Global Recession/Depression & Designers
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- Llyod
How do you think a major economic downturn will effect designers? Will the shit designers get shaken out while the top flight ones be forced to take low salaries? How will this change design as a whole?
- jfletcher0
Thus far I haven't seen good designers taking a lower salary... actually I've been seeing good designers make out really well. It make shake out the ones who make tendy pieces of art.
There aren't many good designers around, compared to developers, testers, printers, etc... so as companies begin to realize design is an important asset to revenue, they want to get good ones... thus salarys aren't really dropping (from what I've seen). In the event of continued slow down, people will still use design to differentiate and sell products.
So in short, if you're a good designer who understands business and design, you're set.
- How do you think bad spellers will fare? =°0MrOneHundred
- yeah, I never spell check. Thank god for Google and Word.jfletcher
- Safari has a spellcheck with suggestions. I can just mash the keyboard and still look good.MrOneHundred
- Not true at all: no one is "set", regardless of design skills. If this house of cards drops in the US, you better say a prayercraighooper
- _salisae_0
freelance has become a much better option for employers, which affects me quite well.
- Listen to that new-found confidence! That’s what I’m talking about.MrOneHundred
- lol .. we'll see how long it lasts_salisae_
- Llyod0
Consumer confidence is down. At some point people will be buying less. I'm not sure if there will be more advertising, cheaper web. This could be a boon for interactive houses.
- yes, shit designers like you should be scared, very scaredLloydscunt
- utopian0
I really hope that the current recession really weeds out all the weak and feeble minded so called designers once and for all. There are one too many extremely bad designers in the marketplace diluting both saleries and jobs.
- Me too. That would be a bad time to find out I am one of the weak and feeble-minded, though.MrOneHundred
- hahaGucci
- me too.... might go on the dole just for the sake of it! lolCopey
- oh fuck... I ain't got prestige as Diplo... Without design, I'm gonna have to become Mobile DJkushman
- jfletcher0
utopian - While I agree, I also worry the opposite... [crappy] companies will spend less on design, feeding the bottom. Good companies will still spend money, but I wonder about the potential divide it would create.
- utopian0
I am also observing a need for quality freelancers from companies unable to afford hiring new designers as well as companies eliminating complete design teams and departments. This will more than likely be a great marketplace for the freelancers, if freelancers can position themselves and market their work well.
I should probably stop criticizing all of the vast number of designers that are using templated, blogs or indexhibit.org website designs to showcase their work. They will certainly help me get more work and also help differentiating me in the current marketplace.
- jfletcher0
I use a template blog :) I could change it, but like most of us, I have a real job that takes most of my time... and the rest of my time I'm here...
If I were a freelancer and used that blog to get clients, I'd update it with a customer look.
- boobs0
If you already got it, it won't hurt you. It's the strivers that will be sucked under.
- acescence0
maybe south america, but cultural and language differences are too great for it to go to china
- OBBTKN0
I realized agencies are retaining the most "talented" ones in house and subcontracting via freelance a lot. Then, if you´re a hard working guy, and have got the neccesary know-how, your agency is going to mantain, and take care of you.... and if ypu´ve got time to freelancing, now, it´s the time to do some cash.
^ Acescence: most probably, us is going to steal to uk designers, but ball is back to euro when lisbon or bcn cheap designers get the job ;))
- monNom0
I think the OP pretty much nailed it. Fewer jobs = no jobs for the inexperienced or untalented. Low or negative job growth will impact real wages, though it may be inflation rather than pay cuts that do it.
I'm not sure freelancers are going to make out like bandits either. Marketing budgets are first to get axed when earnings dry up. (read: both firms and solo will be hurting) Combine that with a steady supply of new freelancers due to layoffs and you've got a lot of competition keeping prices down.
- studderine0
moreover, i wonder what influence this would have on ux and ia professionals.
- calling those bastards 'professionals' is a bit of a stretch....
=PmonNom - eh?studderine
- hahaukit
- calling those bastards 'professionals' is a bit of a stretch....
- ukit0
it remains to be seen how bad the economic outlook really will be. There's a big difference between a 2001-2002 style bump in the road and a massive global economic crisis as the thread title suggests. Just remember to spend those $600 checks smartly - stimulate something, gdammit!:D
- ********0
A deadly bump.
- janne760
Nothing will affect you as long as you are independent and find your own ways to survive..
- I live in a cave, grow my own food, and hunt with a spear.designbot
- Not true at all. Just wait...craighooper
- fucking fatalists...
kushman - fatalists are simply retarded, just like those apocalypse worshippers, they're cowardsjanne76
- Iggyboo0
Come on its already affecting all of us. Stop talking about it and do something about it.