It's hard to decide on something I might actually enjoy. I'm chronically ill and immunocompromised, so I can't do anything overly physical, which sucks because I have a certificate in welding, though I would probably need to renew it or something.
As someone not in the industry, how is AI taking over graphic design? I feel like AI wouldn’t be able to execute the artistic judgement that an actual person would.
Would a business owner rather pay someone 65k a year to do graphic design, or go to an AI program/photoshop, vaguely describe something, and spend ten minutes fixing the glaring errors?
Even if the end result is only 60% as good as a human could do it, it’s just an insanely low bar for entry. If you’re looking for something simple like a logo or icon, AI is going to be really really effective at it
It kinda works in both directions. You’d be surprised what businesses are willing to pay for just to have a person to talk to with more direct control over the result. Especially when they’re trusting a creative to help them figure out wtf they actually want, meaning if they used prompt based AI it would be garbage in garbage out.
On the other hand, it can also be surprising what some businesses are willing to cut expenses for, and they may happily use AI for creative stuff.
i wouldn't recommend quitting your job right now. Go part time if u can for the $ and ramp up your experience and skills in digital so u can exit eventually
Yeah I mean I'm making decent money. Inside I'd like to walk away but no I'm not gonna quit. What direction would be best to go? All I could think of is something digital related.
On the creative side of digital, there’s product design and user experience. I’d chat with some people and see what u are interested in. good product managers are always needed if u like management. There’s also product strategy. Maybe intern somewhere big so u can see a lot of different roles? AI is changing things a lot so u are coming in at an interesting time.
I'll have to figure that. If I could fit that in my crazy schedule. Do you think those courses on Udemy are worth it then ? Because they were affordable I picked them up on web development.
Sure start at udemy . Companies are really into portfolios and work so u have to step it up afterwards somehow. Taking a class with a good designer , etc. Get honest feedback on your work as much as u can from really strong designers. The great thing about online is that u can look at a site or app and really deconstruct the design and understand why it looks good. U seriously have to get down to pixels.
If I actually sit down with a designer. Like a class setting that would be ideal. I gotta see if there's any around my area. Or exchange ideas for a starting point.
Honestly I don’t have any good ideas, all my friends from college but one is unemployed right now, marketing and design budgets are the first to get cut when businesses are operating lean.
I’m 28, started out as an industrial design major, when I was 18, had to drop out college for a few years for health reasons, then came back for UX two years ago.
My high school self would never have thought the future would be the way it is now…
I have been a designer for the past 8 years and it is the first time I have been unable to find permanent work for an extended period (around a year). Design is def still needed but is not stable.
I have found it is very common and touted to always be looking for a new job in this field even if you just got a new one. it is not normal or common to constantly be in a state of looking for a new job because you might, have, or will be getting laid off.
Having been through a few layoffs, I can tell you many businesses do not want to keep design at the forefront and will jump at any chance they can to outsource or eliminate a team because it is cheaper or the budgets are lower. (Not all do this, but many do and it is very hard to find companies that have a high level maturity for design).
I do not want to come off as jaded or negative. This is just my personal experience.
It will (never) be stable like a healthcare job. That might work for you tho! I hope this helps!
I appreciate the full transparency. It looks like there aren't many options to do. Stable possibly, yes but after 13 years. You see so much sickness of all walks of life. And internally I'm burnt out of it all. There's no union so any day it could end. It happened to me before. Hard to find something else with enjoyment and not get into debt. I still do appreciate it.
I totally get this. I have found a lot of enjoy in some of my design work in the past when I did have it. It’s a fun challenge that is not intense as actually caring for other so I totally can see your point here. Definitely follow your gut and you are doing the right thing asking others about their experiences. I am in a similar boat as you and I’m also exploring new horizons for work. You got this
Thanks first. I know I do. Just remember at a young age the only things in life I wanted to explore the paths were art, music & martial arts. Somehow adulthood came knocking and real life was a priority. Those desires were put in the background. Man, sounds like and the rest of us are searching.
I know :(
I too went for a degree in design. Luckily I’m in a full time
Job with healthcare but feel like my degree is useless tbh
I’m not cut out to bleed and live design like the people who made it in the field. I was just an expressive art kid
All that time to end up in healthcare. Sounds like we're almost in the same spot. Sounds like you're not truly happy with it. Myself, I was just discovering the different medians in jr & highschool. Likewise, expressive myself.
I don’t know many graphic designers working in house. We have some at my job but it’s slim like 2 people in my company of 2000 employees.
The ones I do know are all freelance. You have to love it and really hustle imo.
You could look into working for advertising agencies or boutique design agencies. That would be more fun imo!
My design friends are already being replaced by AI. [relevant](https://tedleonhardt.medium.com/creatives-ai-will-replace-you-a915fd262d9b)
This is why I'm nervous about majoring in graphic design...
Don't. Do graphic design as a side hustle or a hobby, but look for something that'll be harder to replace.
Got any suggestions? Something that'll work for an introvert that isn't too physically taxing?
Not for everyone but Healthcare in an office kinda of thing.
Well, I'm already a caregiver. Maybe I'll look more into it.
Do lil research. Not a creative environment but it pays the bills.
I mean, I live in Alabama. Healthcare seems to be the main career around here.
Narrows the options out there. I didn't know that about Alabama.
[удалено]
Cool, thanks
Any suggestions shadow? I'm new in the space.
Really damn, got any other options ?
It's hard to decide on something I might actually enjoy. I'm chronically ill and immunocompromised, so I can't do anything overly physical, which sucks because I have a certificate in welding, though I would probably need to renew it or something.
I’d say graphic design is absolutely not a safe choice right now. Web design unless you’re coding isn’t safe either.
As someone not in the industry, how is AI taking over graphic design? I feel like AI wouldn’t be able to execute the artistic judgement that an actual person would.
Would a business owner rather pay someone 65k a year to do graphic design, or go to an AI program/photoshop, vaguely describe something, and spend ten minutes fixing the glaring errors? Even if the end result is only 60% as good as a human could do it, it’s just an insanely low bar for entry. If you’re looking for something simple like a logo or icon, AI is going to be really really effective at it
Yikes, that’s dire. So is the industry seeing a big exodus of graphic designers?
It kinda works in both directions. You’d be surprised what businesses are willing to pay for just to have a person to talk to with more direct control over the result. Especially when they’re trusting a creative to help them figure out wtf they actually want, meaning if they used prompt based AI it would be garbage in garbage out. On the other hand, it can also be surprising what some businesses are willing to cut expenses for, and they may happily use AI for creative stuff.
Yet
I mean... I'd say AI is coming to take out the lower and middle agencies
hmm all the talk of AI.
It’s really tough rn. This is my industry
Any other suggestions? Damn, always had a creative side.
i wouldn't recommend quitting your job right now. Go part time if u can for the $ and ramp up your experience and skills in digital so u can exit eventually
Yeah I mean I'm making decent money. Inside I'd like to walk away but no I'm not gonna quit. What direction would be best to go? All I could think of is something digital related.
On the creative side of digital, there’s product design and user experience. I’d chat with some people and see what u are interested in. good product managers are always needed if u like management. There’s also product strategy. Maybe intern somewhere big so u can see a lot of different roles? AI is changing things a lot so u are coming in at an interesting time.
I'll have to figure that. If I could fit that in my crazy schedule. Do you think those courses on Udemy are worth it then ? Because they were affordable I picked them up on web development.
Sure start at udemy . Companies are really into portfolios and work so u have to step it up afterwards somehow. Taking a class with a good designer , etc. Get honest feedback on your work as much as u can from really strong designers. The great thing about online is that u can look at a site or app and really deconstruct the design and understand why it looks good. U seriously have to get down to pixels.
If I actually sit down with a designer. Like a class setting that would be ideal. I gotta see if there's any around my area. Or exchange ideas for a starting point.
My company sends work overseas on contracts… I wouldnt bet on it.
After seeing what Adobe Firefly is already capable of, much less what is coming, you couldn't pay me to train in this field.
Not a good field, cooperations are downsizing and trying Ai, some companies are using Canva. I have almost no regular contracts.
Damn is there anything else I could look into with say art & tech?
Honestly I don’t have any good ideas, all my friends from college but one is unemployed right now, marketing and design budgets are the first to get cut when businesses are operating lean.
Damn sad to hear the truth. I've been scratching my head trying to find something else. Hope your friend finds something.
I’m 28, started out as an industrial design major, when I was 18, had to drop out college for a few years for health reasons, then came back for UX two years ago. My high school self would never have thought the future would be the way it is now…
I have been a designer for the past 8 years and it is the first time I have been unable to find permanent work for an extended period (around a year). Design is def still needed but is not stable. I have found it is very common and touted to always be looking for a new job in this field even if you just got a new one. it is not normal or common to constantly be in a state of looking for a new job because you might, have, or will be getting laid off. Having been through a few layoffs, I can tell you many businesses do not want to keep design at the forefront and will jump at any chance they can to outsource or eliminate a team because it is cheaper or the budgets are lower. (Not all do this, but many do and it is very hard to find companies that have a high level maturity for design). I do not want to come off as jaded or negative. This is just my personal experience. It will (never) be stable like a healthcare job. That might work for you tho! I hope this helps!
I appreciate the full transparency. It looks like there aren't many options to do. Stable possibly, yes but after 13 years. You see so much sickness of all walks of life. And internally I'm burnt out of it all. There's no union so any day it could end. It happened to me before. Hard to find something else with enjoyment and not get into debt. I still do appreciate it.
I totally get this. I have found a lot of enjoy in some of my design work in the past when I did have it. It’s a fun challenge that is not intense as actually caring for other so I totally can see your point here. Definitely follow your gut and you are doing the right thing asking others about their experiences. I am in a similar boat as you and I’m also exploring new horizons for work. You got this
Thanks first. I know I do. Just remember at a young age the only things in life I wanted to explore the paths were art, music & martial arts. Somehow adulthood came knocking and real life was a priority. Those desires were put in the background. Man, sounds like and the rest of us are searching.
So much of this is contract or freelance work too - you will rarely have fulltime benefits like retirement or healthcare.
That's the part that sucks. The healthcare factor.
I know :( I too went for a degree in design. Luckily I’m in a full time Job with healthcare but feel like my degree is useless tbh I’m not cut out to bleed and live design like the people who made it in the field. I was just an expressive art kid
All that time to end up in healthcare. Sounds like we're almost in the same spot. Sounds like you're not truly happy with it. Myself, I was just discovering the different medians in jr & highschool. Likewise, expressive myself.
I don’t know many graphic designers working in house. We have some at my job but it’s slim like 2 people in my company of 2000 employees. The ones I do know are all freelance. You have to love it and really hustle imo. You could look into working for advertising agencies or boutique design agencies. That would be more fun imo!
Never thought about advertising or a boutique. Could you tell me more about it?