Avoid design if possible
I just came across the following article on Design week. I think you have to be a member to read the article so I’m going to copy&paste it here: [Industry heavyweight Ian Cochrane is recommending design students to ‘get out’ of the sector, which ‘does not need you’, as the recession bites. Cochrane is managing director of management consultancy Ticegroup and former managing director of both Fitch and Landor Europe. Cochrane tells Design Week, ‘There are still too many people coming out of design courses, and there simply aren’t the jobs for them.’He recommends that students enter alternative occupations and gain experience outside the design sector. ‘Look for jobs in industries that have vacancies – I mean, if you want to design restaurants, it is good to have worked in one or two,’ he says. Branding guru Michael Peters concurs, saying, ‘There is too big a supply of young designers and far too many people doing mediocre work.’ According to recent figures published by the Office for National Statistics, every sector of the economy recorded a fall in vacancies last quarter. Chartered Institute of Personnel chief economist Dr John Philpott says, ‘This looks to be a jobs recession that is favouring the over-50s ahead of younger people. This may be because employers are implementing recruitment freezes more widely than in previous recessions, which disproportionately hits people entering the labour market.’] Can you say OMG? It’s a horrible time to make such a pessimistic statement drowning in discouragement! *jaw drops open* The recession won’t last forever and advising possible future brilliant designers to give up is a horrible thing to do! What would we do without young, enthusiastic designers who have fresh and insightful ideas to share. We should nurture our young talents so that when the recession is over, the creative industry can boom into action! What do you guys think? Should we discourage new design students because the economy stinks?
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I cant really see any young designer taking this seriously. If someone is passionate enough they’ll carry on regardless, but you’re right – to discourage even the ‘mediocre’ designers is hardly fair.
As a recent design graduate I’ve had first hand experience of the problems facing young designers. I was fortunate enough to get a job before I’d finished my degree but a lot of people that were on my course are really struggling.
I would estimate that less than a quarter of my class are gainfully employed as full time designers.
Some have had placements and been told that they won’t be kept on due to the credit crunch. Some have been strung along on placements working for buttons yet doing the job of a full time designer and others have been knocking on doors for months with no luck. On top of that the next batch of grad’s are about to be unleashed.
So this summer will be a really really tough time for the majority of young designers. I wouldn’t advise giving up but the rent has to be paid somehow.
If there are design student who are affected by Cochrane’s statement to get out because of the economy to the extent that they leave, then perhaps that’s a good thing. Call me an idealist, but if they really want to be a designer, they shouldn’t be affected by other people’s opinions, regardless of the times.
We need more stubborn designers who are unfretted by what other people say or write. Those are the design students who should and will stay.
This recession will weed out, clean up shop, and hopefully improve many of the plaguing problems of our world. I have often thought about the big increase in young people pursuing design. To be quite honest, design often times is a luxurious practice. The sudden overflow of young designers, to me, came at a time and generation of excess. If the past years had been hard times, not everyone could’ve afforded the lofty pursuit of design.
So, I’ll be the devil’s advocate and say that maybe this recession will make people reconsider and put their energies towards other things. Our creative energy and thinking can be applied elsewhere than corporate logos and branding. Discouragement, on this scale, is unhealthy, but reality does have to set it sometime. But creative thinking can be used in any profession.
Maybe this will also force designers to reconsider where their efforts are being put. I hope that a creative energy grows that encourages designers to put their efforts towards ideas that really can impact the world in ways other than visual noise.
I’m rambling a bit, but I think this recession can be cause for revolution. I’m thinking back towards studios like Super Studio, and Archigram and other ‘movements’ that thrived in hard times.
the recession is a time for realism. negative thought is not usually helpful but this recession is forcing people to more honestly reflect on the choices that they’re making (at least i hope). the design profession is great, but only if you have passion and will. graphic design has become trendy and overly accessible and has lead to a decrease in the quality of mainstream design, so perhaps this economic depression, will in fact clean things up.
i think the recession will make for some interesting (and yes difficult) times where we will have to push our creativity and find ways stay inspired.
in the end i think graphic designers are versatile and can contribute their creativity to other fields.
I have to agree with most of the comments already. In times like this I think it is wise to know the circumstances and not be naive. However if there’s a will, there’s a way… as they say. What I worry most about is quite the opposite of cleaning up shop and sorting out the mundane. I feel that it is almost more apparent that mediocrity is out there and that it comes with a cheaper price tag. With that said, and hopefully not all that pessimistic I feel like this article wont deter those that are truly in it for the right reasons.
Mac actually does the opposite. Instead of downsizing and cutting back on R&D they hire more creative talent, and put a huge portion of their budget into R&D so that when things get back to normal they are way ahead of the game.
I think the iPod came out right after the doc com crash. who knows what will happen this time.
If by Mac, you mean Apple, yes, they certainly are not at a hiring freeze or downsizing condition. But it’s less a matter of philosophy, but more so a statement of their financial condition – which is very good, and not many companies can say the same for themselves. While a lot of companies are forced to slim down, Apple is certainly looking to recruit the best of the unemployed.
As for the larger issue at hand, I agree completely with Dr. Chae. Design is a luxury in a culture of excess, especially in recent years in being increasingly trendy. The bad and mediocre will get cut. You won’t have to divert design students from the field when the realities of the economy will slam everything for real very soon.
I don’t think we’ve seen the worst of it, guys. We’ve just hit record low unemployment rates around the world, and millions of more jobs are projected to disappear this year. The US and UK are watching bailouts left and right. Iceland has imploded. I think our mindsets, culturally and socially, are still buzzed from the good times of the past decade or two. Reality will set in.
With that said, design will certainly survive, obviously. Who knows – years from now, we may even see this credit crunch as a blessing for the industry. Since culture has always been the a byproduct of the social/economic/political goings-on, maybe this economic downturn will force some kind of real re-evaluation towards a more purposeful and meaningful use and thought about design.
Discouraging Design…
I find it rather ironic that so many well-established designers are so adamant in saying there should be less designers in the industry (particularly one Mr. Michael Peters, who complains about there being too many designers doing mediocre work) becaus…
As a student, I can say that 70% of the design students are going to be less then mediocore designers. I think that the recession will not stop the good designers from getting a job, and if it will prevent the majority of average designers of being designers – all the better.
I find it elitist, pessimistic and very narrow minded.
These types of comments are said by these heads because they are the ones who have to pay the young designers who are looking for ‘jobs’. A young designer should be looking for a venue not a job. A vehicle for their skills. And believe me there are plenty.
I also find it highly ironic that the first thing after that post on Design Week is a list of “Related Jobs”.
Now, lets stop worrying.
At first glance I agreed with Mr.Cochran’s comments. I’m a recent graduate currently working on placements & freelance and I know for a fact that 85% of the people who were on my course weren’t passionate enough to pursue this career to the extent that myself and a few others I know have (sleeping on floors, eating badly etc etc).
Those of us who are in this for the long haul will persevere regardless of anyone’s comments, whether it be from those in the industry or general economic correspondents telling us that we won’t find work.
The comment about “wanting to work in restaurant design..” however, I found to be highly condescending and hope that if I ever get the opportunity to be in a position of influence in the design industry, I will encourage people to pursue doing what they love rather than passing unhelpful and needlessly patronising comments.
Ultimately people who want to do design will continue to do so regardless of who says it. If that individual is passionate enough about it, they will see their dreams through. Those who aren’t will finally find their own voice and move onto other things.
This is actually my second economic crisis as graphic designer. In my opinion these times definitely weed out the week, which I do think is healthy for any profession because it usually leads to innovation and better things on the horizon. This process is the natural order of things.
And remember folks what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.
darwin says it the best…it’s all about survival of the fittest!