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What do graphic designers do when they evolve
Question:
Matthew, It’s a natural evolution of a graphic designer to grow into a writing-related position, I feel. When I was faced with your exact dilemma 15 years ago, I was a commercial artist with several years of experience and the hope that there was more to life than a ruling pen. What finally pushed me over and out of the field was sitting and watching old Eddie, the hand-lettering expert, hunched over his desk — glasses thick as Coke bottle bottoms — squinting to draw a little ditty that looked straight out of the 1930s. The only problem was, Eddie was thinking his little ditty looked like a modern creation. I was only 27 and Eddie unknowingly persuaded me to leave the art field. I went to the University of Minnesota and in a few years possessed a Technical Writing degree (B.S. in Technical Communications). After a few normal stints, I started my own one-man-so-far-because-that’s-all-I-want-to-supervise company named Written Solutions. I love it. I work for a heck of a neat guy, like the case-study ghost-writing I do for my clients, and truly enjoy the major segments my work now entails — writing, editing, laying out and designing graphics, coordinating among my clients, the authors I ghost-write for who use my client’s products, and the publication editors who publish the case studies. Everybody ends up happy because the clients get two pages of editorial coverage in a national trade publication, the bylining "authors" whom I ghost-write for get a published article in their name, the publication readers get a relevant article that helps describe a solution to their problems, the editors get a well-written two pages, and I get to collect a fee for my services. Everybody wins. Matthew, you can obtain a degree in technical writing or marketing or journalism or absolutely anything through independent study while you are still employed as an artist. I personally am terrifically happy with how Written Solutions is mine and what I do to run it. If you wish to glean more details from me, please post or e-mail me privately or call me — 612-489-4557. It’s not too late to make a change, and if you play your cards right, you need not get more schooling. I can read in your words that you and your career are so much more that *just* a graphic designer. Where DO you want to go today? — Rich Burnham [Increasing your exposure by publishing favorable case studies in customer-respected publications.] > I’ve been wondering. What does a graphic designer do when he or she no > longer wants to be a graphic designer? ……
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Response:
(snip) > And it wouldn’t hurt to join your local chamber of commerce as an individual > member. Trust me.
Trust him. He’s right. But don’t just join. Get involved. The more you put into it, the more you get out of it. Also, you might look into local marketing groups or Ad Club chapters. Perhaps it’s different for you, but it’s been my experience that people in an artistic field often have trouble selling, at least at first. I speak as someone who survived a wrenching transition from the art to the sales part of my work. Any comments from anyone else on this? > Artists shouldn’t have to wait until they’re dead to make some money. > Sample my freelance design work at > http://homepage.interaccess.com/~dsisbuk/sbc.htm
– Steve Holmes, Steve Holmes Productions (helping companies communicate through award-winning video) Iowa City, IA, USA
Response:
:>(snip) :> And it wouldn’t hurt to join your local chamber of commerce as an individual :> member. Trust me. :Trust him. He’s right. But don’t just join. Get involved. The more :you put into it, the more you get out of it. Also, you might look into :local marketing groups or Ad Club chapters. 
erhaps it’s different for you, but it’s been my experience that people :in an artistic field often have trouble selling, at least at first. I :speak as someone who survived a wrenching transition from the art to the :sales part of my work. Any comments from anyone else on this? "Wrenching" isn’t the word, actually. "Royal pain in the ass" is more befitting a term. And I forgot to mention before — when they evolve, graphic designers also become web page designers. Scott Artists shouldn’t have to wait until they’re dead to make some money. Sample my freelance ad and graphic design work at http://homepage.interaccess.com/~dsisbuk/sbc.htm
Response:
Scott- You are EXACTLY right! I started out as a writer who evolved into a technical writer who evolved into a graphic designer who evolved into a web designer who evolved into an entrepreneur! P.S. I spoke with a local chamber rep last week about joining as an individual member. Go Scott! Jonna Lee Maurer JonnaART
Response:
>I’ve been wondering. What does a graphic designer do when he or she no longer >wants to be a graphic designer? ……. So, what can a computer savvy, marketing >minded, creative person do?
Start your own ad agency, even if it’s a one man band. >I have been trying to get more into the marketing end of the industry but >there are some skeptics who believe I should spend some time in school >receiving a business degree before I try for a marketing job.
Are you getting any interviews? What’s the reason given for "no thanks"? Outside of an entry level marketing position (and there you’ll be competing with recent college BBA grads), I’m afraid your fighting an up hill battle. Given a graphic designer with experience or an MBAer with some experience, the choice is easy. You may have better luck with small companies but salary wise, may not be much better. As for going back to school, I don’t know enough of your background. >Now I ask you, (who ever you are) isn’t my experience as a graphic designer >working in an advertising agency developing ads and ad strategies for >clients experience enough?
No. marketing positions *usually* are filled by sales experienced individuals not art or creative experienced individuals. >Isn’t the fact that our account execs can’t call on a client with out one >of the designers present evidence that designers are in-fact receiving the >experience needed for a career in marketing?
IMO, A/E’s are nothing more than sales people or customer service people. Why don’t you see about becoming and A/E ? >If you have any insight on how I can break the stigma that graphic >designers can not do marketing please let me know.
Your story is very much that of a friend of mine. He was a graphic designer for many years -no business education. A few years ago he started his one man band ad agency, he picked up marketing books at the bookstore to strengthen his weakness. Although he’s very good at the creative concepts, he’s OK at the marketing end but since he realizes this, he pulls in the expertise when needed. Now he has some very big accounts, not to mention evolving from a one man band into a group! Really consider if you want a position in marketing with a company or go out on your own. Good luck! — CARPE DIEM — The amateur thinks about the moment and then the moment is gone, the professional captures the moment and thinks about it later.
Response:
> I’ve been wondering. What does a graphic designer do when he or she no > longer wants to be a graphic designer?
Marketing is but one aspect of potential jobs. There are many others that you are probably qualified for as a result of your experience even if you were not directly involved. Ever put together a card deck for a client? You would be surprised just how many people do not know what it is let alone how to get one rolling. Then there is technical writing. You have developed a lot of skills over the years in designing the entire layout and if you have paid attention to the total text rather than simply the spacing, you have probably picked up a lot of skills needed to write that text as well. How about a consultant in evaluating existing advertising programs of small businesses? Or what about freelancing in developing the Yellow Page ads for small and medium-sized businesses? That is one area where inexpensive assistance to the small business owner is invaluable, but you can bring in thousands per month for very little actual work on the ads themselves. One ad…three hours work…two hundred dollars. Nice ratio. Then there is electronic design. Completely different from paper stock design work and a whole lot less rigerous. You can put your talents into the presentation with respect to color and style rather than the emphesis on kerning and the other technical issues of type layout. And you are designing at 72 DPI in only 256 colors. Makes things far easier and much more enjoyable. Finally, there is interior design. You would be surprised at just how much of an eye for color you have developed. Apply that experience to room interiors and furniture coordination with room trims. Major bucks. Steve Crisp [Moderator's Note: Welcome back Steve! -JG]
Response:
> I have been trying to get more into the marketing end of the industry but > there are some skeptics who believe I should spend some time in school > receiving a business degree before I try for a marketing job.
Unless you want a theoretical marketing job in a huge company (doing studies, models,etc.), a business degree is unlikely to help enough to justify the cost and time it would require to take. > Now I ask you, (who ever you are) isn’t my experience as a graphic designer > working in an advertising agency developing ads and ad strategies for > clients experience enough?
Nope – but its a great start. Firstly you havre to decide what you mean by marketing. My perception of marketing is identifying target audiences, creating strong offers, producing marketing materials and plans. If you are interested in doing this, talk to some of the people on the list who do it full time. If (as I expect) what you mean by marketing is actually a fancy word for sales, you need to get some experience selling stuff. The skill set is quite simply being able to meet people, identify their needs, and persuade them to pay cold hard cash for your solutions NOW! Depending on the position (existing accounts or new business – without experience you’ll probably be stuck with new business) you’ll also want to be comfortable with 50 people telling you to go away for every one who will speak. And in the early days only 1 in 10 or 20 of those will actually buy. Howerver, if you can enjoy sales and can find something which you are excited about selling that relates to your previous experience, you will definitely be able to make more money within a couple of years – if you are good. Setting up your own business is both easier and harder. It is easier as you usually don’t have to sell as much to make the same personal income. It is harder as you have to be an accountant, lawyer, bookkeeper, graphic designer, office boy and janitor as well as a sales person. Just my 2c worth. Peter Peter Bell Virtual Results International
Response:
>I’ve been wondering. What does a graphic designer do when he or she no >longer wants to be a graphic designer? Now don’t get me wrong, I love my >job and it is very exciting, but there should be more to life than fretting >over the kerning space between an "L" and an "A". I also have a problem the >fact that I don’t of too many designers over the age of 35, and I know >quite a few designers. Then there’s the salary thing, designers are paid a >little over minimum wage at entry level and it does not get much better >after that. So, what can a computer savvy, marketing minded, creative >person do?
Heyyyy … I’m 36. Does that mean I’m washed up as a GD? Hmmmm … <bg> Anyway, I’ve found that freelancing does *wonders* for the kerning blues, generally speaking. >I have been trying to get more into the marketing end of the industry but >there are some skeptics who believe I should spend some time in school >receiving a business degree before I try for a marketing job. >Now I ask you, (who ever you are) isn’t my experience as a graphic designer >working in an advertising agency developing ads and ad strategies for >clients experience enough?
A business degree wouldn’t necessarily help (again, generally speaking), but a marketing degree might. But if that’s out of the question, you might or might not have the "experience enough" you speak of, since I don’t know you. Developing ads and ad strategies isn’t in and of itself a marketing strategy, per se. It’s only a part of an overall marketing strategy. >Isn’t the fact that our account execs can’t call on a client with out one >of the designers present evidence that designers are in-fact receiving the >experience needed for a career in marketing? >If you have any insight on how I can break the stigma that graphic >designers can not do marketing please let me know.
What you might do is what I do — be the freelance guy who comes up with the print or electronic ad design and ad strategy aspect of their total marketing package. I don’t pretend to know anything about marketing itself, but boy, can I bake up ads that get my clients noticed once I know who they’re trying to appeal to. I can also put together some nifty collateral … again, once I know who they’re appealing to and why. And lastly, go for the easy-bucks design stuff … things like sell sheets, flyers, direct-mail pieces, presentation materials, etc. etc. that don’t take a whole lot of time to do but involve a lot of creativity to get the right message across. Not only is it easy in terms of time investment, but it pays *well* over minimum wage. The best niche (for me anyway) is small business. They’re way under-represented and often have no clue as to what they want. Nice place for a computer savvy, marketing minded, creative guy like you to start. And it wouldn’t hurt to join your local chamber of commerce as an individual member. Trust me. Artists shouldn’t have to wait until they’re dead to make some money. Sample my freelance design work at http://homepage.interaccess.com/~dsisbuk/sbc.htm
Response:
I’ve been wondering. What does a graphic designer do when he or she no longer wants to be a graphic designer? Now don’t get me wrong, I love my job and it is very exciting, but there should be more to life than fretting over the kerning space between an "L" and an "A". I also have a problem the fact that I don’t of too many designers over the age of 35, and I know quite a few designers. Then there’s the salary thing, designers are paid a little over minimum wage at entry level and it does not get much better after that. So, what can a computer savvy, marketing minded, creative person do? I have been trying to get more into the marketing end of the industry but there are some skeptics who believe I should spend some time in school receiving a business degree before I try for a marketing job. Now I ask you, (who ever you are) isn’t my experience as a graphic designer working in an advertising agency developing ads and ad strategies for clients experience enough? Isn’t the fact that our account execs can’t call on a client with out one of the designers present evidence that designers are in-fact receiving the experience needed for a career in marketing? If you have any insight on how I can break the stigma that graphic designers can not do marketing please let me know. Thank You,