Australian Infront

How affordable is graphic design in Australia?

Posted 02.08.2011 @ 2.14PM

How affordable is graphic design in Australia? Who can afford it and what that means to us as designer and the industry at large? I've got no answers, but I offer some speculation and invite your own.

My (humble) hunch is that graphic design is becoming de-valued in the small business sector because it's considered costly or unnecessary and competing with new design approaches; such as crowd sourcing, DIY design programs, clip/stock art and untrained designers with access to cheap or illegal design software.

I am talking about the very bottom end of the market, a market that graphic designers perhaps have grown custom to avoiding. Low budgets, quick turn-overs and a lack of appreciation for process and design thinking. Nightmare clients right?

Well, to me the potential nightmare is that design as a skill set is experiencing degradation from the very foundations of the market. That the majority of people who consume design, who we design for- potentially wouldn't invest in it themselves. Doesn't seem like a healthy arrangement if the industry is over saturated with designers, we should be attracting new streams of clients- not shutting them out.

In recent years, design organisations around the world have promoted Design Thinking in board rooms and big business, but I'd like it at my local fish and chip shop as well. I mean wouldn't it be nice if that menu was kerned?

Should graphic designers educated and promote design amongst small business owners? Can we make our process more affordable, quicker and still maintain quality- competing with new trends that circumnavigate us? Can more designers, make more money investing in their local communities?

This questions are quite curious to me as a recent graduate, feeling my way through the industry as it stands. I'd love to hear what ore experienced designers think about this kind of topic. Do you find small business just not bothering? Do you find their budgets unaffordable? Have you improved profit margins on smaller jobs?

Thanks,

Josh

Posted 02.08.2011 @ 2.47PM

hard to pay a mortgage, bring up kids and pay bills on the money a fish and chip shop would be prepared to pay, the bottom end has never wanted to pay for this kind of work, it is not a case of us pricing ourselves out, it has been a case of them not wanting to pay a living wage for something, mostly, unimportant to their bottom line

has always been that way

many years ago i did work for small bis, these kind of operations, and mostly it was a nightmare, to do a job well they were never prepared to pay for the hours, and i was charging peanuts back then

to be honest when i buy fish and chips, what i care about is freshness and/or price

Posted 02.08.2011 @ 3.12PM (Edited 02.08.2011 @ 3.15PM)

Perhaps there simply is an over abundance of "designers", brought about by rapid technological advances? I think most on this forum owe their careers to technology, so it's not really something you can complain about, and if further advancements are making you redundant there are two options:

1) Skill up into areas that don't have an over abundance. That obviously means NOT the lower end of the market, and probably not areas where you're actually relying on any software "tools", but rather areas of ideas and expertise. There will always be a market for great "thinkers", whatever happens to the "pixel pushers".

2) Find a new career.

This is nothing new, just the technological cycle as it ever has been for centuries, just a lot faster nowadays.

::it has been a case of them not wanting to pay a living wage for something, mostly, unimportant to their bottom line

Yep, nothing new here. You're deluding yourself if you think design is "essential" to every business. Many get on quite fine without any specialist design input, and would make no additional income/profit from it.

Posted 02.08.2011 @ 5.11PM

Do you think you could convince that fish and chip shop that the money they spend on design will convert to extra sales and make them a profit?

Posted 02.08.2011 @ 5.36PM

in toorak maybe

Posted 02.08.2011 @ 5.54PM

Thanks for the replies so far.

::Do you think you could convince that fish and chip shop that the money they spend on design will convert to extra sales and make them a profit?

I don't know- I would assume no I couldn't at the moment, but I guess that's what I'm curious about. What's the pay off vs the cost of design? Is it enough to argue that as an investment for the smallest of businesses? To speculate about the Fish and Chip shop, if the menu items were easier to read r (thanks to some kerning, new lights and high contrast type) it might make customers order quicker and therefore increase efficiency/profitability in a small way.

::You're deluding yourself if you think design is "essential" to every business. Many get on quite fine without any specialist design input, and would make no additional income/profit from it.

There are plenty of successful business with crap logos and poorly designed collateral, I take your point. But I feel any business could benefit from having clearer communication with their clients or customers, I'd guess that's what I'm offering as a graphic designer.

I'll try and dig around for some research and report back if I find anything.

It would be great if there was an industry study concerning how profitable small business were and how much they spend on graphic design, to indicate how the investment pays off.

Posted 02.08.2011 @ 8.44PM

@Joshua, I think this is a great conversation you have provoked. I would encourage you to keep thinking about these things and don't let cynicism dull your need to question the status quo.

I feel that if you find yourself putting a seemingly disproportionate effort into everything you do, regardless of the client, you will eventually get noticed and rewarded for your talent and work. There are plenty of shitty designers on top salaries in top agencies who will never be remembered despite their feelings of self worth.

Regardless of the money you've been paid, you should *always* strive to do something that is good. If not for your client, then for yourself.

Money is important. But having a job that you can be proud of is so much more valuable.

Posted 02.08.2011 @ 8.50PM

Thanks Andrew, will do and i'll report back :)

Posted 02.08.2011 @ 9.07PM (Edited 02.08.2011 @ 9.08PM)

::@Joshua, I think this is a great conversation you have provoked. I would encourage you to keep thinking about these things and don't let cynicism dull your need to question the status quo.
I feel that if you find yourself putting a seemingly disproportionate effort into everything you do, regardless of the client, you will eventually get noticed and rewarded for your talent and work. There are plenty of shitty designers on top salaries in top agencies who will never be remembered despite their feelings of self worth.
Regardless of the money you've been paid, you should always strive to do something that is good. If not for your client, then for yourself.
Money is important. But having a job that you can be proud of is so much more valuable.

Well put Andrew!

Posted 03.08.2011 @ 12.32AM

My ears (erm eyes) pricked up with the mention of local communities

With design in local communities it can be hard. I moved to a smaller South Australian area and it's been very noticeable. I initially had to rely more than ever on freelance work through "city" based agencies to get by but slowly I think I am making progress.

Try align yourself with people who have a similar outlook and appreciation for quality as yourself. A good example may be a full organic specialist farmer who understands what time and quality costs on smaller amounts of produce vs the fish and chip shop example who just want to fry up junk as fast as they can. (btw, I love my local chippie)

Some people value design, Some don't but most people are in the middle somewhere.

One last thing I think in regards to "new design approaches; such as crowd sourcing, DIY design programs, clip/stock art and untrained designers with access to cheap or illegal design software". These ideas are not new and are no real threat to quality dependable design or the people who create them.