Job Demand for Creative Designers in Malaysia

What is the Demand for Creative Talent in Malaysia?

The rapid rate of digitalization — for example, the shift to online retail due to lockdowns — has opened up new roles in e-commerce with companies rushing to place creative ads on the various social media platforms. Those trends, in turn, have led businesses to implement new digital technologies, resulting in a surge in demand for creative designers especially in the digital area. As companies battle to maintain brand dominance, creative firms and in-house departments are taking on additional projects, more qualified and trained creative talent are needed .

There are many types of designers and roles that they do in a job. The demand for designers in Malaysia will depend on which type of design you specialise in. For example, the demand for a graphic or multimedia designer will be different for an illustrator or performing artist.

Designers and artists are creative people who use their skills to create visually appealing products. Designers also have to unite visual appeal with functionality and ease in manufacturing in the objects they design. Different kinds of designers design different products.

For example, industrial designers design and develop the concepts for products and services. They combine art, business and engineering to design innovative products and gadgets that people use every day.

Graphic designers create artwork for the promotion or development of goods, services and ideas. They may also design artwork and/ or layout for fabrics, websites, magazines and other publications, or help to develop television advertisements.

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What is the Job Demand for Creative Designers in Malaysia?

One of the main aims for education is to obtain a job with high demand and stable salary. The creative design industry tend to be a challenging career for Malaysian students to choose as some parents are not sure of the stability of a job in this field. This is understandable as creative designers put in long work hours and salaries may not be very high.

Malaysia’s rapidly maturing digital creative industry, which includes animation, movies, and video games, is proving to be a significant growth driver to the nation.

In addition, a total of 35,000 jobs will be made available in the arts and creative industry through an allocation of RM100 million under the Pemulih programme announced by the Prime in June 2021.

Malaysian Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) South-East Asia Animation Report 2018

MDEC, in its South-East Asia Animation Report 2018, said the region’s animation industry was forecast to be US$404.8bil in 2023.

Based on the study by MDEC, the country’s creative content industry, which includes film and game developers, generated RM7.4bil in 2017, while in 2018, the animation export product value alone totalled RM146mil.

The industry has also created thousands of job opportunities. The report, released this year, said there were 100 animation companies in Malaysia while the whole national creative digital group totalled 350 companies. The country’s creative content works have been exported to 120 nations.

Job Demand According to Malaysian Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC)

MDEC has introduced initiatives to boost Malaysia’s digital content creators, allowing them to better realise their potential by providing them with essential tools and knowledge. This results in locally made content that is now captivating a worldwide audience.

Malaysia’s digital content market has grown substantially over the years. Here are the end-of-the-year figures for 2018.

• RM7.9B IN REVENUE
• CAGR 2013-2017: 6%
  RM1.42B IN EXPORT SALES
• CAGR 2013-2017: 35%
  11,590 JOBS CREATED
• CAGR 2013-2017: 4%

Industry Size

As Malaysia’s digital content market continues to grow, the local digital creative content industry has also expanded in order to accommodate said growth.

• 100 ANIMATION COMPANIES
• 122 VFX COMPANIES
• 57 GAMES AND INTERACTIVE MEDIA COMPANIES
• 93 NEW MEDIA & PLATFORMS COMPANIES

Malaysia’s Critical Occupations List (COL).

GRAPHIC designers, electrical engineering technicians and certified accountants were among the top ten jobs in demand for , according to Malaysia’s Critical Occupations List (COL).

The annual list, which has been in publication since 2015, stated that the majority of developing businesses are expected to expand their adoption of technologies by 2022, which will lead to a greater demand for professionals in the design field.

“Students pursuing graphic design as a career can expect to move into a wide range of roles including exhibition designer, multimedia specialist, marketing, illustrator and production designer for theatre, television or film,” it said.

What are the Different Types of Creative Designer Jobs in Malaysia?

• Graphic Design
• Multimedia Design
• Fashion Design
• Product Design
• Interior Design
• 3D Animation
• Film, Broadcasting & Cinematic Arts
• Visual Effects
• Virtual Reality (VR) / Augmented Reality (AR)
• Game Design
• Illustration
• Performing Arts

What are the Qualifications Needed to be a Creative Designer in Malaysia?

To become a designer, you usually need a degree or diploma in the specific area of design you want to work in. Generally, you also need a good portfolio of your previous work to show prospective employers.

For industrial design, a bachelor’s degree in industrial or product design is usually needed. Most people working as industrial designers also have knowledge and/or experience in drawing, computer-aided design software (CAD), architecture or interior design work, industrial materials and processes, manufacturing methods, and a passion for design in general.

For artists, no specific qualifications are needed, but you need creativity and a very high skill level in your art. Although a qualification is not needed, many institutions in New Zealand offer courses in different genres of art. These can help new artists develop their skills.

How to Choose the Best Private University or College to Study Graphic Design in Malaysia

The best private universities and colleges in Malaysia have excellent facilities, years of experience running the graphic design programme, strong student support services, internships and experienced lecturers.

They are also accredited by MQA and approved by the Malaysian Ministry of Education. The best private university or college in Malaysia will focus on quality, have award winners for the particular courses, years of experience offering the particular course, highly experienced lecturers, a good study environment (not a party university), internships, good mix of international & local students, extra-curricular activities and good facilities. The SETARA ranking is a guide for students to assess the quality of a private university in Malaysia.

When choosing a university and college in Malaysia, it is important for students to visit the campus and see the facilities and feel the culture of the students to see if it fits you. Talk to the lecturers and find out from the counselors there about the courses and check if the courses have been accredited by MQA.

The environment should be one where students speak mostly in English so that you can improve your English and communication skills. If you are weak in English and choose a cheap university where the students speak mainly in Mandarin, it will be difficult for you to improve your English.

Star newspaper has reported that graduates with good English earn 25% higher salary and get faster promotion. The Ministry of Education reported that there were more than 70,000 public university jobless graduates and one of the main reasons was poor command of the English language. The decisions that you make now, can change your life forever. Remember the best university doesn’t mean it is the best university for you. The best university is one that fits your career goals, your personality and can push you to a higher level of success.

Common Factors in Choosing the Best Private University in Malaysia to Study

Here’s a list of common criteria in choosing a top private university in Malaysia:

• Diploma and degrees offered
• Subjects offered in the diploma or degree (Are they relevant, up-to-date, and help you to achieve your career goals)
• Accreditation by MQA and other relevant professional bodies in Malaysia
• Type of programme (local degree, 3+0 UK or Australian degree, 4+0 American degree, degree transfer programme, etc)
• Entry requirements (Branch campuses in Malaysia have higher entry requirements)
• Location of the university
• Size of the student population
• Student culture (English-speaking environment, ambitious, serious about studies, lifestyle or party university, etc)
• Public vs. Private (STPM is tougher and choice of course & university is determined by the government)
• Costs (tuition, hostel, food, transportation, etc.)
• Financial assistance (Scholarships, PTPN Loan, EPF withdrawal, MARA Loan, etc)
• Campus resources (labs, libraries, wifi, computer access, sports facilities, etc.)
• Internship and co-op programs
• Class size (Small class size for personal attention)
• Faculty contact/classes taught by full-time qualified & experienced faculty
• Quality/reputation/ranking of the private university in Malaysia
• Safety (campus, community)
• Make up of the student body (diversity, international students, gender, etc.)
• Extra-curricular activities (Student organisations, clubs, sports, etc.)
• Housing options (on-campus, off-campus apartments)
• Student support services
• Intake dates