Careers advice ? graphic designer looking for a different career...
We all have days where we wish we weren't doing the job that we are currently doing... but as of late my bad days seem to be out numbering my good days.
To be honest, I'm not convinced that I want to spend the rest of my days as a graphic designer, and when I look around, I don't see a lot of people with 5+ years experience. Seems to me that most studios are full of wide-eyed kids fresh out of college and a sprinkling of experienced staff who are planning their escape.
I've find graphic design to be a very stressfull job ? lots of pressure to perform, long working hours and very meagre rewards. Yes it's a calling, yes it's a vocation, but I'm starting to think that I could quite easily turn my back on it and never look back.
So the question is, what kind of careers can I sidestep into? I'm guessing that my existing skillset means that I should look for similar jobs in other creative fields ? video production springs to mind. I'd also like a more 'production' based job rather than a 'creative' job.
Anybody got any ideas? I'm very open to suggestions...
To be honest, I'm not convinced that I want to spend the rest of my days as a graphic designer, and when I look around, I don't see a lot of people with 5+ years experience. Seems to me that most studios are full of wide-eyed kids fresh out of college and a sprinkling of experienced staff who are planning their escape.
I've find graphic design to be a very stressfull job ? lots of pressure to perform, long working hours and very meagre rewards. Yes it's a calling, yes it's a vocation, but I'm starting to think that I could quite easily turn my back on it and never look back.
So the question is, what kind of careers can I sidestep into? I'm guessing that my existing skillset means that I should look for similar jobs in other creative fields ? video production springs to mind. I'd also like a more 'production' based job rather than a 'creative' job.
Anybody got any ideas? I'm very open to suggestions...
Comments
sorry to sound like a buzzkill.
i think the most important thing i learnt is instead of jumping off the boat and swimming to the nearest island, is, to build your own boat while on the big boat and then when you are close to the island use your own boat to get to the island... make sense? or better yet, build a nice plane while you are on the big boat and when your flight tests are done, then you can take off and leave the big boat for good.
edit: sunilraman must've posted second's before me
or - Work for an adventure travel agency, leading tours through the alps.
or - game design - they hire more artists than programmers.
I suggest that you either figure out what you want to do, and pursue it, or just sack up and get an MBA or something. At least in that case you'll be making some better money to support your hobbies.
Production vs creative? Both can be a drag.
Being a creative person, you're likely very independent minded. Go work for yourself. What are you passionate about. Build a business around that. Use your creative skills to promote yourself. Doesn't need to be a design business.
I'm trying to get a toy business off the ground.
Originally posted by Splinemodel
Starting up a graphic design / web design company is really the high-tech equivalent of starting a restaurant. In other words, a lot of people do it, and very few really end up succeeding.
While I have no reason to know different, I'm curious as to why this would be. Restaurants generally don't last because they tend to not make money for about 4-5 years after they open. Very few upstarts can afford to go this long without making money. The profit margin with restaurants is so narrow that there isn't a lot of money in it at first.
You can start a graphic design firm in your home with an iBook if you have the skills. I don't understand the risk? You can start a graphic design firm while working in someone else's restaurant!
What would cause so many to fail? Is it simply a lack of soliciting customers? There is really almost NO overhead, so it should be pretty easy to take the time to build a client base.
Originally posted by OBJRA10
While I have no reason to know different, I'm curious as to why this would be. Restaurants generally don't last because they tend to not make money for about 4-5 years after they open. Very few upstarts can afford to go this long without making money. The profit margin with restaurants is so narrow that there isn't a lot of money in it at first.
You can start a graphic design firm in your home with an iBook if you have the skills. I don't understand the risk? You can start a graphic design firm while working in someone else's restaurant!
What would cause so many to fail? Is it simply a lack of soliciting customers? There is really almost NO overhead, so it should be pretty easy to take the time to build a client base.
The main reason they fail is that they do not charge what they should be charging for the work they are doing. People (customers) still fail to understand that a quality website costs $$$. Some Joe Blow comes along and tells them they'll do a site for $250, and you're screwed. They get a shit site that does nothing for them, you don't get paid. But too many people cut their own throat by trying to compete on price, so they start charging way less than they should for their work. And once you start doing that you're done.
Originally posted by rageous
The main reason they fail is that they do not charge what they should be charging for the work they are doing. People (customers) still fail to understand that a quality website costs $$$. Some Joe Blow comes along and tells them they'll do a site for $250, and you're screwed. They get a shit site that does nothing for them, you don't get paid. But too many people cut their own throat by trying to compete on price, so they start charging way less than they should for their work. And once you start doing that you're done.
I agree absolutely! There are many people who call themselves graphic artists and web designers just because they can buy a computer. It is a skilled trade. There is technical knowledge that has to be acquired. I worked for a major publisher and dealt with bozoos designing their own ads. Editors posing as production designers. For example only a writer would do this. Link every single text box in a 100 page magazine. Make a change and everything reflows.
With these know nothing idiots in the biz, they're undercharging and stealing work from real pros.
I too have been competing with 1000000s of other new grads out there on price
Many of them are so keen on getting new clients and they usually charge less than half of what I charge.
Not only that. Some people call themselves a designer because they just have a computer and they think they can do the job.
I still remember I lost at least 15 clients because of the price thing. They decided to go cheap so they hire new grads and those "calling themselves artist" kind of people to do the work.
In the second half of 2005 I saw at least 6 of the lost clients are coming back to me. And gave me the things that were done by those people and GOD! They are horrible. They (lost clients) asked me if I can fix them. I told them I have to start from scratch since it costs more to fix other people's problem than starting from scratch.
At least, some show their appreciation which is comoforting.
Now I am leaning more on the video side than just graphic design work to avoid as much unnecessary competition (on graphic) as possible.
couldn't even start with any formal information architecture/ planning stuff because some bozo might come in and say, what's that rubbish, i'll just start building everything out right now
so i am cautiously approaching this family friend/ client while figuring out and nurturing my mental health back from quite a state of disaster over the past 2(?) years....... last night i was playing around with some typography and i was like, jeez, it took me 5 years to learn just the elements of typography by myself, and was it worth it? right now i am definitely thinking, wtf, hell no.
Should I have charged him that much? Should I have charged less and gotten the job? How do you strike that balance?
Originally posted by sunilraman
yesterday i consulted for a short while with a family friend and looking at their web business needs. i've been so traumatised in the past 2 years by the competition and all the craziness of what a web site should be... i just almost told them, look, i don't even know how to charge you, because all sorts of people will come to you with their cheapo ideas
couldn't even start with any formal information architecture/ planning stuff because some bozo might come in and say, what's that rubbish, i'll just start building everything out right now
so i am cautiously approaching this family friend/ client while figuring out and nurturing my mental health back from quite a state of disaster over the past 2(?) years....... last night i was playing around with some typography and i was like, jeez, it took me 5 years to learn just the elements of typography by myself, and was it worth it? right now i am definitely thinking, wtf, hell no.
You just have to sit down and figure out what you need to be charging per hour for your skill level and the amount of time it's going to take you for each project you take on. And you've got to stand firm on your rate. You'll lose as much, if not more busniess than you bring in for a while.
But you've got to establish yourself as an accomplished and uncompromising designer. The good clients will come, and stay. But it is a dreafully long and stressful process getting to that point.
My particular specialty is logo design/identity packages. I can do it all, but this is where I've really got my claws sunk in. I charge nothing less than $2000 for a new logo design, even if it's a new take on a current logo. And my clients get what they pay for. Obviously, my pricing immediately eliminates about 95% of all potential business in this market, but you get what you pay for.
Look at all the horrible logos you see aroud you on any given day, and those are the guys picking up the busniess the pros refuse to do on the cheap.