Why I Left the Design World
I haven’t always just written about design. No, back in the day, I designed for magazines and newspapers. The following is my story of why I left the graphic design world. I also chatted with other former designers about their varied reasons, ranging from disinterest in the business side to physical ailments.
I toiled in the print publication trenches for years, facing daily deadlines and relying on my limited math skills to figure out column inches (this was in the ’90s, when designers still used proportion wheels and X-acto blades). But here’s my confession: I wasn’t very good at the creative side. I’d churn out a two-page feature layout in a few hours and expect it to be ready for print, whereas my co-workers would work on several versions for days, painstakingly redesigning a drop cap in six different ways.
One art director at a magazine encouraged me to spend more time on each article layout. He didn’t relate that I came from the newspaper world, where we sometimes left a hole for a last-minute story that we’d just plunk in on deadline – there was no time for more than one take! I blame my journalism training for my succinct style I abide by to this day – why say in four words what I can say in two? Why design three versions when I can be done with an assignment in one?
While I appreciate design every day – I surf through creative websites on a daily basis, admiring the typography and color choices – I don’t see myself in that world and choose to leave it to those with the skills, passion and patience for design.
I’ve known a number of other people who’ve also left the design profession but for wholly different reasons. Here are the top reasons why:
- Low pay.
- Layoffs in the print industry.
- Couldn’t or didn’t want to keep up with new technology.
- Lack of creativity in projects.
- Carpal tunnel or other ailments from sitting at a computer all day.
- Disinterest in the business side of freelancing.
What are some of the reasons you left – or are considering – abandoning a design career?
Image via penywise/Morguefile.
Jennifer Moline is a writer for PsPrint and the PsPrint Design Blog. PsPrint is an online commercial printing company.
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I think you left without much of a fight to be honest.
If low pay, layoffs and a lack of creativity were drivers for leaving the design industry why on earth did you not look into moving to digital/web/mobile/small device based design?
Plenty of work with great day rates to be had. Granted you to have to keep up with trends and technology but that’s a good thing no?
Time to change your mind?
Every designer problem is that somewhere along the road he come up with lack of creativity, just like a book author, the solution is to find what that is who blocks you and get over it.
If you lack of work, find some as freelancer or start a regular job at a company, quitting is not the solution, unless you had enough with the design world and you just hate what you do.
There is no money in graphic design, plain and simple. As an employee I was very underpaid. After going out on my own, too much time was spent on finding customers and admin tasks to be profitable. Easy fix. Switched to web design. I still get to design and the finding-new-customers to billable-time ratio is much better.
I was both a freelance and in-house graphic designer (in print) for about 12 years. I love design, but over the years I really started to hate certain aspects about being a designer:
- Designing for clients who had poor taste
- Translating print design to web design, then having a web developer screw up every aspect of my design
- Trying to learn html and css (failed, which led to the point above)
- Sitting in front of a computer all day, lack of human interaction
I switched to photography two years ago and haven’t looked back since. The constant human interaction, face-to-face, that I get with my clients is exhilarating and feeds my extroverted nature. I still get to be creative, but because the subject of my creation is people, the emotional feedback and response I get to my work is both steady and fulfilling. Projects have an end date, unlike some graphic design projects which go through endless revisions and feel like they never end.
I’ll always be grateful I started out as a designer. It gives me visual problem solving skills that I use as a photographer, but I don’t miss the other baggage that goes with it.
I started my design career as a one-woman art department in a t-shirt printing shop in 1993, when there was still a lot of hand-layout and film-cutting involved. I stuck it out and worked my way up to a second shop during my 10 years in graphic t-shirt design, making it all the way to Assistant Art Director. When my husband moved us halfway across the country to a different job, I took the opportunity to shift my graphic focus from one of serving in a larger print house with wild and crazy deadlines and technical glitches to serving one client. That one client was my new employer, an independent fabric store, where I spent several years getting to know a different market segment. I eventually split off and went solo, shifting my graphics training to a sewing pattern business and fabric design. There are still deadlines and software to keep up with, but the forced career shift made me realize that I had stopped drawing entirely when I was doing graphics on a daily basis. While I can’t shake my efficient working style, I feel a little of my old creative love coming back in my off time and it’s wonderful. Let the youngsters deal with tight deadlines, bad pay, cranky clients and 60-hour work weeks… I’ve earned my right to doodle again.
I’m at my 30s, want to quite my designer job as it’s not getting anywhere. just one simple question to myself : can this job take me to my 60s?and still being competitive? Apparently not, i want to change my career although i still love design.
I feel very similar.
The right article in the right time for me. I left my job as a graphic designer yesterday. I’m thinking of working as a freelancer, in order to try to make more money (I’ve got an average freelance job demand currently). But for sure I will have to have the same patience and will have to keep facing the same things, as you mentioned above, for those who are designers. And I’m not sure that it’s going to give me as much money as I wanted (and deserved, considering how many hours I work a day).
I was considering going to something like IT, which is a thing that I like too (although have no experience… but can learn it quickly). All my friends working with that have good wages and there are so many job opportunities.
What exactly are you planning to do next? And what would you recommend me to do?
Thanks and good luck for you :)
Have you considered User Experience design?
(Sorry about the long time to reply)
Such an coincidence that you’ve mentioned that. User experience is one thing that I’d love to work with. Specially for tablets and mobile.
BTW, just like a ’status update’, I’m doing well as a graphic designer. Didn’t make more money yet, but I’m working less and basically doing the same money. Of course I don’t plan to keep working just a few hours a day, I want to make more money by working more hours, or even making my work more valuable.
It’s been hard to decide if I really want to go IT, for example. An opportunity was given to me, but I thought about how my days would be, the kind of work would do, the kind of environment would be at, and it made me try once more design.
I love design, but I chose not to pursue it as a career because:
* I prefer to keep my hobbies separate from my job.
* It’s not very sustainable.
* I don’t like the demands of the business side.
* I don’t feel it’s meaningful work.
I’m curious Chris, do you feel that art is similarly meaningless or just commercial design?
I know I’m probably behind on this but im 23 and i loathe graphic design. I started hating graphic design even before i graduated from college. I’d say the main reason would be the same as chris’ first one, graphic design is a hobby and if i turned my hobby into a job, i’d hate my job. plus, on top of that, im not very creative. that side of me got murdered sometime around my junior year of high school when I was forced to take an analytical approach to AP class material. and to be honest, the thought of having to design for 40 hours a week makes me cringe. Also it doesn’t help that I’m a minimalist because I’m always tempted to make my designs simple, cleaned, and refined. or “modern” as some call it.
And like the writer of this article, I too finish design work way too quickly. For me the easiest part is layout design. I can lay my shit out quick–i started with web design before I got into graphic design so for me, layout design is more important; aesthetics are secondary and complimentary. Some designers make up 4 or 5 comps when I’m fine with one. Why not just focus on one and refine it?
id say that I’m more of a graphic artist than a graphic designer; and there is a difference because an artist has no restrictions and a designer does. so no, i’d never ever want to become a graphic artist. i’m glad that I’ve realized that sooner than later.
I’m actually looking to become a production artist, print or web. I really think that production work is my calling and that may be because I did web design all throughout high school and web design is more of a production-type position. I really enjoy the fact that the things I’ll be doing will change every day and I wont have to kill myself because i have no creative juices flowing out of me. i enjoy the technical aspect of it.
like many of you guys, i have the greatest appreciation for graphic design but i’d be happier doing something else.
Great post! I’m actually new in the game, but I can see where you’re coming from. The graphic design world changed a bit (or maybe a lot) if you compare it with the 90s. You really have to show passion in what you do. Back then designers were very rare. Almost everything you made was great for the client. But now – because of the social media I guess – we’re all competing against each other. Companies in general, are looking for unique workers who are willing to go the extra mile to show their “own style” in what they do. It’s all about Personal Branding. Luckily, in the design world we can make that chance of getting a job bigger by making more designs. That’s how I see it.
I was in the industry for 13+ years. Started in prepress pulling Matchprints and Dyluxes and moved to scanning and retouching. Moved up to a small studio, then to a big agency, then to an in-house designer at a non-profit, then back to a small studio… then out.
My reasons for leaving were multiple. There was the low pay, sure. And with the economy the way it is, there’s an insane amount of competition for every opening. But I think the biggest motivator was that I saw design being seen as no longer a commodity market: everyone wants to be a designer. Everyone wants to be a copywriter. Everyone thinks they can do your job better. All of the years I spent learning the ins and outs of the industry were less important than the “creative input” the clients wanted to have. I got tired of clients taking a perfectly succinct and powerful 5-word headline that I spent a week wordsmithing, and turning it into a 14-word ineffective monstrosity. Every time the client would email something they put together in MS Paint to “show me what they were thinking” I’d lose a little bit more of my soul. The final straw was when one client bought their own set of Pantone swatch books and copy of Illustrator. So they could “help out.” I was no longer an ad-man. I was no longer a designer. I was relegated to a button-pushing fall-guy for when there were problems with the finished piece because the customer insisted on a 5% tint of yellow that didn’t show up on press… and they were looking for someone to blame as well as pick up the tab for re-printing the job.
Gone are the days that Ogilvy spoke of in Ogilvy On Advertising, where the agency and the client were partners, and the agency was empowered to make powerful advertising. I remember him writing about one company that made high-end glass or some such who went to him and said something to the effect of “We make the best glass. Your job is to make the best advertising.” Now it’s more like “We make the best glass, and your job is to make the advertising we instruct you how to make.” The clients who respected our collective abilities as designers were too few and far between, no matter where I worked. I tried to make the best advertising, and too often the clients got in the way.
So I moved on to developing software for the Mac, including one for designers. I still get to solve visual problems (in addition to programming ones), but I never have to listen to clients tell me how to do my job anymore.
How I hear you Mike! I too am tired of the “frankinsteining” of design.
Dear Clients, if you think you can do better, then go do it, stop harassing me!
I have sometimes told my clients exactly that, and surprise surprise they always come back as they discover it takes them too long, the printer wont accept the ‘publisher’ or ‘paint’ files, their advertising fails to bring in the sales leads, they make too many mistakes and finally realise they CANNOT do it better or as quickly or anywhere near as good as I can in half the time!
I feel Designers are becoming less and less valued for their work – because apparently the clients teenage nephew can do it for free – he’s good with computers you know?! Yes I ‘m sure he is, but what does he know about bleed, trapping and ink weights? Chances are he doesn’t even know about printing in cmyk at 300dpi.
We’ve studied, worked, learnt, kept up to date with ever so frequent changes in software, hardware, trends, fads, marketing/advertising strategies and technological advances, processes… the list goes on and on and yet after 13+ years the pay is no better than someone just starting out, clients continually whinge about the price, they mostly have poor taste and don’t understand what good design is or why its so good.
I have left and come back multiple times, design is my passion, but it dies a little every time I hear “I love it, but can you just change….(insert every minor aspect in order to change the entire design here)..”
Trace, you’ve hit it right on the nose in your post.
I just found these posts and actually am happy just to read them because this is all of what I’m currently feeling. Right now just wondering what I can do as a job that actually matters.
WOW! Well said.
Amen Mike. After doing art direction and design for almost 30 years and I am ready to jump due to the same issues. Very sad.
More than why you left, Jennifer, how did you make the transition from designer to writer? Did you have to go back and retrain yourself (school or self taught)?
I sometimes understand this, I have worked on many publications and one newspaper. I was always the exact opposite, I hated that I had no time to design or try out great Ideas because of a 24 hour deadline. I never thought of it as the other way. Nice writing though, Loved the insight. And even though I am done working for a publication I actually plan on starting another it is like a virus being in news or magazine publishing. Akin to a tattoo I think. Cheers!
Like I said, I was never actually very good at design — I was good at magazine and newspaper layout, but not the creative side. And I had very little patience to learn. I’d learned reporting and design in high school and college journalism classes, where I also learned I’m not a good photographer. So when I left design, I was able to get back into print and then online journalism.
But I understand where a lot of you more-talented folks are coming from: I hear from numerous designer friends about their souls dying when a client tries to interfere with concept and when they expect miracle turnarounds.
I love your honesty on this subject, I am quite a good lay-outer myself and I actually can write html and css, but I miss the creativity to really design, I love it but I can’t do it. And learning PHP and actionscript was to much code for me, so I’m not really a good webdesigner because I’m not versatile enough. Most of the time I feel ashamed for not beïng good enough, so I love your article and your honesty.
Conclusion: Quitting is for low performers, which pray that something will happen and that it will get them places. If you not able to set up your own network of processionals and business people get a job in tesco – less responsibility and less wondering if you actually are getting to those places.
Any argument here would be valid for not succeeding.
On the other side, life is just like that – unfair… but it is your responsibility to bend your reality over the direction you really want to take.
All the best on finding the new way Jennifer.
Gotta disagree here, Robert. Your blanket statement is off the mark for a lot of us who left the design world.
Quitting is not always for “low performers”. Matter of fact, I worked with a bunch of “low performers” who were perfectly happy doing the minimum, working their scheduled hours, and went home and forgot about work. They didn’t read industry magazines, they didn’t stay on the cutting edge of software, color trends, and techniques, and they didn’t go to sleep at night still working on a concept in their head. They had no passion for design; it was a paycheck, not a passion. Some of these people used to have passion for design, but for whatever reason had burned out and simply didn’t caare anymore. One of them actually said to me, “Yeah, I do whatever the client wants. If it looks bad, it’s not going in my book. I don’t care.”
Sometimes quitting is for the “passionate high performers” who just can’t stand micromanaging clients, low-performing co-workers, and an industry that is becoming less and less a commodity.
I still love design and have a passion for it. I still cringe when I see an improperly-kerned logo or headline, bad leading, and crummy typeface choices (among other things). But I left because I hated seeing my good designs ruined by know-nothing clients and getting paid bunk for the priviledge of being treated like a button-pushing monkey.
here here Mike!
I agree with you Robert, I have been on both ends, the Neglegted underpaid side and the successful valued side. And it all comes down to how hard you are willing to work to be a great designer. I believe that 80% of designers are good designers but I strive everyday to be the 20% who are truly great and put in the work to become something more than just a dime a dozen designer. I hope I get there someday.
Not really got much going for myself other than design! i wake up i design, i go to work and design and follow suit through out the day no matter what i’m doing. but saying that i love design and believe i always will as long as continue to grow and develop as in design its a case of evolve or die!
I can agree with some of the points you have made. Reality hits you in the face when you first leave University (wow ages ago, haha!), your not an aspiring, motivated, day dreaming design student anymore. Design is still my profession after all, this is what I do. However the luck of appreciation and creativity really frustrated me, as I am a creative person after all.
I decided I needed a place for myself to express my creative juices and started a web-comic, more of a words and illustrations web-boutique. It’s a place for me to have fun, be creative and I think all of the designers out there should look for something extra to pursue.
So there’s work – and there’s you’re own creative venture, that maybe become a fun source of business in the future.
Loved the post. Gives me a little extra faith starting my freelance business will work out as I love the business side.
This is why I chose stay away from the graphic design world, I’d rather use my abilities for my own creativity and personal websites. It keeps it fun and flexible.
The idea of abandoning the design filed cross my mind several times simply because I don’t earn enough money to pay my bills :) , but because I love what I do and it is very refreshing to learn new things every day, I am not planning to give up just yet!
This is a great article and some great comments @mike I can agree with most thing you said aswell as the client with illustrator. I am going through that just now and i think a little bit of my soul is disappearing!
Jennifer it sounds like you would have made a good designer for small business folk, trades people etc!
I work in a little team on the business side of things and love it (maybe like yourself?). In my spare time write music and do art the old school hand way: ) for me being artistically creative is relaxation away for work.
But probably why i’d make a terrible designer is that I’m never 100% happy with anything i create, still working on songs from 5 years ago: )
Interesting. I got into the newspaper field around ‘96 as an imager/prepress journeyman and seen the tail end of what I would consider its better days of the industry.
Jumped into advertising area of newspapers a few years later and became an designer for print media for more than 12 years. I always thought it was interesting how we were taught to do multiple designs and sketches for projects in commercial art courses but as you stated, you often don’t get that luxury in a daily deadline media producer.
I have taken to digital media these days producing landing pages, e-newsletters, Flash banners, static banners etc. With print dying, it really does narrow the artist pool need but digital is taking up some of the slack thankfully. The only con is the need to learn additional skills such as programming and web functions.
I can’t say I’ve left the design world after many years and employment with the biggest corporations around the globe but by moving to writing and social media I’ve allowed empowered myself to be choosey about the assignments I accept and my ability to walk away from those assignments with ridiculous scope creep and infuriating “design-by-committee.”
As creatives, we have many avenues open to us. When layoffs were draining the designers from my last job, I would say to those worried about what they would do, “you’re creative! Use that to find opportunities or make your own.”
How does one take the initiative to find other avenues for one’s creativity? Read this… http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/10/29/take-the-initiative-and-create-your-own-projects/
Excuse me… “allowed AND empowered… ” Bleary-eyed tonight. ;)
Website design is the only way to survive these days. As you said, more and more printers are disappearing and the ones that are still alive and kicking are putting there prices up and seem reluctant to ‘go the extra mile’. Website design requires little admin and they are a client for the life of their website. Recurring money can be made through updates, domain renewal and hosting charges. Not to mention adding in more pages etc as the client grows. I never got taught much website design in college doing a graphic design course and i’m only 22. Just got to bite the bullet and get stuck into blogs and learn.
Thanks for the article.
Alistair
Graphic Design Glasgow
So what profession have you guys taken – those who have quit the design industry? is it rewarding?
This does indeed fuel ones creativity.
Interesting reading. I’ve been feeling pretty burnt out as a graphic designer lately. I don’t know if I want a career shift all together or if I just need a break.
I started out as a graphic designer, but managed a few web design, print and other extraneous gigs outside the typical logo, flyer or album cover, etc.
I met an entrepreneur with business experience who needed some web work done, so I got on board for a few web projects… it started out with a logo here, and quick mockup there, but we haven’t stopped; it’s been over a year, and we’re now building a company together.
I naively thought that web design was just graphic design, but rooted in a necessity to be built with html/css… the intricacies of user experience, designing for multiple platforms, web typography, et al. eluded me until after I made the switch.
In retrospect, the web game is much more rewarding (financially, creatively, emotionally) than what I was doing before, but I’m sure much of that is attributed to the higher paying jobs, and increased respect and freedom.
Either way, I don’t ever want to go back to graphic design.
Understanding of your weaknesses sides makes you stronger!
Totally understand all the above comments. I was a photographer for years, then ran a pub, but design and being creative just sit right with me. The money is OK, hope it gets better though! But at the end of the day I feel like I am in the right place, careers changes are essential, so if you feel “spent”, then move on and good luck to you all!
WOW…you sound like me! My career started backwards from yours as I first went to school for Journalism and couldn’t get into the field, but fell into graphic design (without any training) and loved it! After three years, went back to school for a Graphic Design degree, graduated, and started my own design studio specializing in print and web. In between working as an entrepreneur, I also worked as a contract designer for several agencies at some prominent companies. Some where along the line, I started to burn out and last year picked up a writing gig as the LA Marketing Examiner where I write on marketing and design topics. Closed my design studio in July after 10 years, but still haven’t given up completely on my design career because I’m looking to work at it part–time and from home. Trying to use the online contractor sites to see if it’s worth it (I did get one project!), but clients are so demanding and pay very little. May consider turning towards my fine artist or photographer, but those fields don’t pay much either and aren’t appreciated. Not sure where my career is headed right now as I’ve been designing for 13+ years, but I’m looking forward to the journey.
When I went to college to study design, typesetting was, in the main, traditional hot metal setting – film setting was only just starting to grow as I took my first paid employment. In all, I worked for just 2 large employers in the private sector before taking the plunge into self employment in the early 1980’s. I finally threw in the towel in 2000. What put me off:
Employing other people who somehow failed to understand time = money (earned or lost)
The onset of home computers – which meant “everyone” could design, so why pay for a designer.
I am now a sheep farmer.
I think many of us may go down this road, though not all. Not me anyway. What else do I really want to do?
Thanks for a great article and one which sits very close to my heart.
I have been designing on and off for about 17 years now and keep drifting away to earn the proverbial “big bucks” in the IT world, but it is souless and find I keep coming back to where my heart lies and that is working from home for myself and doing what I love to do.
Unfortunately it has meant I have had to sacrifice owning a house and getting into debt because it wasn’t paying the bills, but at the end of the day I do sleep at night content that what I do, does actually make a difference. Not just a cog in a very big machine.
Right or wrong, who knows, but as so many people have said before, I truly believe one has to follow your heart and soul and not the paycheck.
If you want to get ahead at anything… whether it’s graphic design or anything you do… you need to continually update, improve, your skills. If you think you know everything about your job, you are wrong. There is always something more to learn. As far as design goes, you either love it and it is a part of who you are or you weren’t meant for the design world… and that’s OK… Go seek your passion and enjoy life. Life is short. Be happy.
I think this may be due to the fact that you have been working for all these years and simply got tired of it. Doing same things all over and over again.
“Couldn’t or didn’t want to keep up with new technology.” – Either way, to keep up with everything happening around these days is almost impossible. Bottom line – seek other opportunities and enjoy life :)
Graphic design is not computer programming, I went from print design to web design and even though I’ve been doing web design for about ten years, every few years one has to learn new web languages, CMS systems, ecommerce programming etc etc and it has zilch to do with design and requires a completely different skillset.
There is no money in graphic design anymore unfortunately, especially with sites like elance and odesk where people in other countries are willing to work for 5 dollars an hour. I work freelance otherwise I wouldn’t make any money since most companies pay so little or are looking for students and interns.
Between being an admin assistant and being a graphic designer, the pay is about the same now, and being an admin assistant is way easier. And even though I’ve been in the biz for over 20 years, and all the work I’ve done, none of it is what I think is “great design” because clients ALWAYS compromise good design. I’ve only ever had a handful of clients that don’t get in the way and appreciate good design, the rest of them wreck anything good.
Yep, that’s the point. And that’s what bothers me big time. Most of the clients does not deserve good designs. There is too much interference. They give too many opinions based on what they THINK. They don’t have technical knowledge about design and we do, after all, we are being payed for that. Or at least we were…
I’m leaving the design world too. Sad, but the low payments (less than I need to afford a simple life for my family and myself) and the lack of confidence of the clients with my work left me with no options.
I’m surprised by the comments about low pay. I actually left another career to work as a designer full-time. I’ll admit I’m not the best designer out there, and I don’t always keep up on the technology or the trends. However, I’m in the Chicago area and have plenty of work – both print and web – and as for pay, can’t complain at all… this gig has been good to my family.
My situation is a little bit different. I went to school for graphic design, but never really got my foot in the door so I basically gave up. I was thinking about going back to school to learn IT or polish up my web design skills but I have neither the time nor the money.
I understand your story very much as few years ago I was thinking of leaving the design industry and switching to something else. The reason was the lack of creativity and a bad feeling when comparing my work to amazing designs from others graphic designers.
If you felt like you did not fit into a design world, you made a good choice, as I am sure you can fit yourself somewhere else and enjoy it.
Thanks for sharing your story!
I would LOVE nothing more than to leave the design world behind. I won’t stop designing, as I love designing for myself. It’s very convenient for many things. I’ve seen and heard it all. I’ve worked for a couple of very large corporations. Nothing but nepotism, micromanaging, stress, undermining and the list goes on and on. I went to school for design because I thought it would be a very creative and lucrative career. I tried it for over 12 years and I was very wrong. I’m having trouble trying to sort out what my next career or job should be. Even photographers are going through trouble now with everybody owning a point and shoot, thinking that they are now brilliant photographers. I see the frustration here and I can relate. Designers truly are underappreciated and taken advantage of. If you’re a designer and you disagree and are happy, then good for you! I’ve HAD ENOUGH! No more health issues from stress and sitting down for hours at a time. Look at all of the ads for hire. They all want experience from A to Z, but will only pay so much. I know it sounds like I’m complaining, but I am just being honest and getting it off of my chest.
I’m sorry to hear that design hasn’t met your career expectations and you’ve decided to change paths. I agree that there can be a lack of creativity if you’re working for somebody that tells you EXACTLY what they want. Ultimately, why do clients come to graphic designers if they know what they want already? Aren’t we supposed to be the creative types? I guess they still come to us because they don’t understand the process to get to their desired outcome. I wish that balance would shift back so creatives could still be creative.
I’m currently running a gift card design business and doing quite well for myself financially. While I don’t get to express as much creativity as I would like, I do get to flex the creative side of my brain every now and then. At this point in time, that is enough for me.
Best of luck on your future endeavors.
I have been a graphic designer for the last 14 years, running my own small agency for the last 7 and must admit to being totally disillusioned with the industry, I totally relate to all the points that you guys have mentioned. It does seem to be that after 14 years designers throw the towel over the mac and move on. How many designers to you know that are still working in their 50-60’s ?
Big hugs to you guys! we should start a revolution!!!
People who opt out of the design profession for the reason that they didn’t want to keep up with the new technology will face tough challenges if they stay back. A career in design is all about passion and nothing else.. Good Luck!
+1 Sara!
I also left the design. The reason is simple as most designers – I can not be completely devoted to his work, because my customers are asked to do what I do not like – to use other colors, the other lines. In the end, I see what has turned out very ugly job that does not like me, but I like the customer.
My reasons for leaving design:
- My primary passion: illustration;
- Clients always changing stuff after i ran through a complete briefing stating my reasons why my work WILL accomplish what the clients need;
- The pay is a piece of crap;
- I worked on it for 8 years;
- When i learn a new software, it became obsolete already;
- It was taking my life away…changed my personality for something i wasnt;
- My overwork brought me personal and familiar problems;
- I work for living, not living for work;
- Although i set work hours, clients never stopped calling after my working schedule;
- I got bored of explaining things to clients who think i make “drawings and pretty things”;
- Design hasn’t got any credibility here in Portugal…i mean, im not gonna teach a doctor how to treat me;
- I didnt have any time for myself even and many times couldnt lunch or dinner and when i did it was in a rush.
So i said STOP. Now if off to other things. I prefer to work as a clerk and leave for my life in time then spending sleepless nights caring for costumers that do not care or respect my work. Don’t get me wrong, without modesty, i’m good at design…but like i said, i want to live and have a decent regular life.
‘The pay is a piece of crap’
‘It was taking my life away’
‘clients never stopped calling after my working schedule’
‘taking my life away’
‘Design hasn’t got any credibility’
I’m sorry bud those excuses are a crock and are pretty much down to you.
Be empowered. Be strong. Lead your clients not the other way around. Set your rates higher – if they don’t want to pay let them go elsewhere.
Not since the industrial revolution has technology & design had more credibility, unbelievable. Seriously move away from Portugal. Some of the comments posted on here seem to want to feed on sympathy. It’s all there for the taking – join the revolution!
peace x
I’m sorry but I hear and read these time and time again
I like your thought but I have to disagree”– if they don’t want to pay let them go elsewhere.” A sad reality is our client can just go online get the job done without paying a designer(or many client paying for only one template).
There are two things making designers to quit their job: Firstly, as you said the revolution in technology – not much in Art & Design; human aesthetics doesn’t evolved that much as we still appreciate certain forms and colours regardless it’s 2D or 3D :-). Techonology has allowed someone who have no idea about design to create a pieace of pleasant work. I am not saying nowadays designer worth nothing but definitely worth less than the era without Photoshop and all those online templates.
Second thing is – still technology. When one designer with a computer can deliver five people’s job both for online and for print why on earth the society still need that many designers?
But if you have the power to influence your clients and happy of what you are doing, then yes, designer is a excellent job to enjoy all the creativity and self self fulfillment.
Matt i never and i mean NEVER speak without backup and experience about subjects. My years in design taught me that. The reasons you call “crock” are more than plausible here but i won’t discuss that again. I do intend to leave Portugal when i have the economic power for it. If you dont believe how design is a really low job here, come and work on Portugal then you’ll see.
I have been studying graphic design to what seems to be forever. Through the years, I have noticed a change in technology but one thing that remains the same is the you must never stop changing with it. If you truly love art and design, it is something that you can never say, I’m done with. Because it is a part of you first. As long as I have been in school, I thought I would have had a job by now and yes the it is beginning to weigh heavy on me. But despite all odds, I must not give up, I must keep pushing forth and hold my head high.
I have been an art director and designer for almost 30 years and done a lot of great creative…. made good bucks and had a blast doing it. But… in the last 7 years it seems like the field has changed drastically and I can understand why people want to bolt.
Here is an ad for a designer position that I just came upon on craigslist…
“Seeking an experienced graphic designer to help intermittently in designing signage, flyers, and social media tools for a growing cupcake brand. Must be determined, ambitious, creative, and innovative! Please have a love of cupcakes, technology, and idea-making. Submit portfolio and we’ll contact you to discuss details. This is a non-paid position to start with the opportunity to grow into a paid position as the company expands. Perks such as cupcakes, snacks, and the occasional party will be granted. We’re building a team and we want you to join us! ”
So like WTF… they want to pay us in cupcakes now? Think I can go to their
“cup cake shop” and get $5,000 worth of free cupcakes and maybe if I like them enough,
or get money in the future I’ll pay them?
LOL! Thanks for the laugh.
Yeah, I’m a designer since ‘90. Should be working, but my creativity needed a boost, and came across this…
The industry has changed drastically. There’s much more competition. The level of design in general has improved so it’s more of a challenge to come up with a creative, unusual concept. My prices have not been raised since in the last 5 years. If you’re too expensive, hey, there are talented newcomers who can do something decent for less. Many clients are not discerning enough to appreciate the difference. As for client relationships built over decades? At the end of the day, clients do what works for them. Sometimes they’d rather hire newer in-house designers rather than outsource on a steady basis.
I was freelancing for 2 years after I finish college. I was making low-pay looking for clients and understand the market of the artist world. I am the first in my college to major 2 different options: Multimedia and Photography. I wanted both and doing both I had to learn 2 side of business. Multimedia connected me with the graphic work + web work and Photography connected me with the light world and learning how to become an art director… but now I am full-position as a web-designer and graphic-designer. Having both skills made me realized the bigger pay and the options I can do. We can apply for Art-directors, Graphic-designers, Web-designers, and other lead artist. Art is my passion and feel good to get paid well.. Each year I Have to rebuild my website from TABLES,PSD, and now CSS/HTML5. To be in the game we have to learn the trend, the bigger the trend + skills a company will want you and pay you a lot of money.. I Have 3 agencies on my side if I ever get fired or layout. Only 10 people that I walk the stage in college have an art- position.. is hard folks and just pray :)