Is this an industry in decline?
more bigger businesses are closing and smaller boutique desgn shops opening up in their places - does this paint a bleak picture for design employment in this country? how might one move around in an industry that is shrinking in size and offer?
who is china proof?
yours
optimist* 
Hi Jorge,
Just some questions:
Any facts to support your comments?
What do you mean by small boutique design shops?
Why is downsizing of studios a bad thing?
cheers
Jorge,
I’d say that the industry is not so much in decline, just levelled off while our U.K manufacturing works (casting, Sheet steel, extrusion, injection moulding) are being put under constant pressure by low cost Chinese imports. Forcing our factories to lower prices, and as a result standards to compete. The manufacturing and fabrication industry is on its arse at the moment which is having a knock-on effect on the whole design industry, all the way to the stores and highstreet shops.
I don’t think this should effect you as a ID’er, you can still stay designing in the U.K. Unfortunately it is becoming increasingly easy to have parts/units sent out to be manufactured and assembled in the far east, then packaged and sent back to the U.K cheaper than having the work done down the road at our local factories.
So there is no need to feel that your design career has no progression here in England. Its us in the factories that are feeling the strain.
Our Quality and Standards are China Proof!