Today we are going to talk about how much money designers can make. One of the reasons why I like this profession is of course because it has huge earning potential. Secondly, it gives me a sense of accomplishment. I put money first to show that I am not hypocritical. I don’t want others to think this video is obscene. If I say that I love design more than money, some people will definitely say that this person is hypocritical. Okay, then I won’t pretend. I know what my heart desires.
We don’t use analogies with celebrities who are making a lot of money every day. This kind of criticism is meaningless. Everyone hopes to have a long-term and sustainable career. Indeed, when a designer grows up, the economic benefits that can be generated are considerable and the harvest will be higher than in other industries. Of course, there are prerequisites for this.
Let’s talk about the topic first. Through some high-quality projects, my friends can earn millions in income every year. Yes, I am talking about my friends. This may not be a lot, and it cannot be compared with big names. In fact, we do not need to use a lot of money in our lives. People need to find answers for their own curiosity and thirst for knowledge. By improving themselves, the people around them will also be illuminated.
Priceable goods in the market generally have two attributes, one is the currency attribute, and the other is the single product attribute. Even if it is an expensive car or luxury goods, in most cases they will depreciate over time and become cheaper as production technology is optimized. These are consumer goods. The design industry belongs to the single product category. It may become a market for collections or orphans. The accumulation of experience and resume will increase the value. Because there is no way to quantify production, this kind of service industry will often continue to increase the hourly value and generate a premium.
I think designers should try to avoid being too flashy in the early stages of their careers. In any industry, being too flashy may lead to mistakes.
Making fewer mistakes has always been the most important basic requirement in my design career. I believe that making fewer mistakes can first ensure that the design does not fail. On this basis, discussing aesthetics will make both designers and employers feel more at ease. When designers lack basic experience in a project, they often try to persuade through gorgeous words. Because the underlying basic structure cannot be explained, they can only guide the topic in another direction, which is often aesthetics. The defining characteristic of the design is its clever solution to a series of problems. Rather than assembling building materials, these solutions need to be built on a solid foundation.
I sometimes tell employers frankly about projects that have failed and suffered setbacks. Although no employer wants to hear about your failure experience, some employers applaud your candidness. They will understand that it is a sincere attitude to be told about these mistakes, and it also means that I have indeed learned from them and made improvements. These experiences will help me avoid making the same mistakes in their projects.
Sometimes the disappointed look in your employer’s eyes can destroy you, because I’ve seen it. This is their home, no matter what the employer demands, it is not too much. If a designer cannot understand this, there is no need to engage in this profession. Even now, I am far from being able to satisfy everyone. But these setbacks and criticisms will make me more diligent, and I don't want to create an atmosphere of disappointment.
Assume that there are 1,000 difficulties that are hindered by designers on the road to design growth. If some of them can be solved every year, the success rate will gradually increase. At the same time, it will continuously strengthen your position in the industry. Only when you are creative on a solid foundation will you get twice the result with half the effort.
This process of primitive accumulation is indeed tiring and often accompanied by life constraints. Most designers cannot resist this long process and change careers. It cannot be accumulated in a few years. When I think back to the period of design growth when I was a toddler, it really feels very bumpy. I have experienced a very difficult period. Don’t think I am making up words. Hungry can really describe the two years after I graduated. At that time When I was young, my monthly salary was 800 yuan. In those years, my parents went out and I lived alone at home. Although I didn’t have to pay rent, I had to pay for my own food. My salary income at that time was definitely not enough to eat every meal, so instant noodles were indeed my main food reserve at that time. I would always buy a box of instant noodles in the middle of every month. When I was in a tight situation in the middle and late period, instant noodles would be my dinner. Fortunately, my taste is not very good and I don’t have high requirements for food.
Design can never be accomplished solely by “my aesthetics are good” or “I am creative”. Aesthetics is an empty word, and its establishment requires consensus. If designers need to understand astronomy, geography, and human desires, I agree. This is not to praise this industry too much. I do think that the career I am engaged in is very important. After all, I may change the living habits and preferences of my employer for many years to come.
I think designers should act with sincerity and fear, and at the same time, they must be altruistic. There is not so much art and light and shadow aesthetics in this world. When they talk about art, they will go to various forums and enjoy applause and cheers as guests. I will not win the Pulitzer Prize or the Andrew Martin Award. I am a nobody. In my limited life, I only hope to win the trophy of my own life.
I have noticed a phenomenon in the past ten years of working in the industry. Less successful designers often have varying degrees of arrogance. Some designers will deepen the aesthetics through various methods. During the design process, employers not only feel that "it seems good, but I don't understand", but also are pushed forward with doubts. This can easily create distance between you and your employer.
If the employer does not get a real solution for a long time, it will easily get into trouble at a later stage, leading to project failure.
So mutual respect in design depends more on the designer deciding how to treat the employer in the early stages of project establishment. Many employers may not be familiar with design, but they are almost all leaders in various fields. Their rich life experience is enough to understand many broad concepts. They can also judge through your eyes whether the designer in front of you is worth entrusting to you.
A successful contract signing not only brings economic benefits, but also the joy of having your creation recognized. This sense of accomplishment is very important.
Originally I wanted to share the issue about rebates in this issue, but after many revisions, I still don’t want to discuss this traffic topic. In fact, I know the Internet very well, and I know almost all the traffic keys of the Internet, as well as the operating logic behind it. But I hope others will think that I am a knowledge blogger. This is what I expect from myself. Rather than criticizing something that cannot be changed, it would be more nurturing to tell others what I am doing. Of course, in the fifteen or sixteen years I have been working in the industry, I have not received a penny in kickbacks. Maybe I am not a leader in the industry, but I fully appreciate my professionalism.