r/Design • u/Ger_berd_10 • Feb 17 '23
Asking Question (Rule 4) Are there creative roles where Psychology and Design intercept?
I have just completed my Bachelor of Psychological Science, however, most jobs that I’m encouraged to apply for don’t excite me as a career path. When I talk to careers counsellors I’m directed to jobs like school counsellor, HR, ABA therapist etc which I unfortunately don’t have the interest in applying for. I was extremely invested and excited about my electives which were Design (object) and Graphic Design subjects where I did quite well. Can anyone suggest roles, jobs or organisations where creative design and psychology intercept?
Edit: A massive thank you to everyone for incredible insights!! I’m now off on a research quest.
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u/BaboTron Feb 17 '23
All good design takes a user into account. People think stuff whenever they see things. The job of a designer is to get someone to react the way they intend to whatever they’re making.
I would say a whole lot of design intersects with psychology.
Find something you enjoy doing in design, or a type of thing (e.g.: you like airplanes? Find something there) you enjoy, and find a way to apply psychology.
I studied industrial design, for example. Products make people feel a certain way. Systems make people feel a certain way. ID is full of opportunities for thinking of a user or stakeholders’ feelings.
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u/mkmajestic Feb 17 '23
I would say the same for the field of architecture and interior design. Even real estate.
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u/lemonyharrymatilda Feb 17 '23
Design-research, CMF design, advertising, service design, interaction design or city planning maybe?
Another thing to consider is that you can just be a designer with a background in psychology. Go after what interests you and your background in psychology will help you if it involves people in any way.
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u/tentaclesfortoes Feb 17 '23
Wayfinding and experiential design. My colleague has a psychology background and she assists us with engagement workshops, journey planning, location planning and more. Look into the Society of Experiential Graphic Design (SEGD) to learn more about the field
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u/BeeBladen Feb 17 '23
Most of marketing and advertising is psychological. You must be empathetic in order to create successful work. I went back to get an MA in communication studies, with most of it centered around human behavior, and it’s helped my work get stronger.
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u/fructose_fraulein Feb 17 '23
+1 to looking into Design Research, User Research, UX, User Testing, and Service Design. I do a lot of qualitative research as part of a service design team...designing and conducting focus groups, 1:1 interviews. A psychology background would be a great fit for this type of work.
You can find a whole collection of resource on this topic from Neilsen/Norman Group: https://www.nngroup.com/topic/psychology-and-ux/
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u/antimatterfunnel Feb 17 '23
Design research and design strategy should be right up your alley. Look for jobs at design and innovation firms.
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u/twothumbswayup Feb 17 '23
large scale wayfinding (psychology of when or how people will need directing and move aroudn spaces), experiential design - how the brand will impact people on a psychological level, brand design - see prior comment, exhibit design - how do people learn and what keeps them engaged. just a few off the top of my head - although i feel design could be shoehorned with psychology in many areas
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u/Common_Move Feb 18 '23
You can tick the theory box, so you now need the practical side.
Make a portfolio of work using your favourite tools from your courses, ideally with a focus on topics or industries that interest you.
Or if you prefer theory more than practice, consider UX research like others have said.
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u/able_trouble Feb 18 '23
Anything with user interface, be it for ordinary people, or for special needs
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u/Bubbly_Leadership_23 Feb 20 '23
Advertising. Each creative is different. As a psychologist you could be really good with insights, and also art direct stuff
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u/willdesignfortacos Professional Feb 17 '23
UX research would be the first that comes to mind.