DESIGNED TO IMPRESS
ACCESSORY DESIGN
Pearl Academy, Delhi www.pearlacademy.com
No longer limited to shoes and handbags, today, accessories include jewellery, leather goods, eyewear, watches and home décor products. A career in this field demands creativity and experimentation. Students at Pearl Academy are taught to integrate their knowledge of fabrication with aesthetics to develop a variety of products. Smita Singh, course leader and associate professor of accessory design, says, “Graduates can work as accessory designers; as full-time employees in a design-based organisation, as freelance design consultants, or can start their own enterprises.” Graduates could also find employment as product development managers or merchandisers with exporters, manufacturers or start-ups. They could also choose to pursue design strategy and research or become part of design think-tanks.
CREATIVE STREAK Though students are taught essential skills such as sketching, design software and material manipulation over this four-year undergraduate programme, basic requirements include curiosity, empathy and creativity. “Students need to be aware of traditional and modern design philosophies, production techniques and the latest technology and software. They must have the ability to execute an idea, to communicate with different stakeholders and to be agile problem-solvers,” says Singh.
ENTRY SALARY Rs 4-7 lakh per annum.
—by Shelly Anand
“STUDENTS NEED TO BE AWARE OF DESIGN PHILOSOPHIES, TECHNIQUES AND THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY”
