Last week was a fascinating trip to the past and look at the future, as I had the privilege of giving a talk at NAIT! I was in their Graphic Communications program, and my instructors wanted an alumni to come in and speak to the students about their time in the industry. It was a really great experience, and I loved sharing a bit of insight — and hopefully encouragement — on what a graphic design career is like. Also speaking was Brad Clark, an expert on printing and prepress who helped me properly set up many tricky print designs in my early years.
For my talk the students were encouraged to jump in with questions at any time, and it was interesting to note what they really cared about. While I could speak on working at a marketing company and publishing company, the students were by far most interested in my freelance business. After mentioning this to another friend who freelances, we’re wondering if this is a Millenial thing — this generation is more interested in striking out on their own than working for a company. Without bumming them out I tried to say that going into freelance straight out of school would be kind of brutal.
Preparing for the talk had me doing a lot of reflection. For one thing, I’m more appreciative of my earlier experiences and that there was room and grace for screw-ups at my first job. But I also made a few observations on what’s changed about the industry over the last 10 years, and what hasn’t.
What’s Changed…
- Graphic design as a product, not a service. You can buy the files for a pre-made logo or web design, and while it won’t meet all your needs, maybe it’ll be good enough. This was not always a thing! Graphic design used to be a service only, and you consulted with someone to get just the right product.
- Critical thinking has become…critical. Because people can buy design as a product, it’s no longer good enough that a graphic designer can assemble shapes into an appealing visual. That can be outsourced now. To succeed in the business designers must think about how to make the audience feel and do something. In the past this might have been the job of the Art Director, but most companies don’t have those. And when you hire me, only part of what you’re paying is going toward my ability to make a pretty picture! To find out what else you’re paying for, you’ll have to read my post about it, heh.
What Hasn’t Changed…
- Educating people about the value of your service. Sadly, designers and other creatives get asked to work for dirt cheap or free with alarming frequency. Personally, the mindset I encounter is that creativity=fun, and therefore your job is always fun. But creativity is a kind of work mode, and it’s only a part of what we offer.
- There’s still a need for print design! What?? Ten years ago people thought a paperless world was right around the corner, but it hasn’t arrived yet. We’re getting there, but it’s an even slower process than we imagined.
- Everybody’s writing a children’s book. You know who you are, my lovelies. And who wouldn’t want to write a kids’ book! I’ve just noticed that it seems to be on everyone’s bucket list.