Online Art and Design Degrees in Furniture Design

Online Furniture Design Degree Programs

Diploma or certificate programs in furniture design can help you turn this hands-on hobby into a career. Furniture design couples an understanding of the materials used, such as wood, metals, plastics, and textiles, with the aesthetic and structural components of design. Furniture design is a skilled trade, and career training programs can offer you a practical education in the techniques and technology behind the art.

Technology and Furniture Design

While there is still a market for traditional woodworkers who work closely with their clients making one-of-a-kind items, there is an increasing need in the field of furniture design for designers to develop computer expertise. Today's woodshop may surprise you with its automated power tools and machines that require an understanding of geometry, mathematics, and computerized programs. In furniture design and manufacturing, an increasing dependence on computer-aided design (CAD) programs has brought furniture design into the next millennia. Online degree programs in furniture design incorporate CAD training into their coursework teaching traditional technical drawing and drafting skills as well as those aided by a variety of 2- and 3-D technologies. Courses in CAD and technical drawing can get you started in this field.

A thorough knowledge of drawing, rendering, and color is critical in the furniture design industry. Other areas for study include the historical and conceptual aspects of furniture design, as well as contemporary aesthetics. Practical courses focus on metal, wood, lamination techniques, and welding. Furniture designers may also study ergonomics and research and development. Many online associate of arts programs and certificate programs offer training and expertise in furniture design. Bachelor of Arts programs in furniture design, or industrial design, with a furniture design emphasis, can be pursued online and in brick and mortar institutions. While a degree in furniture design may help you get the job you want in that field, a degree in industrial arts with an emphasis in furniture design may give you more flexibility to work in related fields.

Career Training in Furniture Design

Some furniture designers begin their careers learning in a local wood or cabinet shop, where they develop hands on techniques. Often, computer skills must be developed. Students who take college coursework may be offered an internship in a manufacturing plant, which often pays an hourly wage. Trained furniture designers may be self-employed or work for small or large manufacturing companies. Manufacturers may use CAD programs, which not only create the product visually but also translate that image into machine-readable instructions. After graduation, some furniture designers, with one to four years of experience earned, on average, $40,494 in 2008, according to one survey. The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists the2007 median annual earnings for furniture finishers as $25,820. The job prospects in this field depend greatly on economic cycles, and for those who are self-employed, their entrepreneurial skills. If you have the right mix of creative and technical abilities, furniture design may be a satisfying career for you.