Designersaur
New Member
Anybody got any suggestions for an new career for a designer who's been in this industry for 20 years & is sick to death with it?
Alternative career
- Thread starter Designersaur
- Start date
Katedesign
Well-Known Member
Plumber - they always seem to have work. Builders seem quite busy too. Painter & decorator?
I would seem to be advising get a trade!
If you are male junior school teaching is always a good bet. You generally rise to Deputy head/Head fairly quickly. . . design/art teacher in secondary school. . .
I would seem to be advising get a trade!
If you are male junior school teaching is always a good bet. You generally rise to Deputy head/Head fairly quickly. . . design/art teacher in secondary school. . .
Rock Star, Footballer, Racing Car Driver :icon_rolleyes:
YOURFLYERS
New Member
Stick at it mate! Things can get hard but everything will be ok in the end if you work hard!
Katedesign
Well-Known Member
If he's been in the business for 20 years he'll be to old for those!!
Good looking? Film star.
Designersaur
New Member
Too old for that too!!!
Not a very positive 1st post I'll admit, but since computers have taken over everyone who can click a mouse seems to be an expert! I'm having an ongoing battle with a marketing manager who hates white space & wants to fill every available space with crap, he even suggested bomb burst the other day!
I just wonder why I bother, the job I use to love has lost it's shine.
Katedesign
Well-Known Member
Morgan Freeman came to prominence in his 50s. . . there is always hope!
Stick at it, grit your teeth, recognise that this marketing manager is an idiot and keep bu**ering on (as Winston Churchill used to say).
You could try doing a bargain/deal with the idiot and suggest that the company puts out one leafet/advert/brochure with your design, monitors the response and if it is a worse response to HIS ideas then you will bow to his superior knowledge and never question his ideas. Then cross your fingers and hope that your version works better than his! Could be risky but might be worth a punt!! As he is the Marketing Manager he should be measuring response to advertising. . . so it might pull him up anyway!
Stick at it, grit your teeth, recognise that this marketing manager is an idiot and keep bu**ering on (as Winston Churchill used to say).
You could try doing a bargain/deal with the idiot and suggest that the company puts out one leafet/advert/brochure with your design, monitors the response and if it is a worse response to HIS ideas then you will bow to his superior knowledge and never question his ideas. Then cross your fingers and hope that your version works better than his! Could be risky but might be worth a punt!! As he is the Marketing Manager he should be measuring response to advertising. . . so it might pull him up anyway!
dedwardp
Member
Perhaps the same job but for a new company? Sounds like the marketing manager's 'advice' is getting to you, but if you were somewhere else with different people then would that help perhaps?
Find somewhere where it's an environment you feel you fit in with better and where maybe the ethos suits you and you could be happier without having to throw away the design - reignite your love!
Alternatively, a good, hard punch in the face never hurt anyone (wink!).
Katedesign
Well-Known Member
Yep - when he gets the job with the new company. . . a parting gift!!
Designersaur
New Member
Don't think I haven't thought of that!:icon_biggrin:
To be honest he's the straw that broke the camels back. I got made redundant 3 years ago & it's been downhill since then. Ended working for a total tosspot, left there & now I'm working as a glorified artworker for a trade magazine. Applied for loads of jobs & didn't even get any replies, maybe it's an age thing A 40+ designer isn't with it anymore", or there are too many people going for too few jobs, or maybe I'm just crap. Either way I;ve had it.
Sorry I'm in a major rant mode this week. Deep breath think positive, now where's that wine?
Designersaur
New Member
I've given it serious thought & I have done the odd bit of freelance recently. I'm not sure if the current financial climate is the right time to go it alone, I'm going to have to do something soon before they cart me off in a van in a straitjacket.
Paul Murray
Ultimate Member
Why not try working in a different medium and creating a unique style for yourself that you can market?
I love designers like Martin O'Neil because of his low tech appraoch to creating designs and illustrations and am also a fan of Jesse Draxler.
I love designers like Martin O'Neil because of his low tech appraoch to creating designs and illustrations and am also a fan of Jesse Draxler.
Rob Edwards
New Member
I understand.
I noticed in about 1990 that the mouse clickers were invading and by 1994 the studio as I had come to know it was gone and the career I loved was dead, drowned in a sea of wavy type, weighed down by the twin horrors of Freehand and Adobe. Whither the typography of my youth; kerning is now letter-spacing ugh!
The children here don't understand but then why should they? They are the technology natives and they're too young, dumb and full of cum to care.
I finally gave up in 2003 then went to Business School in 2004 for an Executive Masters Degree in Business Administration and after graduating became a business broker, which I remain. I do still paint occasionally.
I did an MBA because I'd always run businesses, either my own or for other people and while I was a supremely confident designer I had no formal understanding of business, specifically how to grow and plan for growth; I also suspected (correctly it turns out) that corporate clients were laughing at me and my colleagues behind our backs and I wanted answers.
What else are you interested in? Do whatever that is but if graphic design is your true love then find a way to do it on your terms.
If you're rich its easy to change but if not... let's face it there hasn't been money in graphic design since the Mac took over.
I have been considering lately that a design partnership or affiliation of those who learned using pencils, typescales and markers should be launched, where thought, ideas and rationale matter more than presentation and tell clients no! There's so much crap out there in the world of Brand that a protestant attitude might bring benefit.
Designersaur
New Member
If you're rich its easy to change but if not... let's face it there hasn't been money in graphic design since the Mac took over.
So true, it's this that has made me question why I do this job. Especially when I'm not enjoying it anymore.
A mate sent me this a while ago, you've all probably already seen it, but it sums it up perfectly!
YouTube - Graphic Designer vs client
So true, it's this that has made me question why I do this job. Especially when I'm not enjoying it anymore.
A mate sent me this a while ago, you've all probably already seen it, but it sums it up perfectly!
YouTube - Graphic Designer vs client
Kolorco
New Member
As a printer, we work wth a number of freelancers or designers who work from home and most of them seem to be doing okay, and have been trading for a number of years now. All I can suggest is you give it ago.
Good luck in what ever you choose to do
Noel
I've only just joined here, and it's funny that I've come across this thread. I'm saving very hard to go on a plumbing course as I can't imagine this profession will see me in to retirement.
I've been very lucky to gain various employment over the last 20 years or so but with each redundancy it gets harder to compete with the younger and better qualified designers.
I've been very lucky to gain various employment over the last 20 years or so but with each redundancy it gets harder to compete with the younger and better qualified designers.
Designersaur
New Member
Your story sounds very familiar, I've been made redundant twice now and every time I've had to take a cut in pay to stay in the industry. After I left my last job I applied for 70 positions, out of that I got 3 interviews. In the end I had to lower my expectations and apply for anything remotely involved in the industry.
Now I've gone from a Graphic Designer to a glorified page builder and earn just enough to cover the mortgage and bills, I'll probably be sweeping studio floors next time!:icon_cursing: