re: graphic design industry today

[salrandazzo]

Hello,

I am new to this forum.

I am a professional designer with 21 years of experience. I have been very fortunate to have a comfortable
design career through hard work, discipline and determination.

I am wondering about your view about our profession today as it regards to the massive influx of design students
graduating today and very few of them getting real design jobs. What is your view on the massive increase in design
students entering our profession. Do we need stricter NASAD accreditation for graduating students?... I was fortunate
to attend the NASAD accredited design school at San Jose State University and did not have to pay an arm and a leg
like some of my professional peers who attend private art and design schools.

I was invited to an AIGA portfolio day event to review several students' portfolios and found it to be a win-win situation.
I gave them constructive criticism and postive feedback to inspire them to do their best work and to always view each
project, how little or how big, as a opportunity to grow and learn professionally. This was my favorite design event outside
of AIGA design conferences, that I thoroughly enjoyed and will definitely help students in the future AIGA portfolio day events.

Thank you.

Regards,

Sal Randazzo

[lauren3g]

ORIGINAL: salrandazzo

I am wondering about your view about our profession today as it regards to the massive influx of design students graduating today and very few of them getting real design jobs.

What is your view on the massive increase in design students entering our profession. Do we need stricter NASAD accreditation for graduating students?...

NASAD schools do not guarantee a job after completions of the program. They do promise an education. It is up to the student to research the school, reputation, teaching style etc. It it also up to the student to work hard and do the work once in school. Having the education will help in getting the job.

There are many talented students that don't get jobs and some mediocre ones that do. Getting a job is not just about what you know, talent or a degree. (There are a few folks out there with no design degree that are doing quite well). You also have to consider personality fit and the job hunter's ability to find/pursue job opportunities.... that includes not giving up!


So do I think stricter *NASAD accreditation will solve the problem... absolutely not.

*[size="1"]There are some students that graduate from non NASAD schools that also do well professionally.[/size]

[salrandazzo]

quote:

NASAD schools do not guarantee a job after completions of the program. They do promise an education. It is up to the student to research the school, reputation, teaching style etc. It it also up to the student to work hard and do the work once in school. Having the education will help in getting the job.

There are many talented students that don't get jobs and some mediocre ones that do. Getting a job is not just about what you know, talent or a degree. (There are a few folks out there with no design degree that are doing quite well). You also have to consider personality fit and the job hunter's ability to find/pursue job opportunities.... that includes not giving up!


So do I think stricter *NASAD accreditation will solve the problem... absolutely not.

*There are some students that graduate from non NASAD schools that also do well professionally.

Hi Lauren,

Thank you for your response. It has been clear to me also that mediocre students get good jobs in our industry as well. There are far too many schools promising students that they will become professional designers... many of these schools only care about fattening their bottom line.

Do you really believe that a person without a design degree will have as great an impact on on design industry as the people who have a design degree?... A majority of the designers who have made an impact and have survived through good and lean years have a good design degree coupled with obvious talent that shines through their work to their peers and clients.

Other professionals...lawyers, doctors, etc. have their accreditation on their business cards, etc. Graphic designers in other countries put their accreditation on their business cards, etc. to distinguish themselves from those that have degrees and those who do not. The AIGA has been talking about this issue for years.... many saying that it would lend professional credibility to their titles and the profession overall.

Regards, Sal

[theDoctor]

I, for one, think that accreditation and/or licensing would be very beneficial to our industry. I can say so because I'm a recovering medicore designer.

As it stands now, one only needs the have the "g" "r" "a" "p""h" "i" "c"  "d" "e" "s" "i" "g" "n" "e" "r" keys on their keyboard (yeah, I know I repeated the g, i, and e keys, but i'm trying to make a point) to qualifiy as a designer. Some even have degrees from schools with medicore programs (like myself). Can you believe when I graduated i didn't even have a single class on typography? AND, our teacher never taught us QuarkI or InDesign!

Yet when i was unleashed on the world, i could call myself a deisgner. but having to undergo acreditation would have better my skills, increased my chances, and generally been of benefit. As it stood, i had to teach myself all that which was lacking but that which acreditation would have revealed sooner.

Bottom line: accreditation would properly thin out the chaft of mediocrity and leave quality, talented designers behind.

[7twelve]

ORIGINAL: theDoctor]
Bottom line: accreditation would properly thin out the chaft of mediocrity and leave quality, talented designers behind.

And potentially alienate the gifted, driven individual that for whatever reason is not capable of attending an accredited school (or even higher education in general).

In this massively digital age, it is true that anyone can call themselves a designer, programmer, et. al....but it is also this digital age and freedom/exchange of ideas and information that makes it possible for anybody with the sheer talent to define and refine their abilities.

Universities have their place (networking, self discovery, etc), but not everybody needs be to told in a lecture how to direct their focus. And ultimately, the end product is what matters; not if they learned it in a classroom or in their mom's basement.

[lauren3g]

ORIGINAL: salrandazzo
Do you really believe that a person without a design degree will have as great an impact on on design industry as the people who have a design degree?

...have their accreditation on their business cards, etc. Graphic designers in other countries put their accreditation on their business cards, etc. to distinguish themselves from those that have degrees and those who do not. The AIGA has been talking about this issue for years.... many saying that it would lend professional credibility to their titles and the profession overall.

As someone who has more than their share of degrees I am all in favor of education BUT there are some out there that are great designers and don't have a design degree. A former co-worker had been in the industry for 20 years. Her degree is in journalism. She learned from mentors and taking courses over the years.... granted she is a talented and not just smart, brilliant! So yes I do feel there are some folks out there that get their education in less formal ways and deserve to be called designers. I also agree that this is a minority.

IDSA (Industrial Design Society of America) has also been discussing "certification" similar to that of architects for decades as well. I just don't feel it will make a difference. The folks tha want good design will pay for it. Those who don't will hire the amatuers. Employers that are bottom feeders will hire the weak designers at a cheaper price. The high end design firm or in-house creative director will hire the talent if design really matters in their organization. Certification is no guarantee... just like going to a NASAD accredited school doesn't gaurantee you are going to graduate as a good designer. Passing "The Test" isn't the answer IMO.

What will make the difference is educating the public. Here in the US we are still behind in our respect for good design... but it is getting better. Just look at Target now compared to 20 years ago!

[salrandazzo]

Hi Lauren,

I agree that there is a small minority of designers who have been successful and have not received a degree.
Some of these designers have helped the design community and some of them have dissed the basic tenets
of good design... Carson, etc... who steer some of their students or style hounds in the direction of fine art
versus good design communication.

Accreditation would elevate our profession from merely a service industry to a professional industry that would
enhance the perception of designers within the general business community and the greater community.

Accreditation could also be tied into the AIGA pledge to stop the abusive speculative work that is eroding/degrading
the value of the designer within the greater professional business community.

There will always be people who are insensitive or ignorant of the value of design and they will mostly lost
their marketshare within our expanding global and increasingly design sensitive end-user/audiences.

Accreditation is increasing within the global design community and I think will come in one form or another
to the US someday. Why do you think there is a perception that the US is behind other countries in terms
of design sensitivity?... I feel that some of these other countries know the value of accreditation to elevate
the value perception of their design industries to those of other professions... architects, etc.

Regards,

Sal Randazzo

[salrandazzo]

Universities have their place (networking, self discovery, etc), but not everybody needs be to told in a lecture how to direct their focus. And ultimately, the end product is what matters; not if they learned it in a classroom or in their mom's basement.

Hi 7twelve,

I feel you have missed the point regarding someone telling someone how to direct their focus in a design class...
the good schools/professors lay the ground work and inspire designers to expand their focus of the different areas
and disciplines of design and art so the student can find their own unique design voice and continue the process
of learning throughout their careers. The bad design schools/professors force their own stylistic agendas and biases
on their students... namely some of the professors from the private art schools where students graduate with
extreme debt.

Regards,

Sal Randazzo

[7twelve]

Sal,

I agree that a good teacher will inspire his/her students, that wasn't my point really. My point is that for some people, they don't need the inspiration from a university setting to grow as an artist.

For me personally, I'd have to say the most beneficial stuff I took regarding my design and art were my calculus and physics courses; as they really just tossed everything you thought you knew out the window and made you re-evaluate everything. Of course, my personality lends to be more of an independent learner, and I thrive in that setting...this doesn't work for everybody, and I understand that. But you can't just paint everybody with such a broad brush (accreditation vs. none) without taking into account the actual quality of the work and the disposition of the person in question.

And to continue on something Lauren mentioned about the IDSA...as of Jan this year they have changed their requirements, but the requirements are a bit whacky. For example, you have to have worked with an IDSA accredited shop/company/studio for 2 years before you can become accredited yourself. While that isn't such a huge issue in itself; in your smaller metro areas, the only accredited places (and there are all but a handful) require that you yourself are accredited...so it is a huge catch 22 where the only option is to hope they bend their requirements, or up and move to a new city.

I'll just add one more thing, I'm all for accreditation/certification/etc in theory but personally feel it should be an optional process. Something like a Better Business Bureau to attest to the quality of the designer at hand.

[lauren3g]

ORIGINAL: salrandazzo
Accreditation would elevate our profession from merely a service industry to a professional industry that would enhance the perception of designers within the general business community and the greater community.

Personally I don't think it will. When it comes to picking a designer/design company most base it on the portfolio and the relationship... and the price. (Not always in that order unfortunately)

Accreditation could also be tied into the AIGA pledge to stop the abusive speculative work that is eroding/degrading the value of the designer within the greater professional business community.

Again I'm not sure how this would work. Some industries like the exhibit industry has done their design work for free for decades. (Exhibit houses make their money building the exhibit). No one likes to do spec work but we see it all the time. It's not just small companies either. Some of the big ones expect it. There are many offshore small shops that will do spec work too. I don't see this behavior ending.

Accreditation is increasing within the global design community and I think will come in one form or another to the US someday. Why do you think there is a perception that the US is behind other countries in terms of design sensitivity?

Design/Arts has been part of their culture. (Think Italy for one) It is slowly getting better here.