Designing through a recession

"Here in the UK it’s all doom and gloom — at least that’s what the politicians would have you believe. As a self-employed designer, however, I’m in a great position to take advantage of the credit crunch, and with the right preparation, you can be too.
In this article I share the thoughts of some talented designers who are discussing the pros and cons of today’s economic climate.

“My advice to you: learn how to run projects, learn how to run a business, learn about and adopt uncompromising professionalism. Whether you’re a freelancer or an agency designer, there’s an opportunity here for you to leverage your online blog/portfolio reputation and build yourself a strong place in the profession.”
— ANDY RUTLEDGE

Andy writes a compelling piece on why we should be optimistic, and I find myself agreeing with much of what he has to say.

“How do we go about replacing clients or gaining new ones at a time when people are at their most cautious? Does being a studio with premises give you an advantage over someone who works from home? Being a freelancer at this point could give you an advantage over a studio as you have fewer overheads, but studios have the physical presence which acts as a 24/7 billboard advert to draw in new clients.”
— SARAH PARMENTER

Sarah goes on to mention how some of her clients are taking longer to pay, as they tighten their purse strings. My most common payment structure of taking 50% in advance, with the remainder upon completion — and just before original artwork is supplied — has meant I’ve not seen any of this, but I wonder if you’re experiencing anything different.

“The truth is, as freelance web designers we have good reason to be optimistic. With slashed budgets, marketers may increasingly turn to email, viral and web marketing as they seek better value for money and return on investment. And when companies begin to lay off staff, it is often the freelancer who benefits when they step in to complete the work that starts overflowing.”
— AARON RUSSELL

Regular readers of davidairey.com, Shaun Barnes, Brian Yerkes and Andrew Kelsall briefly share their own credit crunch experiences in the comments of Aaron’s article.

“…though we are in a hard and trying time, I feel that it is the businesses that strive to be innovative and market their products well that will see through the current economic downturn. Whilst businesses that bury their heads’ in the sand and ignore the situation will fail.”
— SCOTT MALLINSON

How the recession has affected me

I can increasingly attract identity design clients who place significant value on my service, but I believe this has more to do with improved online visibility, and less to do with the current financial climate. I receive one or two solid enquiries per week. There are normally five or six short email approaches in the same time period, but the majority of those are looking for cheaper options.
The third and fourth quarters of 2008 have shown a significant upwards curve, and given the international reach of my online business, I’m quietly confident this will continue into 2009.
I’m cautious, however, and not spending outwith my means."

Found here:

http://www.davidairey.com/designing-through-a-recession/

Social Networking

Social networking is based on a certain structure that allow people to both express their individuality and meet people with similar interests. This structure includes having profiles, friends, blog posts, widgets, and usually something unique to that particular social networking website -- such as the ability to 'poke' people on Facebook or high-five someone on Hi5.
Profile. This is where you tell the world about yourself. Profiles contain basic information, like where you live and how old you are, and personality questions, like who's your favorite actor and what's your favorite book. Social networks dedicated to a special theme like music or movies might ask questions related to that theme.
Friends. Friends are trusted members of the site that are allowed to post comments on your profile or send you private messages. You can also keep tabs on how your friends are using social networking, such as when they post a new picture or update their profile. Friends are the heart and soul of social networking. It should be noted that not all social networks refer to them as 'friends' -- LinkedIn refers to them as 'connections -- but all social networks have a way to designate members as trusted.
Groups. Most social networks use groups to help you find people with similar interests or engage in discussions on certain topics. A group can be anything from "Johnson High Class of '98" to "People Who Like Books" to "Doors Fans". They are both a way to connect with like-minded people and a way to identify your interests. Sometimes, groups are called by other names, such as the 'networks' on Facebook.
Discussions. A primary focus of groups is to create interaction between users in the form of discussions. Most social networking websites support discussion boards for the groups, and many also allow members of the group to post pictures, music, video clips, and other tidbits related to the group.
Blogs. Another feature of some social networks is the ability to create your own blog entries. While not as feature-rich as blog hosts like Wordpress or Blogger, blogging through a social network is perfect for keeping people informed on what you are up to.

Social networking has had a huge effect on Graphic Design, this is because people can promote their work freely and reach a huge amount. My personal page on Facebook promoting my business is a prime example www.facebook.com/thisisbensambrook

What impact has the internet had on Graphic Design?

Some older graphics designers despise the internet; some newcomers are eternally grateful for it. Everyone has their opinion on the subject so we’ve summed up some of the benefits and drawbacks of the internet.

The internet is considered the greatest invention of the 20th century and one that has revolutionized the way we perform even basic everyday tasks. There are very few things the internet isn’t capable of; whether that is ordering your shopping, checking your email, learning something new, socializing with friends, or any number of other tasks. In this article we are going to explore how the internet has impacted graphic design in both a positive and negative way.

Training & Education

Traditionally aspiring graphics designers sat in a classroom with their peers and a teacher who explained common concepts, styles, techniques, practices, and generally would teach the idea of graphics design. Students would then be tested and graded on the areas they learnt about allowing them to compare themselves to others and ultimately they would be rewarded with a qualification (or multiple qualifications) to show their skill. This traditional method of teaching still exists today and won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.

The internet’s (the term ‘internet’ actually refers to the World Wide Web which isn’t the same thing but that isn’t important in this article) intended purpose was for sharing information between universities and allowing for collaboration on projects. The internet serves its purpose and aids graphics design training very well. The internet is used in thism area in two main ways; to help with work in school / college / university and to replace the traditional form of learning entirely.

Assisting

It’s possible to use the internet while learning through traditional methods. Whether it’s looking up terminology, finding help with homework, or even revising entire concepts.

Replacing

There are now online classes and tests to take part in allowing students to learn from home in their own time and at their own pace.

Advantages

• Ease of use
• Learn in your own time
• Find answers to almost any issue through Q&A sites, blogs, forums, etc.
• Many resources are free and even classes are cheap in comparison

Disadvantages

• Possibility of cheating – it’s incredibly easy to find the answers to tests
• Some resources could be biased / unreliable
• Depends on an internet connection which although popular isn’t everywhere

It’s clear to see how the internet has completely altered the way we learn graphics design for both the good and the bad.

Software Packages

Graphic Designers love their software packages. With the help of the internet they can receive updates to their applications, quick downloads of new packages and just as important, they can access reviews.
Reviews are perfect for preventing a graphic designer blowing a gaping hole in their wallet on a bug ridden program.

Birth of the CMS

Content management systems such as WordPress make website creation accessible to everyone. More importantly they provide work for graphic designers in the form of themes. Unlike static websites where the editing of a template can be very complicated, newer dynamic websites do all the work. This means designers create the theme and then the user can install in a couple of clicks. Older static websites would have taken hours of editing in a WYSIWYG editor whereas themes are interchangeable… You can change the theme and keep the content.

Graphics designers can create themes for multiple sales as described in this article or create custom themes specifically built for an assigned project.

Expansive Opportunities

The internet has brought so many new opportunities to the graphics design field. Graphics design can involve designing websites, templates for content management systems, banners, flash design, and much more.
This section ties in with the education section in a way. Graphics designers couldn’t simply jump on the internet and go, they need training to understand these new concepts.

Communication

Before the internet, finding clients as a graphics designer involved posting ads in your local paper and other forms of paid advertising. The internet has 101 ways to advertise for free and also meet clients. Communication with clients is another thing that has been greatly simplified. Graphics designers can send their work to their client immediately and receive a response just as fast rather than a much more time consuming meeting.

Advantages

• Quicker than a meeting
• No travel expenses, etc.

Disadvantages

• Clients may expect you to be available during your free-time

Plagiarism

Undoubtedly the biggest disadvantage of the internet is plagiarism. Plagiarists can download your work and sell it as their own. Those who don’t have an ounce of graphics design skill do resort to this to earn some cash. It goes without saying that nobody wants others profiting off of their work.

Stock Work Sales

Graphics designers have a choice. They can design for a client or they can create designs purely for multiple sale purposes. This can be in the form of a WordPress template / Joomla template / Drupal template / any number of other formats of templates. It could be a specific graphic style / image or any number of other graphical elements.

Advantages

• Little to no work once content has been created
• Sell multiple times
• High level of exposure

Disadvantages

• The stock site will likely take 60%-80% of the sale value
• A large portfolio will be required to earn a good income from it

Stock sales are a great way of earning a secondary income but due to their low sale price coupled with the low percentage payout, you would need a very large portfolio to live off of it.

Conclusion

The internet has overhauled graphics design by providing forms of training to those who beforehand would never have even considered it; it has introduced entirely new concepts of design including web design and stock sales, and improved designer client communication through email and instant messaging. It also offers graphic designers numerous free ways to advertise their services and find new clients.
On the other hand it allows aspiring designers to cheat on tests / exams they face. It creates fierce competition among designers and pays very little for stock sale.
There’s no denying that graphics design is in a much better place thanks to the internet.

Found here:

 

http://www.graphicmania.net/what-impact-has-the-internet-had-on-graphic-design/

Brief

"You are to extend last years Journal by researching, recording and reporting on the context of 'NOW' in terms of visual communication and culture (with emphasis on your chosen pathway - Graphic Design).
You will need to consider the implications of:

- The Internet in 2010 - advertising, websites, blogs, etc
- Social networking sites - Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, etc
- Thecultural & socio-political climate (post 9/11, post-Recession/credit crunch, post-consumerism, etc
- Altermodernism/Ultramodernism
- Other modern technological advances - eg mobile phones, etc"