Design Community

There's so much I have to say about the design community here in Malaysia. First of all let me just get started by saying I'm a design graduate and I've done several freelance jobs and I've worked with clients and talked to alot of people and it's all part of what I'm about to say here. So everything has it's own reason why I'm saying it and not just blindly. I came across a job just a couple of days ago while scouting for jobs. And to my dismay, this person is offering people to do brochure designs for a mere RM5/per design. And to contact him, you have to call him up and if he doesn't like your design he is not going to pay for it. I would link it for you but unfortunately the ad has been taken down. Now this really pisses me off. Seriously RM5? If you were to throw this assignment to my 7 year old sister maybe she won't even accept your offer. It's not that we, designers are very greedy and we want more. No doubt everyone wants money but this is about how you think of designers. Are we cheap labours to you? Is RM5 what you are willing to pay for peoples hard work and ideas? Would Leonardo da Vinci sell his ideas for RM5? Or would Steve Jobs sell his marketing ideas for RM5? Think about it. By the time I call you up, use my electricity to design this brochure and my ideas I think RM5 would already be used up hence what is this? Free designs for you? I don't think so. Then after that, I saw another job to design 500 unique wall decals and map them into interior photographs for RM100. Yeah, another RM5 job! 


Seriously, what is happening to the design community here in Malaysia? People have always never respected us and now they think we deserve RM5 for hard work? And many times I observe people are taking advantage of designers. They pay you a price and you did the job well and after everything is approved there goes a change of idea after another and it's a never ending cycle. People, changes = more pay! Every designers and design firms have their own terms and condition and when you can't abide by them you will say they are cheating you or they are not good. Sometimes I can't even think of a good reason why designers are so under-rated here.


If you go to the US for example, designers in the advertising firms and us now. There's a huge difference. People respect them, for their creativity, their ideas and everything. That's why they can keep improving and doing a better job. Most of the time designers here are locked up and unable to express themselves fully because of the education methods and the industry. 


Designers are like consultants. If you come to them about doing a website. Listen to them. We may need your brief as to what you may like to include but when we tell you if you want this and that it's not going to suit or it's not going to come off as a marketable design the please listen. Seriously, being a designer it's not just about creating beautiful things. We are also trained to think what's best for you and how to sell your product. If you wanted a tacky website and we advise you not to, it's merely for your own good. I mean who is going to look at a tacky website. 


Design is a strategy. It uses psychology.


Alot of times, when I was just about to pursue my design diploma people would ask me what am I planning to do? The minute I tell them design, they just say ohh okay, or can earn meh? Now I just want to put it out there that, everything in this world is made out of design. Why you may ask? Simple, look at your phone, your computer, Facebook, signboards, packaging, your clothes, advertisements, your movies, your TV shows, everything... and can you please tell me other than design who else is going to come up with that final product for you. 


Yes I know alot of people from different fields are involved too but who comes up with the final product? That you may want to ask yourself over and over again until you change your mind about designers. 


Alot of things make me realize how downgraded designers are in this country. We are not well-respected for our ideas and work. If only they looked into how we work, the amount of rest we get and how is it like to think for a concept. It's not easy being a designer but it's even harder being a designer in this country. I wished that people could change their mindset here and stop asking for RM5 designs or FREE designs or 1001 changes for FREE coz that's not going to happen. You wan't a good designer, you have to pay the price for one. If you pay RM5 maybe i can recommend you to just pick up a pen and pencil and write it on a piece of paper for a brochure. 

*leaves this post angrily* 

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