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Topic: Another lay off
| Author | Message |
| ConfidentDesigner | Posted – 10/7/2007 2:51:16 PM | show profile Allow me to rant, just for a minute... I work for a non profit and this week, in their infinite wisdom, decided to outsource the design and web development services, leaving several of us without jobs. I've no idea if the work is going to India (wouldn't surprise me) or is staying local, nor do I really care. I've had stellar performance reviews during my tenure there and they've got no gripe with my quality of work, apparently. It's all about money, I'm sure. Why pay $60K to somebody if they can outsource for $10/hour, right? After being in the design field 25+ years and throughout that time being laid off no leass than 3 times for the same reasons ($$$), I've decided to seriously consider going strictly freelance while I reconsider what to do with the second half of my life. It's beginning to look like most places, non profits included, think that good design can be done by some "machine" or "Mac Monkey", as I so fondly refer to them. The profession has become so eroded in its importance and the thought that just because someone has a software package, ANYONE can do design. Why pay someone what they're worth after all those years of award winning experience when you can get a 23-year-old intern that you're paying $10/hour to do the work? As I mentioned, I'm seriously considering changing careers entirely (ideas welcome!). To what, I've no idea but I'm sick and tired of being treated so shabbily by idiot managers that don't know the difference between good design and a cheesy laminated -by-Kinko's low resolution powerpoint presentation (oooo, ahhh, how sophisticated!!!). It's nauseating and quite frankly I'm happy to be gone from that place if that's what they consider "high design". The education for preparation for ithis profession that my parents paid dearly for, all the years of award-winning experience are apparently worth nothing. Yes, time for a change. A BIG change. How did these guys get to be in charge anyway? |
| anonymousdesigner | Posted – 10/8/2007 9:02:42 PM | show profile I feel your pain. Being the only designer where you work is, professionally speaking, lonely and frustrating. I also recognize the complete lack of respect designers get these days and how people don't seem to care about thoughtful design. I see job postings every day for graphic design positions paying as low as $8hr but requiring a high level of proficiency in Adobe software, MS Office and the ability to troubleshoot computer hardware (Mac and PC) AND customer service and office support and this was in Los Angeles where the average rent for a 1 bedroom apartment is $1200 per month. When did Graphic Design become so underappreciated and where did people get the idea having a Mac and some Adobe programs(or worse, Pro Publisher!) makes you a Graphic Designer? |
| ConfidentDesigner | Posted – 10/8/2007 11:46:00 PM | show profile anonymous: You've hot the nail on the head...and exactly what I've been saying for several years now. And do you think they actually KNOW the diff. between good design and crap? No way! that's why they're able to get away with this. When someone starts considering "high design" a PPT presentation, it's time to move on. Nauseating! |
| Words and Pictures | Posted – 10/10/2007 10:20:34 AM | show profile I didn't get laid off but quit, after our department got a new art director that decided the designers would now all be Quark monkeys, and he would take all the creative credit. I have now been looking for work for six months! I am in my mid 40s, and chose to do graphic design as a second career a few years back. I keep thinking I made a big mistake. I had naively thought that having a little maturity and experience, along with my production and conceptualizing skills would make me quite the asset, but noooooo. It's the whiz bang tech kids who grew up on the computer keyboard who are getting all the work. Who cares about concepts, right, if you can make something look nifty with a bunch of layers and effects? I have no answer for what to do next, ConfidentDesigner. But you are not alone! Best of luck to you! |
| cabaraba | Posted – 10/10/2007 1:13:19 PM | show profile I just want to speak out on behalf of a young designer who already feels the pain. I am not happy with the way the industry is turning: "I want that done yesterday, and for free." Just because I'm 23, it doesn't mean that I will take any job I can get. I am also not a trust-fund kid, or supported by my parents, so I simply cannot take jobs that do not respect true designers. I understand I have a lot to learn, and that it's competitive out there. BUT I feel pessimistic about the future hierarchy of graphic designers. It's either entry-level or Creative Director (which I hear is a dying breed). Maybe I should get out while I can... |
| ConfidentDesigner | Posted – 10/10/2007 2:37:48 PM | show profile Car: Not a bad idea. I have regrets about not persuing another avenue and I'm 51 now. Slightly late (mortgage, bills, kids, etc.) to change now! I am thinking there may be another option and that's to strictly freelance for awhile. Now, to get thos 3-4 steady clients...that's the first goal. |
| writesonwater | Posted – 10/11/2007 12:24:34 AM | show profile I noticed a disturbing trend, which is to use a good designer to "set things up" at a magazine(s), and then to go to Quark monkeys. THe problem is, as far as I can see, that design quickly or slowly but always eventually goes downhill. |
| ConfidentDesigner | Posted – 10/11/2007 11:47:23 AM | show profile Writes- Yes, that's what I'm offering to do...be the "good designer" and then split. |
| Words and Pictures | Posted – 10/12/2007 11:59:41 AM | show profile Hi Cabaraba, I didn't mean to dis you. I've worked with many designers your age who are not only talented, but also very professional. (Sadly, it's the jerky, smart-aleck, entitled ones that are remembered more!) I think it's tough out there for all us designers at all levels?although I keep hearing that there tons of jobs. Well, in a way there are, if you are willing to be the sole designer for a large group and know everything about both print and web, and work longs hours for low pay. There's paying your dues, and then there's getting taken advantage of. Good luck and don't let pessimistic fogies like me get you down! ;) |
| stripedcover | Posted – 10/12/2007 10:04:38 PM | show profile Is it time for a creative workers union? Just a thought. It just doesn't seem right that in the creative arena these companies can get away with this. And any intern that would take a job for $10 an hour is a complete idiot, not just for accepting $10 an hour but for agreeing to work for an unscrupulous employer. I just turned 31 and I'm not a designer -I work in fashion photography this sort of thing is also rampant with "interns" working 12-14 hour days for $8 on call seven days a week- but this should be a concern for anyone who works in a creative field. |
| ConfidentDesigner | Posted – 10/13/2007 6:09:05 PM | show profile The union thing has crossed my mind a lot lately. How hard though would it be to organize? Unions have no power in this country anymore, unfortunately. This bad behavior by companies and now non profits needs to be stopped. It's putting older, more qualified people against $8-10/hour know-nothings (except for the software!). It's downright nauseating and this has happened to me no less than 3 times in my lengthy career. I think it's time to call it quits and go freelance! |
| spring2007 | Posted – 10/14/2007 5:29:37 PM | show profile I'm going to have to second cabaraba. Every time I see a post about something negative happening in the industry, I know before I read it that somehow the young'uns are going to get blamed. My parents certainly are not supporting me, though they would if they could (come on, I still have college loans coming out of my you-know-where). I enjoy coming to boards like these to converse with others who are more experienced in my desired field, but after a while, I just don't want to read about how I am ruining the future of design anymore. I don't see how I could take away opportunities for more experienced designers, because people my age are never given the responsibility of upper-level employees. A coffee-making intern cannot put an art director out of a job. I'm sorry about the lack of appreciation for designers, seeing as I'm going to try to make a living out of it for the next handuful of decades. But I hope that wherever I work, the more experienced people aren't talking about how I'm ruining the industry and secretly hating me when I'm not around just because I'm not old enough to run for President. |
| anonymousdesigner | Posted – 10/15/2007 11:37:26 AM | show profile cabarbara and spring2007: Young professionals like yourselves are certainly to blame for the state of the design field. I see "kids" who graduate from McDesign schools that are popping up all over the country who know (almost) everything about the software and very little about design. These are the people who make it difficult for the rest of us. Now, don't get me wrong, some of the people who come out of these schools are inately talented and ultimately become good designers but most don't. Employers out there are looking for the most cost-effective solution to their design problems (high output for low pay) and that's usually what they get from these McGraduates. They don't really care if it's good, they just want it fast. My employer falls into this catagory and I now generally give him what he wants and look to the day when I go to work with other designers in a collaborative atmosphere and leave this little dictatorship I work in now. |
| nandy | Posted – 10/15/2007 1:07:43 PM | show profile Spring2007 If you are hoping to make a living at it, you'd better not take offense...just don't be one of the ones who will take a hi-level position at a low-level salary. My daughter is currently mulling over her career choices as she prepares for college. Although she loves what I do (and I know she could do it even better than I do), I'm counseling her to find another creative career. I've seen the writing on the wall all around me, and if I weren't already less than a decade away from retirement, I'd be looking to change careers. I thought I was doing well when I embraced and excelled in the computer revolution. That shook the very core of many good designers who couldn't make the transition and had to retire early. But it's not enough for employers that I have years of experience in both traditional and electronic methods which have given me a SOLID understanding of what and why I am doing things and consequently don't make costly production mistakes. Only the implicit threat of an over-50-age-descrimination lawsuit keeps employers from firing people like me and looking for my younger and cheaper replacement. Here's another example of how messed up this buisness is; My current boss is in this particular dilemma. All her staff has been here so long that nearly all have maxed out within their pay grade. But she has to give them their raises each year as they are unionized. Where does the money come from? From the potential raises of the few (managers like me) who are NOT covered by the bargaining unit. So we have an upside-down payscale where over the last couple of years, the managers salaries have been out-paced by their subordinates', and they are making less than the people who work for them. Yet I am expected to carry an almost identical workload AND take care of the many managerial chores, too. I tell you, if one of my designers quits, I'm applying for their job. |
| anonymousdesigner | Posted – 10/15/2007 1:25:20 PM | show profile OOPS!!! cabarbara and spring2007: OMG that was NOT what I wanted to say! It should have read: Young professionals like yourselves are certainly NOT(!) to blame for the state of the design field. Please accept my apology, I think young designers educated in design are a breath of fresh air. You bring a fresh approach to the field and are a great asset. Again, please accept my apology. (This is what happens when a designer does her own typing before the morning coffee kicks in!) |
| cabaraba | Posted – 10/17/2007 11:32:22 AM | show profile It's okay We all realize that the industry is changing with the McDesigners, and the employers wanting everything "done yesterday for free." I'm just not sure where I will end up in 10 or 15 years. What kind of upward mobility do I have to expect as an editorial designer today? Also aside from McDesigners, changing the hierarchy and standards, I feel that design is not respected in the work place. Everything I do ends up being tainted by other people who are not designers. It's not fulfilling to design things that other people want. Art is so subjective, that when it's in a business environment, designers don't get enough credit. But does this venting really change anything? It's sad and I wish designers could unite and start something new. Easier said than done, right? haha |
| nandy | Posted – 10/17/2007 12:55:58 PM | show profile There is a large gap within my company between the way up high directors and the peons like me. The directors say they value great design and wonder why we don't produce more. The designers, like me do wonderful, cutting edge things only to have them trashed and pulled apart, and brought down to the lowest common denominator by the dozen or so NON-designers who have to approve all our work. And the WORST "cost-saving idea" yet that came from another division...a binder with stock images, about ten different type layouts, and a selection of fonts, and the editor creates their own cover. I can't tell you how thank-ful I was that the editors that really "get" design threw a fit over that one being instigated here. But if I hear, "Take the type from comp A and put it on comp B" one more time I will scream! Design is NOT a take-out menu! Rant over. |
| cabaraba | Posted – 10/17/2007 2:29:36 PM | show profile rant on oh yeah, I'm sure we all have our stories of making edits for someone else...it makes you cringe! and not want to have your name associated with the design at all. I wish there was a company run by people are either are designers or have been a designer (and now work in other areas of expertise)...where everyone is on the same page with design aesthetic, with a trained design background, and an eye for innovation. Everyone's own experience would spice up the mix so successful collaborations could happen. I'm just dreaming... Anyone know of good companies for designers? |
| anonymousdesigner | Posted – 10/17/2007 4:36:14 PM | show profile | email poster cabarbara LOL, yes, but what a WONDERFUL dream! I like the idea of unionizing to something like a real union, Graphic Artists' Guild notwithstanding. GAG has done some great work and has helped me when I've needed it. Anyone else have any ideas? |
| edigerj | Posted – 10/19/2007 12:32:36 PM | show profile | email poster Another lay off A similar thing happened to me at a non-profit in Los Angeles. Unfortunately it seems to be syptomatic of the non-profit world. Getting services on the cheap is their main goal I suspect. At any rate, have you considered looking into the architectural field? After years of working for f'd up companies, I landed at an architectural firm as their senior designer. Typically there is a strong appreciation for good design and they compensate accordingly. The only annoying aspect that I've encountered is that because they are designers in the built world, they tend to think they know everything about graphic design. Small annoyance but I've found it enjoyable in all other areas. Or perhaps I just got lucky? I wish you luck!! |
| ConfidentDesigner | Posted – 10/19/2007 1:50:32 PM | show profile How ironic! I am sending materials to an architectural firm right now! The NP that I worked for had an architectural team and I enjoyed working with them more than any of the other teams. They were appreciative and wonderful. Thanks for the reference. I plan to apply to many of them in my area. |
| skirklan | Posted – 10/21/2007 4:43:41 PM | show profile | email poster Don't throw in the towel I've encountered some of the same issues, and the key is to walk away when faced with ignorance. Architects are great to work for, and so are professional writers and PR people who depend on creativity to sell their clients. Ad agencies also demand creativity and design expertise, not just tech awareness. Whenever new tech enters a field, it takes more than a few years for the practice to adjust. Just ask any typographer who used to make big bucks setting type. Eventually, computer skills will be recognized for just what they are: the ability to use a tool properly. Once we get business schools to start teaching the difference to all those future CEOs, things will get better. In the meantime, we are all in the trenches educating as we go. You'll find several articles on my blog about how I handled the those ignorant suits. I promise you a big belly laugh. Start with "Marketing Maniacs" and move to "Suits 101". http://blogs.graphicdesignforum.com/skirkland Good luck, ------ Susan Kirkland author of Start and Run a Creative Services Business--2 FREE POD cartoons for a giggle at www.sdkirkland.com |
| ConfidentDesigner | Posted – 10/23/2007 10:02:41 PM | show profile Turned over a new leaf today...I am now officially turning down freelance work! I've been talking about contractual arrangements with some fairly heavy hitters and am finding that I'm becoming quite successful. I should have done this AGES ago! As for the severance thing, I actually signed the danged thing and sent it yest. I FINALLY got a call back today from a lawyer, after leaving countless messages on voicemail to TWO lawyers. Literally, a day late. I have 7 days to revoke the agreement so I guess I'll call the lawyer back tomorrow. At this point, I just want to move on. I'm sick of dealing with this. I know this is what the company that laid me off is counting on but honestly, the system certainly doesn't make it worth the hassle of a possible lawsuit. If I didn't have anything else going on, perhaps I'd persue this but the fact is, I DO! I've got so much work I'm starting to turn down jobs and am able to pick and choose the work I want to take on. Got an interview next week for a FT gig too which I'll go on but am not all that interested in. I'm liking the idea of designing my own destiny. It's scary but I think it'll ultimately be very rewarding! Better than the Mac Monkey gig of yore. Feel free to tell me if you think I'm selling out or if you're supportive of my sef-preservation-moving -on mode! |
| cabaraba | Posted – 10/25/2007 11:27:07 AM | show profile congrats! Feeling confident about yourself is a good thing, Confident Designer :) |
| ConfidentDesigner | Posted – 10/25/2007 1:35:44 PM | show profile Thanks! That's half the battle, isn't it? I'm moving forward and forgetting about that last lame position. Hello! PowerPoint is NOT a designer's job. Never has been. Never will be. Isn't that what admins are for? |
