-Designer
Develop communication strategies
Implementing communication strategies
Expand brand strategies
Designing communication activities
Plan communication activities
Designing communication tools
Create media information
Plan marketing resources
Plan online marketing activities
Plan marketing campaigns
Leading communication projects
Designing printed materials
Responsible for Corporate Identity
Designing brochures
Top skills for design managers
Creating a corporate design strategy
Evaluate corporate design strategy
Develop design concepts
Set advertising goals
Specify media types
Design advertising campaigns
Designing digital campaigns
Leading creative sessions
Developing creative strategies
Planning design projects
Brand Management
B2B Marketing
B2C marketing
Top skills for product designers
Create design drafts
create drawings
3D CAD
Support project designers
Plan production orders
Monitor planning runs
SAP APO
Maintain product data
Constructing machines
Designing systems
Create prototypes
Create computer simulations
Create production documents
AutoCAD
Solidworks
Top skills for art directors
Develop video concepts
Develop design concepts
Set advertising goals
Specify media types
Design advertising campaigns
Designing digital campaigns
Designing brand pages
Online CI
After Effects
Motion Graphics
Planning creative projects
Plan video content
Brand Design
Create layouts
(The skills listed were extracted from open positions in 2021 and 2022 - you can find all skills in the Scrambl. SkillMatcher.)
Do you have some of these skills and would like to know which positions require them?
With Scrambl. SkillMatcher you can quickly and easily discover which jobs best suit your skills.
These are the soft skills you should have in the field of design
To be a successful designer, you obviously need to be creative. But did you know that in addition to technical design skills, such as color theory, composition and software knowledge, you need something called "soft skills"? Soft skills relate to your personality and are at least as important as your Photoshop skills.
Soft skills are an important component for your professional success. The personality of individual employees has an enormous influence on teamwork and ultimately on the success of a company. You should highlight your social skills in your application to round off your profile. Soft skills give your application an individual touch - they help you stand out from the flood of applicants. We have summarized some key skills for you so that you can get an idea of what is expected of you:
creativity
communication
Time management
Teamwork
Conflict management skills
Always make sure that you only use skills in your application that represent your actual personality. At the interview, HR managers will be suspicious if you present yourself as extremely self-confident but constantly stutter during the conversation. Consciously avoid choosing skills that you know are not among your strengths.
This is what you earn in design in Switzerland
Your professional experience and the industry are important factors that influence your salary. You can find out here what starting salary you can expect for some of the most sought-after designer jobs and what employees in the various positions earn on average.
Job title
Starting salary
Average salary
User Interface-Designer
CHF 74'400
CHF 89'300
Digital-Artist
CHF 72'000
CHF 83'000
Graphic Designer
CHF 64'200
CHF 69'500
Decorator
CHF 52'300
CHF 60'000
Webdesigner
CHF 61'900
CHF 67'400
Typeface and advertising designer
CHF 53'900
CHF 60'100
Polygraph
CHF 62'700
CHF 67'900
Design Engineer
CHF 72'000
CHF 83'700
Animation Designer
CHF 71'500
CHF 76'000
Art Director
CHF 80'100
CHF 90'200
Multimedia-Designer
CHF 64’200
CHF 76'300
Desktop-Publisher
CHF 67'000
CHF 79'800
Layouter
CHF 68'300
CHF 74'200
Fashion designer
CHF 58'500
CHF 66'400
Usability Product Specialist
CHF 89'700
CHF 103'500
Communication Designer
CHF 64’250
CHF 75'900
Design Manager
CHF 100’000
CHF 114’800
Production Designer
CHF 65'800
CHF 74'800
Gamedesigner
CHF 60'000
CHF 65'400
Above all, the industry in which you work as a designer has a huge influence on pay. The size of a company, the customer base and the location are also decisive factors. In general, however, it is clear that you usually earn very well in the design industry - the larger and more diverse your portfolio is, the higher your salary will be in the end. Do you cover many different areas? Is your style unique? As your professional experience increases, the number of completed projects you have managed naturally also increases. Especially as a freelancer, but also as an employee, the portfolio is your calling card in the design world.
These are your career opportunities in design in Switzerland
With a completed design degree, you can usually get started in a wide variety of areas, because design studies are usually very general. But even with a completed vocational training or as a career changer, many doors in the design industry are open to you.
After their training or studies, design graduates usually find themselves working in agencies and companies or decide to become self-employed. You don't necessarily have to have studied to work as a designer. A degree is not a mandatory requirement, especially in the design industry. However, jobs in the creative field are extremely popular among applicants. This naturally means that you not only have to expect great competition when applying, but there is also competition between designers on the job market. If you have a lot of ambition, perseverance and, above all, passion, you still have a real chance of having a successful career. If you have been working on your portfolio for years and are passionate about designing and creating in your free time, you can also establish yourself in the profession as a career changer.
No matter which path is ultimately best for you, the career opportunities are endless. For this reason, it is important that you specialize early on in order to set yourself apart from other applicants. Practical experience in different areas and industries gives you the opportunity to find out which career path you want to take.
Would you like to gain practical experience to prepare yourself for entering professional life? Here you can find all currently advertised positions for internships and working student jobs in Switzerland.
Self-employed in the field of design: In these areas you can work as a design freelancer in Switzerland
It has never been easier to start your own business. Today's technology allows you to work from home, share a coworking space with other freelancers or sit in a villa in Bali - and still reach customers from all over the world. Are you wondering in which areas you can become self-employed as a designer? We have selected some of the most popular freelance jobs in the design sector for you:
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Graphic Designer
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UX Designer
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Game designer
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Animation designer
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Web designer
Anyone who is at home in the design genre can inspire and motivate people with their skills. So it's no wonder that many companies are looking for creative minds to achieve this effect on customers. The market is booming, and many agencies rely on freelance designers and graphic artists to keep bringing fresh, new ideas into their own company. Designers act more emotionally than rationally. Hardly any designer enjoys paperwork. So before you take the leap into self-employment, there are a few facts to clarify. What type of business do I need? What does the tax office want to know? What does the market look like in which I want to establish myself? All of this and much more is an integral part of self-employment.
