Working in the design field requires a good command of the English language. Whether you are a product designer, graphic designer, UX/UI designer or web designer you’ll need to be familiar with the English terminology concerning the concepts of design as well as relevant tools and softwares. Moreover, in order to make a phone call, to plan a meeting, give a presentation or participate in a video or conference call, it is important to be able to know a few words in English in order to be able to communicate with your future team or clients. 

English is also essential for developing the necessary skills that will help you in your career. Below are a few tips to improve your English.

Before getting into details, let’s start with a few tips to improve your English vocabulary: 

• Read as much as you can in English and actively take notes of the words you don’t know before looking for their meaning in the dictionary. 
• Watch movies and TV shows in English with the subtitles in English as well. That way you’ll be able to both hear and read the words at the same time.
• Find English speakers to communicate in English with. Social networks, such as Facebook, can be very useful in that matter. Do not hesitate to look for specific groups to connect with expats or other language learners.
• Travel and get out of your comfort zone. Communicate with foreigners from all around the world and enjoy English as a universal language. 
• Gain self confidence and remember that English, as a language, is a tool. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Remember that the most important thing is that you are being understood.

Now, here are a few basic words to know in English if you’re looking to work in the Design sector: 

• Designer or architect: someone who creates and often executes plans for a project
• Portfolio: an edited collection of an artist's best artwork 
• Project: designers often work on projects to achieve a particular aim for clients
• Product designer : oversees the design process of a product.
• Design process: it refers to the five stages of Design Thinking which are : Empathise, Define (the problem), Ideate, Prototype, and Test. 
• Concept: the core idea driving the design of a product, explained via a collection of sketches, images, and a written statement.
• Computer-aided design (CAD): the use of computers to aid in the creation, modification, analysis, or optimization of a design.
• Graphic design: it is the profession and academic discipline whose activity consists in projecting visual communications intended to transmit specific messages to social groups, with specific objectives.
• Industrial design: it is a process of design applied to physical products that are to be manufactured by mass production.

Thanks to our Design sector course, you’ll be able to train with multiple exercises. Here are some sample exercises :

First, read the conversation below.

Sophia is calling Min-ho Lee Shin, the CEO of Wydex Holdings to discuss a tender offer for another company, DataX1.

Sophia : Hello Min-ho? Sophia here. How are you today?

Min-ho : I’m good, thanks. Thanks for taking this call at such short notice. It’s greatly appreciated as I need to speak to you about our tender for DataX1?

Sophia : Yes, no problem. Before we start, can you update me quickly on where we are with this?

Min-ho : We have decided to go ahead with the tender. As you know, DataX1 has some great skills in cyber-security and I think this acquisition would help us move forward in our development plans.

Sophia : Yes — we discussed this previously and I think we all agree it’s a good match for Wydex Holdings. So, as you know, the share price offered for a tender is usually above the market price. Today, DataX1 shares are trading at $118.25 a share. However, this is down from a high of $125.66 last month. Have you decided what share price you would like to offer?

Min-ho : I had a round table discussion this morning with all the members of the board, and we agreed to offer $128 per share.

Sophia : Also, how many shares do you want to purchase? Have you decided now?

Min-ho : Yes. We were thinking a minimum of 51%.

And what about the maximum number of shares you want to tender for?

A maximum of 55% of the total. In your experience, what do you think our chances of success are?

Well, you’ve engaged well with the DataX1 board and have a good professional relationship with the teams there — so let’s give it a go! I’ll speak to Andrew and give you an update in about 20 minutes.

Ok great. Catch you later. Bye!

Thanks. Bye.

We can observe a few important vocabulary words:

• Short notice : Where we find out about something only a short time before it happens.
• Update: To provide a newer version of something or to make something more.
• A good match : To be suitable for each other.
• Market Price : The current price at which something can be bought or sold.
• Share price : The price for a single share in the stocks in a company.

Exercise 1:

Try to organise the information in chronological order:

• (A) Min-ho: We have decided to go ahead with the tender. As you know, DataX1 has some great skills in cyber-security and I think this acquisition would help us move forward in our development plans.
• (B) Min-ho: I had a round table discussion this morning with all the members of the board, and we agreed to offer $128 per share.
• (C) Min-ho: Ok great. Catch you later. Bye!

Remember the logical decision-making process in the conversation!

First, Min-ho explains why she is interested in this acquisition. Then, she provides Sophia with further information. Finally, she ends the conversation.

Exercise 2:

Choose the corresponding term(s) to fill in the blank(s): market price- share price- good match 

Min-ho: DataX1 has some great skills in cyber-security, it’s a xxx for Wydex Holdings.

Sophia: The xxx offered for a tender is usually above the xxx. Today, DataX1 shares are trading at $118.25 a share.

Tips : Remember the difference between a 'share price' and the 'market price'."A 'share price' corresponds to the price for one single share in the stocks in a company. On the other hand, the ""market price"" entails the current price at which something can be bought or sold. Make sure you don't mix these two up!"

Exercise 3:

Organize the words below to create a sentence:

Tips : This is a question enquiring about quantity. "‘How many’ is a basic question format to enquire about quantity ('shares', for that matter). ‘To purchase’ is a verb which means 'to buy'."

You can get access to dozens of exercises like these and test your English for free with GlobalExam on our Business English platform !

Design is new for you and you’re looking for some tips to improve your skills and understand the industry? You’ll find below some tips to be a good designer and get you started.

• Use a design strategy

  You need to start planning a clear design strategy which will be satisfying for your clients. Make sure you understand their needs and to come up with creative and innovative solutions.

• Listen

  Bear in mind that you have to listen to what clients have to say even if you’re the expert. Don’t miss important information and be sure to ask relevant questions.

• Know your stuff

  Prepare your meetings with the clients and make sure you are ready to answer their questions. Don’t use confusing terminology and be clear and concise during the meeting.

• Keep your promises

  Don’t close a deal if you can’t satisfy the client's needs. It’s ok not to be able to deliver or to turn a customer away. It’s always better than ending up with a disappointed client.

• Never stop learning

  Never stop learning about your job. Keep up with trends, watch webinars, read articles and blog posts and attend software trainings. Just like it is important to stay motivated when learning English, it is also just as important to stay motivated and never stop learning about your work field !

At GlobalExam we can help you improve your level of English, especially if you want to work in a specific sector such as Design. GlobalExam is a sophisticated e-learning platform that is 100% online and thanks to our Business English course, you can benefit from trainings and exercises to improve your professional English level. The course is adapted to your goal. You’ll therefore be able to improve your professional English skills while focusing on a specific sector such as Design. Our Design course is divided into 7 modules. The goal is to be able to have written and oral exchanges about specific concepts without any difficulty.

• The Basic concepts module will help you master the base vocabulary and the fundamental notions of design. You’ll be able to identify, describe and argue around these notions: Line, Color, Shape, Space, Texture, Typography, Scale, Dominance, Emphasis, Balance and Harmony.
• The Artistic concepts module will help you master the basic vocabulary concerning the artistic concepts of Design: sketching, perspective, classical drawing, digital drawing, illustration, materials, creative writing, storytelling, screenwriting, storyboards.
• The Graphic Design module will help you master the basic vocabulary about graphic design: 2D vs 3D, grid theory (blocks), advertisements, publications, photography and visual identity, logotypes, research, brief, concept to production, graphic design softwares.
• The Motion design module will help you master the basic vocabulary and the fundamental notions of motion design: flip books, stop motion, 2D and 3D animation, narrative and characters, concept and animation process, pre-production, background and movement, sequence and continuity, game design, motion graphics and design softwares, post-production, rendering, outputs and formats. You’ll learn how to identify and distinguish the animation types and learn about the process of conception, production and post-production of motion design.
• The UX/UI module will help you master the basic vocabulary and the fundamental notions of user experience (UX/UI): design thinking, project management, UX and UI principles, Persona conception, service design, coding, coding for mobile, visual design and usability testing and feedback analysis.
• The Industrial and Product Design module will help you master the basic vocabulary and the fundamental notions of industrial design: research and development, patents and intellectual property protection, production engineering drawing, ergonomics and computer modelling, computer aided design and modelling systems, material and processes, prototyping, testing, quality design and control, delivery.
• The Portfolio and Careers module will help you master the basic vocabulary related to design professions: product and industrial designer, UX/UI designer, web designer, video game designer, multimedia designer. You’ll also learn more about the creation and the communication of design portfolios.

Knowing these terms will help you prepare for an English job interview as well, proving to your employer that you have a mastery over the required professional terms.

GlobalExam provides a virtual learning option that allows you to learn English in an interactive way either individually or in a group, under the guidance of qualified English teachers.

If you’re looking to deepen your knowledge of professional English, you’ll be able to take online group classes to improve your skills on:

• Making a phone call and using the correct formal greetings
• Planning meetings
• Giving presentations in English
• Participating in video and conference calls

If you prefer a more individual approach to learn English, you’ll also be able to take a private lesson on the topic of your choice.

Online classes are a great way to consolidate your existing efforts to learn English and to put your skills into practice with other learners.

Thanks to our Business English platform, you’ll get access to a wide range of grammar and vocabulary exercises to learn English in the context of real-life business situations. As you progress through the situations, units, and modules, you can track your progress and see where you are in your mission to learn English. This is a huge advantage to digital learning: when we learn English online, we can keep a close eye on our strengths and weaknesses, tick off our goals, and stay motivated all the way through. Our platform is suited for beginner, intermediate and expert-level English speakers.