So after all these topics about:
BOSSES FROM HELL
HR NAZIS
15 YR CAREER SPAN
$65K SALARY CAP
JOBS GOING TO CHINA
LACK OF LOCAL OPPORTUNITIES
Is ID really worth getting into? staying in for?
Edit
I think it’s worth it when you see your product in a store or on display. The personal job satisfaction, at least to me, makes it worth it.
'Cause lets face it, we could all go into accounting or financing and make lots of money but is there job satisfaction. I would have to say no.
Except of coarse the satisfaction of making tons of money…
…wait I change my mind on the subject.
…yes…
i cant think of ANYTHING else…
what am I gonna go? GRAPHIC DESIGN??
All of those things are circumventable. If it was easy, everyone would want to do it.
It is the best job…I am a lucky camper to get paid to do this for a living.
LOL! I know what you mean, but there’s another path:
Hollywood, baby!
I made the switch from ID to Production Design in film. The last projects I did were The Island and Chronicles of Narina.
A colleague of mine was an Architect who’d also done the switch and he worked on Batman the Beginning.
It’s cool when you get the sci-fi genre, you get to design automotive, weaponry, sets…
Like everything else, it was rough when I had to start over again. BUT, there is hope.
I’m sticking with it, and I’m struggling to get back into the market because of a serious accident I was involved in. BUT, I remember the sense of satisfaction that came from researching and designing products for people that actually helped to make their life better!
Yes, it’s a struggle, but remember . . . an easy life teaches nothing!
Being involved in industrial design is a constant education!
shut up Yo…you are one of the joe schmoes who should just step aside and let some real talent design for nike. Get off your saop box sucka!
If you can’t see all this as BS, then you’re probably in the wrong field.
I see you’ve got your “guest” courage up. Nice. Maybe you can show us your REAL talent?
LOL! I know what you mean, but there’s another path:
Hollywood, baby!
I made the switch from ID to Production Design in film. The last projects I did were The Island and Chronicles of Narina.
A colleague of mine was an Architect who’d also done the switch and he worked on Batman the Beginning.
It’s cool when you get the sci-fi genre, you get to design automotive, weaponry, sets…
Like everything else, it was rough when I had to start over again. BUT, there is hope.
cool! i have always had an interest in this field, how long did it take you to get put on? did you have a industry connect?
i have heard it said that id grads do well in the entertainament industry? true?
Is ID worth getting into? I’ve often thought about it lately - the money is not as good as my non designer friends - thought about advertising, art direction, or even trying to break into film directing (usually the ability to visualize lends itself well to all those and more) - so I would definately say if you are gifted at design you can jump to other stuff which pays better - it depends on how much you LIVE for making things look cool and work well (sleep with it and make love to your project doggy style level).
If in the end you don’t go into fits of rage when engineering moves forward with your design and f’s it up (if your apathetic at all about how f’ing sweet your design is) then you could probably look for some other job which does arouse such passion.
Also - as you build up years of experience in design many of your peers are weeded out (I would bet 5-10% tops of my class is still in ID after 4-5 years) so there aren’t as many designers competing for the jobs, meaning you get paid better as you get experience (especially if you work for a corporation). The only other thing I would say is that it is hard to get a good design job and takes a huge amount of raw will power and tenacity to get to where you thought you would just “start out” in school - if you don’t sincerely believe you were put on earth to be a genius designer you may not have the stubbonness to work your way to a sweet ID job - you really have to be a “true believer” in your own destiny of greatness. One last thing - if you were born with the ability to sketch beautifully (you bastards out there know who you are) then getting the sweet design job is easier, logically, people who sketch like angels are not necessarily always great designers. the Eameses barely ever sketched, Starck is not a great sketcher, Frank Lloyd Wright couldn’t draw (that’s what I tell myself when I spin out on multiple sketches).
HI!
i am one of the bastards you were referring to…
and i must say i agree with everthing you have said.
can you recommend some design consultancies in the states? i am willing to fly, sail, hike, walk, and crawl anywhere to land that SWEET design job.
There are usually multiple consultancies in most major metro areas, lots on the east and west coasts, you can find them on the core77 list of firms by states, that’s very helpful for addresses and phone numbers. You don’t have to be at IDEO to get to work on cool projects, or rather make projects look cool - I try to steer clear of POP and toy just because I’ve done it and it isn’t what I want (somewhat like the porno industry (that’ll get some responses!)).
I got integrated into that circle because a former roomate was a film student. In passing, he thought my renderings were awesome and wondered if I would ever lend my talents to film, that’s where he told me about Production Design. I shrugged that off, but five years in ID, coupled with a Quarterlife crisis, I had to re-think my long term goals. I realized I do enjoy films, cinematography and the whole lot, I quickly saved every pay check, contacted my old roomate and crashed on his couch in Los Angeles.
The film circuit is built upon reputation and connections. I didn’t get a Production Design right away, mind you. I had to do some “starting at the bottom” things like, being a Production Assistant, which was probably the worst, sometimes you don’t get paid, you’re lucky if you get $100/day (sometimes for 12 hours), but it was good for me to learn all these movie-making lingo.
So after being a PA, I moved on to storyboarding which catapulted me to finally-- the Production Design field as an assistant making props and doing research. It probably took 3 years for me to re-learn, re-develop and re-adjust, but I found a way that I can still design and don’t mind the stress which comes with it.
I’m not gonna lie, the politics in Hollywood is horrible, but if you have faith in your talents and your team, you’ll be fine. There will be times when you won’t get a job for months, so learn to save the first big check you get, don’t buy a car or a house right away. Also, you’ll be competing with former Architects and engineers, but be friendly because they’ll keep you in mind when they get a gig.
There will be a lot of distractions, ego, self-doubt of having made a mistake, impatience, hopelessness, but you must be determined. If you do make the move to film, don’t be dismayed if you don’t get in Production Design right away, you have to pay your dues all over again… One thing I realized though is that Film Makers have an appreciation for people who can pick up a pencil and draw.
thank you very much guest, that whole world seems exciting cools stuff & tight deadlines i do not mind being an assistant and/or paying dues it all a learning experience…
get off your soap box yo! get a real job.
thanks for your concern, I’m good though.
How about this, I’ll get off the soap box, when you crawl out from under that rock and register.
Also, while I’m up here, you might want to check this out: Control anger before it controls you
Back to the topic. To the other guest, thanks for all of the info on entertainment design, something we don’t talk about much on here, but also something many designers salivate over!