Note: Working as a Graphic Designer (GD) made me felt like I’m a workaholic, this post focuses on the lifestyle of a GD, in case you’re interested. In spite of working as a Graphic Designer (GD), all are of my thoughts and opinion only, may not reflect the real voice of any GD out there. This is a long post without any visual image to compete for your attention, read on if you’re interested in my thoughts / GD, if not, [x]
In the past, I thought working as designers or any artist have the a maximum length of flexibility in their work, that they can work and design whenever they want, it is true to an extent if the project concerned doesn’t have a tight deadline AND if they are a freelancer. If you’re not a freelancer, your normal working hours will be the typical 8am to 5pm, if not 5am if artworks are being rushed, like a horse rider rushing their baby to the finish line in a horse racing competition.
My previous view of a GD changes after I work as a GD before. I was a GD in an advertising firm of creating monthly advert magazine. We have a designer’s room and a team of GD working for different projects; our work only revolve in creating artworks to suit the clients, which are brought in by the Sales Team. It is fun because we get to know the market’s latest promotion if any particular company agreed to advertise in our magazine. Prestigious companies like HSBC, Thomsom Furniture, Sugar & Spice, Big Thumb, Premier Motor and others like Darussalam Holdings were our clients.
We didn’t have a real Art Director to ask for opinion on the layout/design, the Sales Team and the Manager is the Art Director themselves. A draft will be sent to the respective company for confirmation, if they like it, confirmed straight away with minor detailed changes. The most problematic is when they change their artwork more than 4 times; it’ll be a headache for the sales team and us GD. However, if the Sales & Marketing team failed to bring in any business, we are free to explore our design techniques, read magazines to learn their layout etc. I even have the time to create my initial D’s wallpaper on blog (Chris, remembered?), produced a Jay’s Initial D Soundtrack to sell (Shenny, remembered?), Gifts (Chiuyen, remembered?) and others. I was so free. =P
My current position of a GD is an in house GD, meaning I deal with artworks concerned with the current Travel & Tours company. My Art Director is my manager himself too but he is a great one on layout and concept. However, I am the only GD so the work load is still there. Projects came in whenever my Art Director wants something new, be it website, brochures, concept plan etc. My work here is not like an eraser being contained inside a pencil box because I’m exposed and sponsored to go Ulu Ulu Resort for taking photo with the late G9, assist and enjoy dealing with printer and staffs from other groups of companies. The printer here stands for the real printer company who specialized in printing all sorts of medium, from A4 to A0, wooden carving to huge banner.
In summary, those are the working experience of mine as a GD. Both requires
`you to have a basic knowledge in Photoshop and Illustrator.
`you to understand what’s design and layout (layout)
`you to be ready whenever they need you, even offday!
`you to work more than the normal 8am to 5pm.
`you to have a flair for colours (mix and match)
`you to have a basic understanding of printing requirement (eg CMYK, 300dpi)
If you want to dabble and get your feet wet in the graphic design world, be sure to know some PRO and CONS of it. This is purely based on my opinion.
Firstly, it’s the title.
Guy A : “What do you work as?”
Me : “Graphic Designer”
Guy A: *Amused*
Aside from being proud holding the GD title, not many would know of the long hours, all the uncountable efforts that one usually put into their work. All of the amendments made over many times, the rejected concept/artwork and the extra effort to produce another “Confirmed Layout” for the client. Every now and then, the client/art director would say “I want it like this, make this darker, logo bigger, this one you move there and put another one in” without knowing it’s not that easy to make changes, especially if the artwork revolves around more than 1 application. Worst is that the computer you’re working on is an antique. (Not applying to mine)
Maybe the previous conversation (above) would change if the “Guy A” is a “Graphic Artist” himself.
“Guy” : “What do you do for a living?”
“Me” : “Graphic Designing”
“Guy” : *Kasian* + *Sympathy*+ *insert all the available condolences here*
HAHAHA.
Secondly, the Satisfaction from a completed artwork.
The satisfaction from a completed, confirmed artwork is actually the ‘reward’ for a GD. The feeling can make you go high as if you’re on caffeine and can make you smile out of a nowhere. If your artwork is published, printed BIG in the street or circulates around the country in a form of magazine etc, this can make you feel like you’re carry a $10k money while walking around the street. (FEEL only la, temporary and unrealistic some more)
No wonder some people view artist as an abnormal people because of their weird behavior (of smiling out of nowhere). HAHA.
Thirdly, different viewing angle.
By appreciating people’s art, it makes me view things differently. For example when admiring a new advert, normal reaction is to find out what promotion they offer. I would rather analyse their layout, “oh, so they added this concept here to make it like this”. I love the design type of ‘Branding advertisement’ more than ‘Informative advertisement’ because their concept is very special.
Lastly, the pleasure.
I enjoyed doing the graphic because I keep doing different design after completing one. Work is never dull because all artworks are different. Zooming in and out, editing text, applying effect sounds like a ‘game’ instead of a ‘work’. Passion is the word. In addition, I get to travel to Temburong to shoot photos, gain exposure with Jan and David, try out Window Movie Maker to create new presentation and more. Work is never a routine or monotonous duty because every artwork is one of its kind.
However! Life as a GD is not as good as what I’ve written.
Firstly, the long working hours to meet deadline.
This will leave you completely having no social life if your job is constantly racing against deadline. (its either company have good business OR they company trying to make the best out of you without wanting to employ additional GD to ease the work load) How to paktoh like that? Even if there’s time allowance for paktoh..
Guy: *thinking hard to assemble new layout*
Girl : “Dear, take a look at that diamond advert! So nice”
Guy: “AH HAA! I can use something similar to this layout!”
Girl : “Dear?”
Secondly, at times, your Art Director will force you to churn out a design in a very tensed time limit,
but what if, coincidentally (ngam ngam) your creative juice in your brain is ultimately dry. You will feel as though you’ve been checkmated in a game of chess. (= GG) To make matter worst, the game doesn’t end just like that, and your opponent (Art Director/boss) will keep pressuring you to turn the tide and draft out something.
Thirdly, the pay and competition of foreign workers.
Firstly, a GD’s pay in Brunei is incomparable to the other country’s. And, a company can just employ a FT (foreign talent) who can do GREAT design, felt blessed with the pay, willing to work long hours and won’t come online and comment how bad GD is appreciated. This is happening in our neighbouring country too, singapore. Check out their forum on this issue
Things just got hotter in page two onwards. (Mable, this will definitely interest you too, in sg somemore)
In conclusion, this is something to consider when venturing into design. If you wanted go in the design line, be the best and survive or be normal and just take it as a hobby. Nowadays, graphic editing software are very common and online tutorials are everywhere! A lot of people are proficient at it too, be it photo editing, website layout, simple brochures, event cards or gifts. Grow or else our rice bowl will be taken over soon, by the “dynamic-portfolio-hungry-design-graduates-who-don’t-mind-any-pay”
Please comment your view on this, your comments are my inspiration and motivation to blog more. Please do not react like this when you see me asking for comment. HAHAH
//the only picture here, please do. HAHA
About the author – I’ll be deleting some of my previous entries of 2005 and 2006. I felt that those post are very immature and unnecessary, in addition, it is quite a mess and crap too. When I was thinking about this post, another idea came about, therefore..
Next: Specialisation and Generalisation in Life
They have commented; have you?