What Is MA Innovation Design Management and its career scope in 2025?

Design management is a large field and is related to multiple disciplines of design. The exact responsibilities of a design manager therefore depend on the organisation, the industry, the current position of the market and on the perceived importance of design in business. However, in most cases, design management ventures support design within business. Innovation design management is a process of problem-solving that leads to innovation and the creation of well-designed products, services, brands and communications that enhance organisational growth and success. 

Design thinking refers to the processes followed for investigating problems that are ill-designed, acquiring information about the problem, analysing the problem as per given knowledge and suggesting solutions in the design and planning stages. Design thinking considers the application of empathy in the context of a problem. 

Planning to do a masters in design management? Keep reading to learn about the advantages of design management in an organisation and learn about your career opportunities after your MA in innovation design management. 

What are the areas of design management?

Design, as mentioned earlier, is a very broad field and so is design management. Some of the common areas that can be highlighted include:

• Product design – Product design refers to the process followed by designers to blend the needs of the users with the larger business goal and help a brand consistently build successful products. Product designers strive to optimise user experience by designing the products they are making and help the brand make products that are long-lasting and sustainable.
• Brand design – Brand design refers to the marketing practice of building a solid brand– creating the name, design, logo and all the symbolic elements attached to a brand for creating a distinct identity in the mind of the consumers, in comparison to other brands in the market. A large part of brand design therefore provides greater emphasis on product differentiation. 
• Service design – Service design refers to the planning and arrangement of people, material and infrastructure of a service in order to enhance its quality. Service design also registers the interaction between the service provider and the users. 
• Business design – Business design concerns how each element of a business model affects the client and consumer experience. Business design follows the concept that a business can be designed from within to operate with greater effectiveness. 

What is the purpose of design management in businesses?

Design management helps organisations control and enhance their design process. Some useful facts about design management are:

• Designing internal business processes – Identifying the weaker links and/or any wastage and inefficiency in the way business is conducted and helps in the reduction of costs.
• Their learning process and growth – Design management is applicable to development and learning at the workplace too, by focusing on bringing strategic integration and improving the quality of life at work for the employees. 
• Finances – Design efforts that either increase the sales or reduce the costs of a business and develop the strategic and measurable value of a business. 

Where does design management fall within businesses?

For product-based companies, the majority of design management will fall within the company’s R&D function. For market-driven companies, design is more likely applied by the marketing department. And for brand-driven organisations, design is undertaken within the corporate communications department.

Career opportunities in design thinking

Professionals who are aware of the practice and knowledge of design thinking, can work under many job roles such as:

• Lead innovator
• Strategist, brand experience designer
• Design researcher
• UX designer
• Service designer
• Head of product design

Are you looking for a reputable school to study MA innovation design management? Check out the MA innovation design management programme offered by the University of Europe for Applied Sciences. UE has a dedicated central counselling centre to help enrolled students who have not yet started their degree. This team personally advises and supports the students and walks them through any questions they may have.

UE also has a career centre where students can receive advice on their path to employment and support in finding internships and making career plans. At UE, students also have the option to undertake an internship for an entire semester, which makes the prospect of learning at UE highly appealing. Students also have the opportunity to study abroad for one year or one semester.