Summary
A Communications Designer solves problems visually — combining research, craft and software to produce work that communicates clearly and looks right. In India this work sits inside the Design and Fine Arts stream: students usually take Any stream in Class 11–12, qualify through B.Des. / BFA / B.Sc. in the design discipline, and specialise later through work experience or a master's. The sections below set out the study route, the entrance exams, the leading institutes in India and abroad, and the day-to-day reality of the job.
Core skills
- Visual sense, colour and composition
- Industry-standard design software
- Concept development and storytelling
- Time management across parallel briefs
Where you can work
- Design studios and creative agencies
- Product, apparel and manufacturing companies
- Media, gaming and entertainment houses
- Freelance and own-label practice
Professional Opportunities
Design studios and creative agencies
Product, apparel and manufacturing companies
Media, gaming and entertainment houses
Freelance and own-label practice
Career Path
| Stage | What you study | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| After Class 10 | Any stream | 2 years (Class 11–12) |
| Graduation | B.Des. / BFA / B.Sc. in the design discipline | 4 years |
| After Graduation | M.Des. / MFA | 2 years |
| After Post-Graduation | Ph.D., professional certifications, or senior practice in the field | 3–5 years (optional) |
Important Facts
- Entry qualification: B.Des. / BFA / B.Sc. in the design discipline.
- Most institutes ask for 50–60% in the qualifying examination; reserved categories usually get a 5% relaxation.
- Admission is through the entrance exams listed below — national tests plus the state CET where applicable.
- Government and private institutes both offer this route; fee levels differ sharply between them.
- Scholarships listed on the HBK scholarships page apply to most of these programmes.
Leading Institutes in India
| # | Institute | Entrance / Category | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, Gujarat | DAT Prelims & Mains | www.nid.edu/ |
| 1 | Department of Design, IIT Delhi | UCEED | design.iitd.ac.in/ |
| 2 | IDC School of Design, IIT Bombay, Mumbai, Maharashtra | UCEED | www.idc.iitb.ac.in/ |
| 2 | Department of Design, IIT Hyderabad | UCEED | design.iith.ac.in/ |
| 3 | National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), New Delhi | GAT & CAT | www.nift.ac.in/delhi/ |
| 3 | Design Discipline, IIITDM Jabalpur | UCEED | www.iiitdmj.ac.in/design.iiitdmj.ac.in/ |
| 4 | National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Chennai, Tamil Nadu | GAT & CAT | www.nift.ac.in/chennai/ |
| 4 | National Institute of Design, Andhra Pradesh | DAT Prelims & Mains | nidap.ac.in/ |
| 5 | Department of Design, IIT Guwahati, Assam | UCEED | www.iitg.ac.in/design/ |
| 5 | National Institute of Design, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh | DAT Prelims & Mains | nidmp.ac.in/ |
| 6 | National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Bengaluru, Karnataka | GAT & CAT | www.nift.ac.in/bengaluru/ |
| 6 | National Institute of Design, Jorhat, Assam | DAT Prelims & Mains | www.nidj.ac.in/ |
| 7 | National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Hyderabad, Telangana | GAT & CAT | www.nift.ac.in/hyderabad/ |
| 7 | National Institute of Design, Kurukshetra, Haryana | DAT Prelims & Mains | www.nidh.ac.in/ |
| 8 | National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Gandhinagar, Gujarat | GAT & CAT | www.nift.ac.in/gandhinagar/ |
| 9 | Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh | BHU-UET | www.bhu.ac.in/ |
| 10 | Footwear Design & Development Institute. Noida, Uttar Pradesh | FDDI EE | fddiindia.com/campus-noida.php |
| 11 | CEPT University, Ahmedabad, Gujarat | Aptitude Test | cept.ac.in/ |
| 12 | Government College of Art and Craft, Kolkata West Bengal | Aptitude Test | www.gcac.edu.in/ |
| 13 | University of Allahabad, Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh | Entrance & Practical Test | www.allduniv.ac.in/ |
| 14 | National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Kolkata, West Bengal | GAT & CAT | www.nift.ac.in/kolkata/ |
| 15 | National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra | GAT & CAT | www.nift.ac.in/mumbai |
| 16 | National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Patna, Bihar | GAT & CAT | www.nift.ac.in/patna/ |
| 17 | National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Raebareli, Uttar Pradesh | GAT & CAT | www.nift.ac.in/raebareli/ |
| 18 | National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh | GAT & CAT | nift.ac.in/bhopal/ |
| 19 | National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Kunnur, Kerala | GAT & CAT | www.nift.ac.in/kannur/ |
| 20 | National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Shillong, Meghalaya | GAT & CAT | www.nift.ac.in/shillong/ |
| 21 | National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Kangra, Himachal Pradesh | GAT & CAT | www.nift.ac.in/kangra/ |
| 22 | National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Bhubaneshwar, Orissa | GAT & CAT | nift.ac.in/bhubaneswar/ |
| 23 | National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Jodhpur, Rajasthan | GAT & CAT | www.nift.ac.in/jodhpur/ |
Institutions Abroad
| Institute | Country | Website |
|---|---|---|
| Royal College of Art | United Kingdom | www.rca.ac.uk/ |
| Parsons School of Design | United States | www.newschool.edu/parsons/ |
| Rhode Island School of Design | United States | www.risd.edu/ |
| Politecnico di Milano — Design | Italy | www.polimi.it/en |
Entrance Exams
| Exam | Full name | What it admits you to | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| DAT-Prelims & Mains | Design Aptitude Test | 4 Year Bachelor of Design Programs at National Institute of Design-Multilocation | www.nid.edu/ |
| UCEED | Undergraduate Common Entrance Exam for Design | 4 Year Bachelor of Design Programs at IIT Bombay, Delhi, Guwahati, Hyderabad & Jabalpur and other allied Universities. | www.uceed.iitb.ac.in/ |
| FDDI ET | FDDI Entrance Test | Various Design & BBA Programs at FDDI Institutes across India | www.fddiindia.com/ |
| GAT & CAT | General Aptitude Test& Creative Aptitude Test | 4 Year Bachelor of Design Programs at NIFT Multilocation across India | nift.ac.in/ |
| GAT | General Aptitude Test | 4 Year B.F.Tech Programs at NIFT Multilocation | nift.ac.in/ |
| SMEAT-UG | Srishti Manipal Entrance & Aptitude Test | Various Design Courses at Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology, Bangalore | srish manipalins tute.in/ |
| SEED | Symbiosis Entrance Exam for | Bachelor of Design at Symbiosis Institute of Design, Pune & Nagpur | www.set-test.org/ |
| NIIFT-ET | NIIFT Entrance Test | 4 Year B.Sc. Design Programs at NIIFT Mohali & Ludhiana | www.nii india.com/ |
| MH AAC CET | Maharashtra Applied Arts & Cra s Common Entrance Test | Design oriented Degrees across Design colleges across Maharashtra | cetcell.mahacet.org/ |
| BHU UET - 180 | BHU Undergraduate Entrance Test | BFA at Banaras Hindu University | bhuonline.in/ |
| UID-DAT | Design Ap tude Test | 4 Year Bachelor of Design Programs at Karnavati University, Ahmedabad | karnava university.edu.in/ |
| JET-DE | Jain Entrance Test-Design Exam | 4 year Design Programs at Jain University, Bangalore | www.jainuniversity.ac.in/ |
| UG-JET | Jain Entrance Test | B.Sc. Interior Design Program at Jain University, Bangalore | www.jainuniversity.ac.in/ |
| AnantU DET | Design Entrance Test | 4 year Design Programs at Anant National University, Ahmedabad | anu.edu.in/ |
| MITID-DAT | Design Aptitude Test | 4 Year Design Programs at MIT Institute of Design Pune(2), Shillong & Ujjain(Avantika University) | mi d.edu.in/ |
| IICD ET | IICD Entrance Test | various Design Programs at Indian Institute of Crafts and Design, Jaipur | www.iicd.ac.in/ |
| SOFT ET | SOFT ET | Various Design Courses at MKSSS's School of Fashion Technology, Pune | so .ac.in/ |
| iDAT | IIAD-Design Ap tude Test | Design Courses at Indian Institute of Art & Design, Okhla, Delhi | www.iiad.edu.in/ |
| NMIMS-DAT | Design Aptitude Test | B.Des. Program at NMIMS School of Design, Mumbai | nmimsdat.in/ |
| WWI-ET | WWI Entrance Test | Various Design Programs at Whistling Woods International, Mumbai | www.whistlingwoods.net/ |
| ISDI Challenge | ISDI Challenge | Various Design Programs at Indian School of Design & Innovation, Mumbai | www.isdi.in/ |
| KIIT-EE | KIIT- Entrance Test | B.Des. Programs at Kalinga KIIT- Bhubaneshwar | kiit.ac.in/ |
| MSU-ET | MSU ‒ Entrance Test | B.Des.& BVA Programs at MSU Baroda | admission.msubaroda.ac.in/ |
| JMI-ET | JMI Entrance Test | BFA Programs at Jamia Milia Islamia, New Delhi | www.jmi.ac.in/ |
| JSAT | Jindal Scholastic Aptitude Test | BFA (Hons.) Jindal School of Liberal Arts & Humanities, Sonipat | jgu.edu.in/ |
| JCAT | Jindal Creative Aptitude Test | B.Des. Programs and BA (Hons)- Built Environment Studies (Architecture Studies) at Jindal School of Art and Architecture, Sonipat | jgu.edu.in/ |
Work Description
- 01Understand the brief, the audience and the constraints of the medium.
- 02Research references, sketch options and develop the strongest concept.
- 03Produce finished work in the required software and file standards.
- 04Take feedback from clients or art directors and iterate.
- 05Prepare final files for production, print, screen or manufacture.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Creative, portfolio-driven career where skill beats pedigree
- Freelance and remote work are genuinely possible
- Fast-growing demand from digital brands
Cons
- Income is uneven at the start
- Subjective feedback and rework are constant
- Portfolio must be kept current to stay employable
Are you fit for this career?
Take the free HBK psychometric test and see how Communications Designer matches your interests and aptitude.
Sources
© HBK Careers. Compiled in-house from official regulators, exam bodies and institute websites. Exam and institute records on this page are the same records used across the HBK handbook and exams pages.