How Will The Newest Students Entering the Design Industry Find Work in a Slow Economy

Posted on October 17, 2010 by itees

I try to stay current on the happenings around the industry, through exhibitions, lectures, online groups, printed magazines and certain organizations such as AIGA. Lately I’ve been thinking about the students currently enrolled and how they will compete once they graduate and enter this field. If they are educated at a good school, it’s my hope that the teachers are preparing them so that their portfolios will be outstanding, but in a slow economy, will they find work?

Having been in this industry for over 25 years, I’ve built a wide circle of colleagues and every one of them has special gifts and talents that has helped them be successful, but the industry is growing at an alarming rate and the competition for each assignment is getting more difficult. At the same time, companies are still acquiring others and the jobs as well as freelance assignments are getting thinner.

Take for example these online competitive sites like Elance, Guru, Logo Tournament, 99 Designs and more… Some of these sites do not put forth the right message about our industry. By giving clients hundreds of ideas, and all for FREE, this sends the wrong message about why a business needs a designer. A client posts an assignment, pays a set fee, and then tons of designers are wasting their time entering and the clients picks one winner. Only one person gets paid folks, so perhaps 50-100 or more have just worked for free. In other cases like Elance and Guru, designers are bidding against 50+ others and the sites don’t give clients enough information to help them choose between them around the world. In some cases clients ask for FREE mock-ups so they can decide without doing their homework. How about looking at each person’s body of work? How about seeing how many years experience one has, or reading testimonials from their clients? In our fast paced world, the clients would rather we just make it easy for them. Let 100 people design for free and they’ll just pick a winner. Just awful.

In 2010, every student has the ability to express themselves via a portfolio, print marketing and an online presence. Today they are expected to know every software program, both print and web design and be an expert at it all. It’s just not realistic.

I have been considering hiring an assistant and I’m wondering about these things. Should I find someone whose design esthetic matches my own? Should they know print or web or both? What types of projects have they worked on and which types of clients, what industries? What are their goals? I’m going to weight all of these issues as I look through resumes and portfolios and set up interviews.

What I do recommend is to design in different industries, try assorted projects but eventually try to pick a niche that fits where you’d like to be in 5-10 years. In order to compete, you have to do great work and if you want to be recognized, be consistent. A career isn’t created overnight through Facebook or Twitter. It takes dedication, expertise at your craft, and an openness to new and exciting advancements in technology. Always be willing to expand, learn and continually move forward. If you focus on the details and slow down you will achieve great things.

Clients also stay with someone who they trust and respect. A successful career is one built on the clients who stay and continually need you to help them. Care for your clients and they will take care of you.

Branding YOU Better! Making My Clients Look Great!

Posted on May 15, 2010 by itees

In my last post I wrote about attending the all day event of Rock The World, given by Savor The Success. Listening to the speakers and meeting other women entrepreneurs, I have learned so much.

Michael Gerber of Origination asked us to write this down: “What do I want?”

For about a week I walked around saying different things to myself and it finally came to me.

I want to make whatever I come across better, whether it’s by creation, design or spreading environmental awareness.

I started thinking about how that is reflected in my company, SNDI.

Before when visitors came to my site there was a splash page and I had you select a link to go inside, but unless you dug deeper, visited my profile page or company page, you didn’t see me, the site was all about design and the portfolio.

I realized that what separates me from other design firms is ME! It’s my visions and conceptuality. What I come up with to brand a client or their product, is what makes me unique. It’s also what helps me retain clients year after year, they trust me, respect my expertise and know that whatever I create is solely for them, to help them shine.

New Branding YOU Better! Logo

So, I have started revising my site by branding the new phrase geared toward clients, “Branding YOU Better!” I removed the splash page and put my photo and a quick animation of a few client projects showing the branding I created for them. This is more direct and immediately separates me from other design studios. Next, my plan is get new headshots, create more graphics that show the continuity and style from print to web for many of my clients, and to add photos and video of my clients with their testimonials and perhaps new shots of them surrounded by the materials I created for them.

I also registered the new domain for Branding YOU Better! and will build a new site there, that is simple and direct. It will have just enough branding samples to make the point, and will use the latest javascript animation or programing techniques so I’m showing by example that I can create whatever a client wants or needs.

I also learned that when you have a design and logo that you’re using, you must make sure that you’re using it throughout your social media as well. I had been using my logos of course but forgot about the backgrounds. So I took that splash page and dropped it into Twitter (@sndinc), and did the same for our Frog Blog, you’ll see that the background on Twitter (@greeninnature) is now the same as Frogs Are Green. All banner ads I create are also using the same appropriate graphics.

This all helps to support my brand and creates trust for clients who know me and for new clients who have just discovered me.

“Savor The Success” Rocked My World!

Posted on May 7, 2010 by itees

On Wednesday, May 5th, I attended the all day event given by Savor The Success (created and founded by Angela Jia Kim) called, “Rock The World.” I have been a member of Savor for quite a while, but only recently changed my status to being a Premium Member. I have participated in women’s groups in the past but never have they come close to the benefits of this organization.

In addition to the social aspect of being able to connect with women entrepreneurs around the world, and potentially help each other, the site offers get togethers, workshops, lectures, webinars, videos, media lists and so much more.

On Wednesday I got to meet many of the women I’d been talking to through the cafes and email, as well as connect with many new women.

The speakers were brilliant and awe inspiring. They were Taryn Rose (shoe entrepreneur, TarynRoseShoes), Lisa Price (Carol’s Daughter, beauty by nature), Poppy King (Lipstick Queen and author of “Lessons of a Lipstick Queen”), Allison Slatery Ray (marketing for Sephora), Libby Gill (author of “You Unstuck”), Marta Tracy (television and media strategist and co-author of “Starring YOU!”), Julie Steelman (author of “The Soul Principle of Selling: Having The Audacity to be Authentic & Affluent”) and visionary Michael Gerber (author of “The E Myth Revisited.”)

So after a full day of listening to each speaker and the Q and A with these hugely successful business owners, what did I come away with?

I need a business make-over!

It’s going to take me a few days to sort out all the questions that need answering, but one thing is very clear. Whether you are selling a particular product or your business is a service and that service is the product, the company must be about the product itself. Many of us, no matter what the industry put ourselves into the equation and believe that without us the company would fail. What’s most important is for me to sell the strengths of what my company offers and go about it the right way. Changes are on the way.

Meanwhile, here are some photos from the event.