The Economy and Our Jobs
- Started
- Last post
- 88 Responses
- craighooper
I was going to post this as a response to the most recent "Layoffs" PV thread, but I figured I would start a new one...
Yes, this economy is bad, and sadly, forecasts from almost all leading economists are predicting it to get even worse, and remain w/ us for the forceable future.
How will this affect the interaction design and new media fields? Well, to start, it will. How badly is impossible to predict...
Large agencies will shed numbers, that is a guarantee. They will have little choice in the matter. If they want to survive, they will have to trim costs, and cut dead-weight. I think we could even see some agencies cease-to-exist—companies that most of us would never have dreamed would go under. The bigger you are, the bigger your clients. It's common sense. Big agencies hold big accounts, for big brands. The big brands are the one's that are going to be hit very, very hard. You have GM, or any of these shaky financial institutions on your roster—it is going to spell trouble.
Some of you are going to be looking for new positions, and sadly, there will be very few new openings to be filled—but 1 thing that is going to happen, and NEEDS to happen, is the eventual shedding of much of this half-baked talent. There is simply way to much of it out there right now—designers w/ jobs in large companies, 'churning-out terrible work. We see it every day. Hopefully, new media (let's just call it that for now) will evolve out of this current economic mess—hopefully some of the weaker links pack-it-in, and decide to try their hand at something else, leaving the true talent to rise-above and shine. Too many people have a copy of Dreamweaver, Flash, and Photoshop—and it shows. The results are everywhere. Picture the auto industry if everyone had the tools to build a working car? Exactly...
So, in summary, this is going to suck, many will loose jobs—but the true talent—the devoted and passionate, the people w/ the great ideas and skills—will steer the industry into the promised land...
- mistermik0
the economy is on shaky ground?
- doesnotexist0
ahhh the promised land, here I come
- In the promised land software is free, there are no timelines and you get a new macbook pro every 12 months.eryx
- Horp0
This is what I've been saying all along too. It will ultimately be good for the industry. That's not the same as being good for the individual of course, but this industry is too bloated out with too many bods which grinds the fee structure into dust.
It needs to become the niche industry it once was, when the only way you could work in it was because you had grafted hard to learn the skills.
- Stop living in the past old timermike_litoris
- yes why not; i like this idea of "having the skills"creez
- jamble0
Lets discuss the possibility that many companies may need to expand their online activities to attract new customers in order to maintian their revenue levels which would ultimately lead to increase in demand for people who have a copy of dreamweaver and photoshop?
- hallelujah0
the entire world economy and all the goods and jobs within are like the colorful packages on your shelves, all of which contain a few tablespoons of colorless flakes in a glassine bag. all the rest is marketing and illusion. when the shakeout is finally finished, and all the world stands revealed as empty promise, all of us will be affected, talented or not
- hehe, that's the most intelligent/poetic thing i read you say. You should talk more!Khurram
- you didn't think I was intelligent before? how dare you!hallelujah
- just kidding--I'm an idiothallelujah
- no no. I did. U just stuck to amusing 1 sentence comments. Who is the REAL rand i ask u??Khurram
- u're old enuff to be my father Paul. I would never disrespect you like that.Khurram
- lolhallelujah
- Khurram0
Couple of points.
First off, you lot are freaking yourselves out. The number of redundancies are not as high as this website suggests. It's the vocal MINORITY who are piping up making you think the shit has turned to dust.
I wonder if you had a thread "I'm really busy with work!" how many people you'd get. But thats matter of fact stuff. But don't let the threads distort the bigger picture.
Second of all, in an ideal world yeah, wheat from the chaff would be great. But this is fucking capitalism, lol, shit does not work like that.
People with 10 years experience in the industry and wealth of credentials are as much up for the chop as anyone else. When corporations are chopping entire teams, outsourcing and rejigging - they look for productivity and return, which is RARELY concomittant with innovation and talent.
So fear one and fear all, and get a grip at the same time!
*mwahahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaa...
- 10 years experience: higher salary, first to gohallelujah
- concomitant – nice word! i agree with your post exactly._salisae_
- yeah but the generation y people have access to so much information, art, culture etc. and then have blogs to communicate what sucks and is good. this is all faily new - hence marketers really need young talent cause those young talented people know exactly what their friends want and how to get to these kids with discretionary through innovative design.
39steps
- OSFA0
- Khurram0
interesting though, how we all have an inherent belief in the "just world system", that only the worthy thrive, even in times of crises.
- this belief tends to last as long as we thrivehallelujah
- studderine0
im quite busy here...the last few months of this quarter are supposed to be light.
- JazX0
If you support a Marketing group, chances are most companies will cut jobs there first. That's the reality of it.
- hallelujah0
yesterday we had a client meeting in a cafe on the second floor of a high end department store. We were there for over two hours and didn't see a single customer the entire time--just nervous hovering salespeople and management everywhere
- lowimpakt0
i think the racists should be first to go. followed by the dickheads.
- I'm safe on the first count, but on the second, I don't knowhallelujah
- Get rid off the dickheads first because the racists will more than likely be in that group. More efficient that way.voiceof
- The two are mutually exclusive?gramme
- Khurram0
^ On the plus sides, those of us like me who just got a raise AND an inflationary increase (thanks to my union, *mwah!) - can cash in on the massive discounts and bargains sweeping the high street!
$$$$$$$$
- unless you want to bank it against further layoffshallelujah
- I've got more than year's income in the bank and I'm still cutting back on spendinghallelujah
- oh i have ZERO savnigs. Pleeeze, no one wud sack one as pretty as I. C'mon!! Good times!!!Khurram
- you're as happy as ronnie regan!hallelujah
- Horp0
the entire world economy and all the goods and jobs within are like the colorful packages on your shelves, all of which contain a few tablespoons of colorless flakes in a glassine bag. all the rest is marketing and illusion. when the shakeout is finally finished, and all the world stands revealed as empty promise, all of us will be left free of the illusion, and life can finally return to a more certain footing, where we don't all invent useless doodads, manufacture useless doodads, package useless doodads, market useless doodads, retail useless doodads, all of which sit on the shelves like colourful little promises of life enrichment, enhancement and fulfillment, but ultimately bind us to the financial system through a program of aspiring to be materially better off and so constantly living beyond our means.
Globalisation is a failure. Village economy will return.
- and outdoor toiletshallelujah
- Be happy peasants.Horp
- Come, let us build a latrine.Horp
- Does this mean the village people will return?...babaganush
- let us weave some gerkinshallelujah
- this is how i've tried maintain my life so i will fit in just fine. viva la Thoreau!_salisae_
- the real test will be if i can bare the whining fits coming from the consumptive patient's ward._salisae_
- bare as much as you want!hallelujah
- lowimpakt0
the interesting potential impact of a recession in the manufacturing sector is the potential for new spin-out and emergent businesses. i.e. all the talent tied up in one corporate structure can be spread out to lots of new ventures.
I'm not sure if the smoke and mirrors sectors in design have the same potential??
- Khurram0
oh it's going to be a happy xmas at my household i tell thee! Wait... i better inform everyone!!
- Bluejam0
Recessionary design: A boom time for creative energy
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008…
