Ceramic Design

Ceramic art has been associated with distinguished artwork and human existence since ancient times. Over the years, the popularity of Ceramics Design has only evolved and expanded into various forms. In India, there are a limited number of courses in this field of design, with NID Ahmedabad being one of the most popular design institutes to offer Ceramic design courses at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. The curriculum of any of the courses in Ceramic Design focuses on providing a thorough knowledge of colour, composition, ergonomics and understanding of the core materials. Ceramic and glass design often go hand-in-hand. 

Ceramic Design is expected to never go out of style, which is primarily because ceramic objects or art can always find a place in at least one room in every house. One with a degree in ceramic design can either go for jobs at large associations like Natalie Weinberger Ceramics, Satyam Gartex, etc. or even choose to be self-employed.

What is Ceramic Design?

Ceramic Design is all about mixing earthen elements with soft clay, water and powder and then giving them different shapes and firing to develop ceramic. Ceramic art has existed since ancient times and has experienced many changes with time. Today, people consider it as a branch of study and educate themselves through its education to make a career in the ceramic design industry.

Ceramic Design-Type of Courses

There are a few Ceramic Design courses available in India. Check out the list below:

• Certificate full-time Ceramic Design
• Undergraduate Diploma in Ceramic Design
• BDes in Ceramic and Glass Design
• MDes in Ceramic and Glass Design
• MFA Ceramic Design

How to Be a Ceramic Designer?

If a student has creative skills and a passion for ceramic design, then he/she can become a ceramic designer in the future provided he meets the following conditions:

Students must ensure that they have earned good scores in their class 12th. It would be better if they have a science background and studied Physics and Chemistry. Learning these two basic sciences would help the learners to understand the materials and characteristics of their bachelor’s degree studies in Ceramic Design. Those who want to pursue a bachelor’s degree can enroll in the Bachelor’s of Ceramic and Glass Design courses which are offered by various institutes in India

After completing the BDes program in Ceramic and Glass Design, one can pursue higher studies in the same domain. For the Master’s degree program students can get admitted MDes in Ceramic Design which is a two-year-long program. To get admitted to MDes courses, students need to appear in the entrance test. And the final admission is offered based on their performance in the design. On the completion of any of the courses, students will earn a degree and certificate which will help them to begin their career as Ceramic Designer.

Why should Pursue Ceramic Design Course?

There are numerous reasons one should pursue a Ceramic Design course. A few of the reasons are mentioned below:

• The first and foremost reason is passion for Ceramic Design. One should pursue Ceramic Design if he/she possesses an intense interest in the subject and want to make a career in it. This course helps to become a trained ceramic artist in the future.
• This course comes with a holistic approach to learning and enables the students to learn about this art and craft in an in-depth manner.
• The Ceramic Design course teaches basic elements and basic methods of work. And thus, develops a strong foundation level knowledge for the learners.
• Hand building, mold casting, and wheel throwing are some of the important aspects one would gain knowledge through a Ceramic Design course
• The institutes offering Ceramic Design courses in India often include workshops and demonstrations to improve the learning culture. Through such methods of teaching, the learners achieve a clear vision of the ceramic design works.
• Through a Ceramic Design course, the students would be able to nurture their inherent skills in the proper way and guide themselves toward a successful career in the ceramic design industry.

Who should Pursue a Ceramic Design Course?

• Those who want to make a promising career in the field of ceramic design should pursue the course. As there are different levels of courses, one should choose them according to their needs and interest.
• The industry welcomes only people having creative instincts, artistic approaches and commercial awareness. So, people who have these qualities are suitable for any Ceramic Design course.
• Individuals who have basic knowledge of non-metallic and inorganic objects can pursue this course

Ceramic Design Course Objectives

There are plenty of course objectives with the Ceramic Design course. A few of them are mentioned below:

• To develop and enhance the aesthetic sense of the ceramic design
• To teach the design fundamentals like structure, colour, space etc.
• To impart learning of ergonomics in terms of usability awareness
• To help the students learn about different materials including metal, leather and other needed materials
• To enable the students to work in various design industries apart from ceramic design

The eligibility criteria mentioned below are only to give you an idea of the minimum eligibility requirements for the Ceramic Design courses available in India at undergraduate, postgraduate and diploma levels. This may vary from institute to institute which shall be referred to before applying to any college.

• To be eligible for a UG course in Ceramic Design, candidates must have passed 10+2 from a recognised Board of education. The candidate must have scored not less than 50%-60% in the qualifying examination.

• To be eligible for a PG course in Ceramic Design, candidates must have passed graduation in a relevant field from a recognised university. The candidate must have scored not less than 50%-60% in the qualifying examination.

• To be eligible for a Diploma/Certificate course in Ceramic Design, candidates must have passed 10 or 10+2. 

• Certain colleges might also have an age limit for the course that they offer.

Ceramic Design Required Skill Set

Having intense passion would not be enough to understand the subject matter of ceramic design in-depth. For that, the aspirants should have some essential skill set. Mentioned below are the skills one should have in them:

Ceramic Design Admission Process

All the top design institutes that offer courses in Ceramic Design would select candidates on the basis of different parameters. Check out how colleges admit students to Ceramic Design courses in India:

• On the basis of the marks obtained in the qualifying exam.

• On the basis of the marks obtained in the national/state-level entrance exam accepted by the concerned college/institute.

• Certain institutes conduct their own entrance exams at the institute level which one might have to qualify.

• On the basis of performance in a personal interview.

Ceramic Design Entrance Exams

As mentioned above, institutes often carry out their selection process on the basis of scores obtained in national/state-level entrance examinations. Find a few of the top design entrance exams for courses in Ceramic Design:

• Undergraduate Common Entrance Examination for Design (UCEED)

• Common Entrance Examination for Design (CEED)

• National Institute of Design-Design Aptitude Test (NID-DAT)

• Institute-level Entrance Exams

Ceramic Design Top Colleges

Some of the top institutes where aspirants can pursue a course in Ceramic Design are as follows:

• National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad

• The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda (MSU)

• IIT (BHU)\

• Sir JJ School of Arts, Mumbai

Ceramic Design Institutes in India

Listed below are some of the institutes offering Ceramic Design and related courses in India:

Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai

Indian Institute of Art And Design, New Delhi

Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati

Kalapurnam Institute, Ahmedabad

Seth Ganasagar Jatia Polytechnic College, Bulandsahar

National Institute of Design, Bangalore

Government College of Engineering and Ceramic Technology, Kolkata

Monarch College of Art and Technology, Murshidabad, West Bengal

Institiute of Fine Arts (Kala Bhavana) Shantiniketan, Birbhum

Indian Education Society's Centre for Ceramic Design

Given below are the syllabi or course curricula for undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Ceramic Design. It shall be noted that the same shall vary from institute to institute.

For Undergraduate Programmes

For Postgraduate Programmes

First Year

Second Year

Ceramic Design in India and across the world is primarily associated with home decor. If one chooses to work for a large company in the industry, he/she will be responsible for deciding on decorative techniques, working on a design brief using materials like earthenware, porcelain, bone china among others. One may also work freelance mode and still earn more than full-time salaried ceramic designers. Some of the job roles that one may go for have been given below:

• Ceramic and Glass Designer

• Ceramicists

• Ceramic Engineer

• Ceramic Artist

• Assistant Professor- Design (Ceramics)

Major companies/studios in India for Ceramic Design include Art-n-Glass Inc, Satyam Gartex, Ochre Studio, Clay Fingers, Rain & Peacock, etc. Although the majority of designers in this field work as freelance designers, salaried designers can expect a pay package ranging from Rs 3 LPA to 5 LPA.

Ceramic Design Future Scope

In the present era, the demand for ceramic design has increased a lot. Numerous large brands work on decorative items. After pursuing a ceramic design course candidates can work with these brands as Ceramic Designers.

Apart from full-time jobs, the design market is flooded with freelancing opportunities. The freelancing jobs in this field offer opportunities to earn more than a salaried professional of this field.

The ceramic designing jobs are not restricted to pottery and home décor. The industries like manufacturing and refractories also hire ceramic designers. There is a steady demand for such professionals. Considering this fact, it can be said that there is the great future scope in the ceramic designing industry and its allied sectors.

The ceramic designing industry is improving a lot creating more job opportunities for ceramic design graduates. Therefore, pursuing a bachelor’s degree in this domain will help the students to make a great career in the field.

Besides India, Ceramic Designers have huge scopes in USA, UK, Egypt, Spain, France etc. As these countries work a lot in the ceramic arts, talented ceramic artists from India are hired with decent remuneration.

Ceramic Design Job Profiles

Ceramic Design Salaries

Listed below are the ceramic design salaries of different job roles: