Danish Designers and Danish Design Centre have gathered a number of FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions). It is a good idea to read them before you contact Danish Designers or Danish Design Centre. The categories are as follows:
1. On interior design
2. On design educations
3. On manufacturer / designer
4. On design
5. On Danish Design Centre
6. On jobs and salaries as a designer
7. On subsidy possibilities
8. On traineeships
1. On interior design
What does an interior designer cost?
The pricing of design, interior design and architectural jobs differs considerably - depending on the experience and area of work of the designer, interior designer or architect, and it also depends on how much in demand the designer/architect in question is. In general prices per hour for professional designers go from DKK 500 and up to DKK 1,000 (exclusive of VAT) per hour.
How do I find an interior designer for my private residence?
Many interior designers are specialised in the decoration of public spaces, while others have specialised in interior design. By using the extended search possibility on Danish Designers’ website, for example by searching on “interior designer” and then “home” or “kitchen” and perhaps a geographical location, you will find contact details on some of the interior designers working for private households.
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2. On design educations
How do I get an education as a designer?
There are many different design educations in Denmark – some are of short duration and others are of long duration. The four biggest educational institutions are:
Danmarks Designskole, Designskolen Kolding, The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts’ School of Architecture and Aarhus School of Architecture.
Other higher educations also have knowledge-based courses, among others The Graphic Arts Institute of Denmark, Design & Innovation, The Technical University of Denmark (DTU), Architecture & Design at Aalborg University, Roskilde University (performance design), IT product design at the University of Southern Denmark in Sønderborg, the IT University and Odense Teknikum.
The TEKO Centre in Herning also educates textile designers and designers specialised in lifestyle design.
You can read more on the schools’ own websites regarding curriculum, admission requirements etc. Questions regarding education should be directed at the relevant schools.
Can I become an interior designer per correspondence course?
Akademisk Brevskole offers a course that gives you the right to call yourself an interior designer. The course has nothing in common with the higher educations as an interior designer at the design- or architectural schools, and it is therefore not acknowledged by Danish Designers as an education leading to qualifications.
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3. On manufacturer / designer
How do I find a manufacturer for my design?
Danish Design Centre does not establish the direct contact between designer and manufacturer. If you are a designer and you are looking for a manufacturer or a company that can manufacture, distribute or market your design, we advise you to look at the network “DDC: net”. Here you can find profiles and contact details on Danish companies and manufacturers that might have an interest in your design. We also refer to the manufacturers’ organisations for the area in question, for example the Association of Danish Furniture.
A good advice for designers wishing to draw attention to their design is to participate in design competitions, fairs etc., where there is an opportunity to present the design to the manufacturers/companies. A list of selected design competitions, fairs and exhibitions can be found under ‘Calendar’ on www.ddc.dk.
Designers, design offices, manufacturers and companies can also create a free profile on DDC:net.
Where do I find a designer to further develop and finish a product?
Danish Design Centre does not establish the direct contact between companies/manufacturers and designers. If your company is looking for a designer or a design office to further develop or finish a product, we refer to the network DDC:net. Here you can find profiles and contact details on Danish design offices and designers that might have an interest in your design.
Designers, design offices, manufacturers and companies can also create a free profile on DDC:net.
On Danish Designers’ website you can also find a search engine covering all the organisation’s members.
Where do I find information if I want to sell design products?
Danish Design Centre does not advice manufacturers, distributors or stores that wish to manufacture, market or sell design products. If you for example are looking for information on new design products we refer to Danish and international fairs, showrooms, exhibitions etc. focusing on design. Under ‘Calendar’ on www.ddc.dk you will find a list of selected fairs and exhibitions that might provide some inspiration for you. See also DDC’s shopping guide of selected design stores in Copenhagen.
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4. On design
Where do I find general knowledge regarding design?
On www.ddc.dk, under ‘Design knowledge’, you will find articles on the design concept and its role, development and potential. By using the search fields you can find information on the specific subject you are looking for.
On Danish Designers’ website you can also find knowledge regarding design. Click on ‘On design’.
Where can I find literature on design?
On www.ddc.dk, under ‘Design knowledge’, you can find a list of books and magazines dealing with Danish and international design. By using the search field you can find literature on the specific subject you are looking for.
Where can I find information on new trends in design?
Danish Design Centre does not systematically gather information on new trends in design, but refer to the magazines, stores, manufacturers and fairs that normally have a profile within the area of design, lifestyle and interior design. See also DDC:net.
You can get updated knowledge about the design profession, the development within the design political area etc. by contacting Danish Designers on design@danishdesigners.com.
Who designed my chair?
Over time Danish designers have designed a large number of chairs, tables, lamps and other industrial products. It is not possible for Danish Design Centre or Danish Designers to tell you who might be the inventor of the product in question. We therefore recommend you to seek literature on the period in question at the libraries. An idea could be to contact the Danish Museum of Art & Design or leading auctioneers with documentation on the product in question.
Where can I buy design?
In Danish Design Centre’s shopping guide you will find a description of interesting design- and lifestyle stores in Copenhagen.
In Danish Design Centre’s store you will find a big selection of Danish and international design products.
Where do I find business-related information on design?
On Danish Design Centre’s website, under ‘Business’, you can find a large number of articles on the design concept and its role, development and potential. By using the search fields you can find information on the specific subject you are looking for.
You can also find information on legal issues, among other things regarding patents, relevant cases as well as information on the certification arrangement “Designer-ISO”.
Where do I find information on a specific designer or a specific design product?
As a general rule Danish Design Centre does not answer requests concerning specific information on Danish or international design products or designers.
Danish Designers establishes contact to the organisation’s members if you contact us on design@danishdesigners.com - or you can try the search function on Danish Designers’ website.
Otherwise we refer to articles that can be found on the website of Danish Design Centre or to stores that sell Danish design:
Klassisk moderne møbelkunst
Dansk Møbelkunst
We also refer to:
The library of the Danish Museum of Art & Design
The library of The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts – School of Architecture
The library of Danmarks Designskole
The book café of Kunsthal Charlottenborg
ARKADE, a gateway for architecture, art and design
Furniture Index
The Danish Arts and Crafts Association
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5. On Danish Design Centre
Where do I find general information on Danish Design Centre?
Information regarding the activities, the goals, visions/mission, organisation, history, employees etc. of Danish Design Centre can be found on www.ddc.dk, under ‘On Danish Design’.
Can I exhibit my works on Danish Design Centre?
Danish Design Centre is happy to receive material from designers, artists, companies, manufacturers and others, who have relevant subjects for upcoming exhibitions. Please call on +45 33 69 33 69.
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6. On design jobs and salaries
What should my salary be as a designer on a permanent basis? / What should we pay a designer who is employed on a permanent basis?
There is an agreement between the association Danish architectural companies and the national technical confederation that, among other things, include designers and interior designers. The agreement provides a good idea as to the level from which a wage negotiation could start. The agreement can be found on www.tl.dk.
How can I find vacant jobs for designers?
Some jobs in design offices are advertised in the daily newspapers or on the Internet, and other jobs are filled based on the dossiers that a company is introduced to. It is therefore worthwhile to contact the design offices uninvited. Designer jobs in the remaining industries are most often advertised in the newspapers or in newsletters from Danish Design Centre or in “Inform”, Danish Designers’ magazine, or via newsletters.
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7. On subsidy possibilities
Where do I find information on subsidies for design-related projects (study travels, exhibitions, product development etc.)?
Danish Design Centre does not provide financial support for private individuals, organisations, educational institutions, companies etc. for study travels, exhibitions, design-related arrangements, product development etc.
On the website of Danish Design Centre, under DDC:net, you can find information on a number of design-relevant foundations and scholarships that you can apply for.
Graduates and young Danish designers, handicraft designers and architects can apply for the travel scholarship under The Danish Ministry of Culture. Try also The Danish Arts Foundation.
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8. On traineeships
Can I get a traineeship at Danish Design Centre?
As a student at a higher education you can get a short-term or long-term traineeship at Danish Design Centre.
Up to this day Danish Design Centre has had trainees from Danmarks Designskole, Roskilde University, the University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen Business School and the IT University. Those have been trainees studying relevant subjects within graphic design, communication, media, art history etc.
A traineeship at Danish Design Centre is unpaid. For more information, see www.ddc.dk, under ‘On DDC/ vacant jobs.
As a pupil at a primary school you also have the opportunity to get into a traineeship at Danish Design Centre. Please contact Vicki Hertz, +45 33 69 33 69.
Can I get a traineeship in a design office?
On www.ddc.dk, under Business, you will find information on the possibilities available to you as a design student. Here it is possible for design offices to download relevant documents and to look for trainees on the noticeboard.
For further information on a traineeship for design students at Danmarks Designskole, Designskolen Kolding, The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts’ School of Architecture and Aarhus School of Architecture, please call DDC on +45 33 69 33 69.
You can also look for design offices on the website of Danish Designers.
Please notice that if you are a pupil at a primary school you should not expect to get a traineeship at a design office.
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