Too many design graduates?

The question of ‘Too many design graduates?’ is such a big issue in today’s climate that I believe it’s near impossible to sum up within a 750 word limit, which is why my word count goes just that little bit over. I’ve chosen to tackle this question as it directly affects me as a 3rd year student hopefully graduating in just a few months time.

According to the Higher Education Statistics Agency the number of undergraduates studying design and creative arts-related subjects has risen from 87,170 in 1996-97 to 140,195 in 2003-04, a leap of some 53,025 people in only seven years. Add another 16,220 architects (grouped in another statistical category) and it quickly becomes clear that the country is taking its final step in mutating from an industrial nation to a creative one.

So, is this a huge opportunity for employers? Or a nightmare of endless CV’s and just far too many portfolios and final year degree shows to look at properly?

It was always going to be tough to get a job in the industry, I’ve been told that since my ND course but it never discouraged me because I was passionate about the subject and I enjoyed doing it. But the daunting prospect became even scarier when I completed a 2-week placement at Bolton based design company Fudge. They currently have 2 senior designers and a junior designer in their studio. That’s 1 company with only 3 jobs; 3 jobs that are already filled by people who have years of experience in the industry. Why would they want an inexperienced University graduate taking up space? That’s how I was thinking before attempting to answer this question anyway.

With the current economic crisis, things seem to have just become worse for this years batch of graduates, as if it wasn’t going to be enough of a challenge without this added concern. Being a graphic design student though, I’m asked to solve problems all the time and this recession is just another challenge that I’ll have to face and overcome.

As the credit crunch hits and fewer jobs are available, Ian Cochrane is recommending design students to “get out” of the sector, which “does not need you”. He advises graduates to “look for jobs in industries that have vacancies – I mean, if you want to design restaurants, it is good to have worked in one or two”.
Well, that was a dose of cold reality and kind of depressing considering the amount of debt I’ve incurred trying to get such a career. I can see that by taking his advice, you’d get to know your subject inside out, but it’s the designing that I’m interested in and the way in which a design company runs and operates is totally different.

Graduates may not have the experience but in my opinion, design firms
need an injection of enthusiastic designers who have fresh and insightful ideas, or they run the risk of becoming stagnant. Referring back to my example of Fudge, they have designers there with much more experience than me, but they still offered me a desk to work at for 2 weeks. It was my first chance seeing how things happened in the ‘real world’ and they were keen to pass on their knowledge of design and the industry they’re working in, but they also asked for my thoughts and opinions on the work they were designing. I was a fresh set of eyes viewing their work and commenting on it, at the same time as doing some work for them whilst they were busy.
I just wonder if Cochrane would’ve listened to his own advice when he was a student? He probably wouldn’t be the ‘industry heavyweight’ he is now.

On a more positive note though, Glenn Tutssel of the Brand Union is much more optimistic. Whilst being interviewed for a Design Week podcast, he says,
“Student placements are really tough out there at the moment… there’s work around for good people who can actually add value to consultancies, so for good people it’s the same old story. It’s my 3rd recession, 30 years in the industry, and the great people out there will always be in work.”
I personally think that that last line should read, “the great, passionate and enthusiastic people out there will always be in work,”

I think these days, the design course has become overly accessible and seen by many people as a trendy and easy option and don’t want to struggle getting a degree, hence the rise in numbers. Michael Peters comments,
“There is too big a supply of young designers and far too many people doing mediocre work.”
I think the students that are creating the mediocre work are the ones that are on the course for the wrong reasons. Not only do you need to be good, you need to be passionate about the subject and be willing to struggle to get to where you want to be, not just be doing it for the trendy lifestyle or the success and ‘fame’ that some designers have. I know that design is what I want to do and that I enjoy doing it, I just now need to find a way to stand out from the many other design students by putting in that little bit more effort and going that extra mile.

I have been emailing companies recently, contacting them asking for portfolio viewings and also asking questions about how they got into the industry themselves but I have received few replies. I’ve found this very disheartening as it happened last year as well with the logbook, but I’ve just got to remember how many other undergraduates are doing the very same thing and not to give up. It’s very easy to just click a link and fire off an email and how is mine going to stand out from the many others that land in the company’s inbox each day? I’m not going to give up trying to contact these companies, but I think I’ll have to think of a new approach. Also, once I’ve established that connection, how am I going to get them to remember me? James and Lauren certainly made an impression down at the Love offices with their teapot, which they left behind after a portfolio viewing (
here) I just need to find a way in which I can do the same.

I believe that the economic crisis may actually help the design industry. Even though there will be less jobs, it’ll separate the students that really want a career in design and the ones that aren’t as passionate. The ones that aren’t will give up at the first knock back. Those that want it the most will push out all the stops to get to where they want to be.

There is always going to be a high number of people all wanting the same job as you and with the recession looming, it’s always going to be hard finding a job whatever profession. But as Glenn Tutssel said, “the great people out there will always be in work.”

I’ve just got to keep trying.

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