Floral designers, commonly known as florists, are professionals that arrange dried, live, and silk flowers and greenery for decorative purposes. They can work in florist shops, supermarkets, and other businesses with floral divisions. Customers can place orders for several occasions or make on-the-spot purchases.
A creative florist can also work as a color designer since it requires bringing out the maximum aesthetics of a given space. They use artistry and knowledge of different blooms to choose the appropriate flower and color combinations for the atmosphere you want to create.
Do you still want to know more? Continue reading this article as we have teamed up with experts from job aggregator Jooble to give a detailed overview of the floral designer’s work characteristics. Let’s delve into the details.
The Occupational Outlook of Floral Designers
Floral designers need to have an in-depth understanding of the properties of flowers, greenery, and other aspects of the field.
Besides that, it is essential to know everything about each flower and herb’s color varieties or size. This knowledge will be beneficial to them when they want to recommend flowers and arrangements to customers.
The major features of the floral designer’s work are:
Perceiving and Visualizing
Florists must be familiar with the colors and sizes of each flower and plant they sell. They may need to figure out how many flowers will fit into a specific container or how many rose petals will cover a given area, such as the length of a bridal procession walkway.
Also, floral designers must be able to invoke their professionalism to advise clients on plants, flowers, greenery, and designs. If the client chooses flowers, the designer should make a visually attractive arrangement using that type of flower.
Working wit People
To ensure their environment appears fresh and alluring, many floral designers have formal contracts with hotel and restaurant management, office building owners, and private house owners to regularly replace old flowers or plants—usually daily, weekly, or monthly.
If you work for yourself or own a floral shop, you must also handle business matters like advertising, pricing, inventory, and taxes. However, some designers employ and supervise employees to assist them with these responsibilities.
Communication
Communication skills are essential features of a floral designer’s work. Since the job requires that you work with people, you will have to interact with staff, employers, managers, and clients, including email, phone calls, and in-person.
Customer Service
The primary purpose of customer service is to establish a credible relationship with customers so that they can return for more business. Floral designers also educate customers on caring for flowers and plants, such as the appropriate temperature and how often they should water the flower.
Artistic Ability
Florists can produce a single arrangement for a specific purpose or several displays for special occasions like weddings or funerals. They select appropriate flowers or plants for each occurrence based on their artistic ability and understanding of many sorts of blooms. They’re usually aware of the seasons and availability of flowers and plants.
Additionally, floral designers must be familiar with the characteristics of flowers and other plants. Carnations, for example, can live for several hours without water. Other flowers are more delicate and wilt faster.
Other features include:
- Administration and management
- Creativity
- Working with things, etc.
Pros and Cons of The Floral Designer’s Work
There are numerous advantages of working as a floral designer. However, you might want to consider the downside of taking up the job before deciding. Below are the pros and cons of working as a florist.
Pros
- Advanced Degrees Are Not Required
Florists and grocery store flower departments frequently hire persons with only a high school diploma and little or no experience.
They could begin by greeting customers, taking orders, and delivering flowers while learning floral arrangements from expert designers on the job.
- Outlet For Creativity
Artists who appreciate working with their hands and doing something creative with flowers may find their work quite satisfying.
They often use their artistic ability to produce distinctive creations. They also give professional advice to their clients on flowers, greens, and styles of arrangements.
- It is Possible To Get Certified
The American Institute of Floral Designers offers an online educational program that leads to the Certified Floral Designer title. This means you can learn design fundamentals online and add the certification to your resume, which may help you get work or change jobs.
Cons
- Low Salary
As of May 2022, the average yearly salary for floral designers was $25,350, or $12.19 per hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Floral designers in grocery stores earned more per hour than those in florist businesses. However, the lowest-paid designers made $11.38 per hour at general merchandise retailers. Remember, these are average salaries; starting salaries may even be lower.
- Occasionally Stressful
Floral designers may face demanding working conditions during peak vacation seasons like Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, and Christmas. While their artistic production brings them joy, it can also cause pressure when working under tight deadlines.
- Progress Is Limited
Opportunities for growth in the profession of floral design are restricted, regardless of training or experience. There are no designed levels to aim towards that would reward advanced titles or salary raises.
Conclusion
Fresh flowers never go out of style. While trends may shift, there will always be a demand for creative, skilled individuals to design displays and arrangements for special events, hotels and companies, and holidays. By learning the above features of the floral designer’s work, you can become a part of this business.