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What is killing design?

Is design dying? Of course not!

 

There’s been a question floating around the graphic design industry, especially among freelancers.

Is design dying? And if so, why?

People are talking about problems they face. Lack of funds. Dwindling opportunities. Cheap clients. Cheaper designers using sites such as Fiverr to sell their wares. Diminishing standards across the industry.

You listen to these complaints and, as a designer, you start to worry.

Where is the industry going? Is the future a landscape filled with underpaid, underskilled designers doing work they don’t care enough about to feel passion for?

But then I checked myself.

Because, you know what? When you get right down to it, all they are are excuses. Nothing more.

Sure, you may face difficulties establishing yourself, or providing yourself with a good living.

But when has that not been the case? Graphic design, and especially freelance, isn’t a safe career. It’s an industry of passion and creativity, and if you’re good enough, you make it to the top.

And even if the internet is changing the parameters of the industry, it’s also providing some fantastic opportunities. Here’s some stats:

  • 38% of users will stop interacting with a website if the layout is unattractive.
  • Consistent brand presentation across all platforms increases revenue by up to 23%, and more and more brands are starting to realise this.
  • Content marketing efforts receive three times the leads per pound spent than paid searches.
  • 64% of consumers make a purchase after viewing a branded social video.

Every one of the gripes above is eminently solvable. Cheap clients? Raise your prices. Clients not paying on time? Fix your initial contracts and communication. Anyone can do it? Be better than them.

I honestly believe that this is one of the best times to be a designer. Nothing is killing design.

The internet is bringing us closer to consumers than ever. We can see the effects our work has on our audience, and nothing is more satisfying than that.

As Gary Vaynerhuck keeps preaching, the market is the market is the market. So rather than searching for excuses, take that as an advantage and search for solutions.


Got any questions? Drop us a line at hello@orfimedia.com and we’ll be in touch ASAP!

Jonas Urbonas

Jonas is the CEO & co-founder of Orfi Media, and handles responsibility for all things graphic design, UI/UX and content creation, as well as being a Boston Celtics obsessive.

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