Artists,Designers and all Creatives admit it:You’re A Business Man(Person)!
I recently asked a question on LinkedIn of a design related group,”Do you think you would be more successful financially if you had taken business courses in art school?”I ask this
question because of the many forums on design where I read about the age old problem of young designers being underpaid,asking about how to get clients,should you do free work,why use a contract? etc.The thing that gets me is most design schools still don’t teach a basic business course to the many designers who crowd the hundreds of schools dreaming of financial success while looking down their noses at the painters,sculptors and other denizens of art school,because they are learning a “practical creative skill”.Thousands of design books have been published over the years and there are woefully few that cover the basics of being a successful professional designer.There are a great many books that talk about portfolios,
style,color,type,production and software.Many case studies on how a design was created to solve a clients visual design problem.Just not enough telling you how they keep the light bill
paid,budgeting,marketing,taxes,sales, customer relations and managing yourself or employees.
In todays world it is amazing designers still believe as artists they can learn the business end on the run.I took business courses after I left school.It saved me from assuming my design work was all I needed to succeed in the commercial world of American design.A good basic business
design course would justify the high cost of tuition that goes with learning to be a designer!
Ask yourself how many of the people you graduated with are still in design.I bet talent
wasn’t the reason they left the field.
I recently asked a question on LinkedIn of a design related group,”Do you think you would be more successful financially if you had taken business courses in art school?”I ask this
question because of the many forums on design where I read about the age old problem of young designers being underpaid,asking about how to get clients,should you do free work,why use a contract? etc.The thing that gets me is most design schools still don’t teach a basic business course to the many designers who crowd the hundreds of schools dreaming of financial success while looking down their noses at the painters,sculptors and other denizens of art school,because they are learning a “practical creative skill”.Thousands of design books have been published over the years and there are woefully few that cover the basics of being a successful professional designer.There are a great many books that talk about portfolios,
style,color,type,production and software.Many case studies on how a design was created to solve a clients visual design problem.Just not enough telling you how they keep the light bill
paid,budgeting,marketing,taxes,sales, customer relations and managing yourself or employees.
In todays world it is amazing designers still believe as artists they can learn the business end on the run.I took business courses after I left school.It saved me from assuming my design work was all I needed to succeed in the commercial world of American design.A good basic business
design course would justify the high cost of tuition that goes with learning to be a designer!
Ask yourself how many of the people you graduated with are still in design.I bet talent
wasn’t the reason they left the field.
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dennisstaples459@gmail.com
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