Designed for the job? An empirical study on the determinants of design graduates’ work choices

While there is a rich tradition of research into the labour market for artists, studies of the labour market for designers have only recently come on stream. This paper examines the factors affecting design graduates’ work choices, and specifically the proportion of time they are able or willing to spend working in the field they were educated. Based on a survey of design graduates in the Netherlands, we explore the relative importance of three types of determinants (economic, work-related and socio-demographic) that influence design graduates’ work choices. We find that next to degree-related income, the application of creative skills outside the field of study and job satisfaction play a role. Additionally, younger and older design graduates combine work in different ways and for different reasons.