The current buzz jargon meme of “Blue Ocean Strategy vs Red Ocean Strategy” applies here…
If your operating overhead is high, you need to be applying that expensive education towards the Blue Ocean. Instead of looking for “design work” you need to be applying your design skills to create value that does not exist yet in the marketplace. This means designing a business rather than just product or experience concepts. The Blue Ocean is clear of competitors and holds much promise for market dominance for your ideas.
The Red Ocean on the other hand is filled with blood from the cut throat competitive market. Many designers with the same skills are competing for the same jobs and it is an endless race to the bottom of the ocean where life cannot sustain itself. Technology and the internet only exacerbates the phenomena/problem. (kids in high school now are mastering 3D CAD)
If you’re in China, the densely populated urban areas of Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong are short term “design tourist” markets now for western dsigners. The schools there now are mature and are pumping out designers who are willing to live in a box with 20 others for a year or so. And this cycle is not showing any signs of letting up.
Take some risks…head for the Blue Ocean…