Comments on: Yours is bigger

By: Mary

Mary — Thu, 12 Oct 2006 19:30:20 +0000

I am glad you wrote this too. This very issue has been on my mind very heavily lately. Not so much on a firm level, but on a personal level. What do I consider my success? How much should I compare my success to other people's success? More work vs. Better work. The pros and cons of pushing my career toward a higher-paying art director position. All those issues. This really gave me some good insight.

Thanks!

By: arjan

arjan — Mon, 02 Oct 2006 18:18:26 +0000

maybe the book "status anxiety" by alain de botton is a nice tip for anyone who wants to know why we sometimes (or all the time) do things others expect us to do.
it's an interesting read - especially from the perspective of this article.

By: Karthik

Karthik — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 10:41:31 +0000

Your article could not have been more correct.

I am a Visualiser in an ad agency. I started as a self-learnt designer. I loved to explore the tools, the books and just loved to design (on any media). Now it is more of concepts, strategies, copy rather than the unadulterated fun of designing the same.

How does it come to this ? How do we lose our way ? I am wondering how will I get the same passion for design and creativity that I once had ?

Thanks for the article. It just made me realise that I am right in what I am thinking.

By: Tim Lapetino

Tim Lapetino — Thu, 21 Sep 2006 13:19:57 +0000

I love what you've said--from the perspective of much of the business world, this probably sounds like a weird move, but it really seems right if what you want to focus on is *doing* the work. I applaud you all for this big (small?) step. Your thoughts on happiness and smallness as we pursue our design fortunes have hit me at a great time, as I'm looking at my next steps. I resonate with much of what you said, so thanks for laying it out there--you've really encouaged me to think deeply about how I'll want to fashion my design career going forward. I'd love to hear more about how this develops. Thanks again! :)

By: Jean Tan

Jean Tan — Sat, 16 Sep 2006 07:55:28 +0000

I'm glad you wrote this. It was such an insight!
I'm 25 years old and I run a small design and print company here in the Philippines.
It's so much better to work with a smaller group of people because everyone can voice out their opinions and at the same time work on similar goals. Our work seems more personalized and at the same time we develop a better relationship with our clients.
As individuals, we get to learn more about ourselves and our capabilities.

By: Maaike

Maaike — Fri, 15 Sep 2006 11:20:20 +0000

I think you made the right decision and I wish you good look. Ever since I started my design studio I decided to keep it as small is possible (ie. just me). After all, we went to art school in order to become designers, not managers, right?!

By: cat

cat — Fri, 15 Sep 2006 03:42:33 +0000

I've done the same (years ago now). Becoming a larger design company seemed a dream, but soon my time was taken up with the bits of running a company and not so much design. Zero design most days. Then came the staff problems. And office politics have never been my thing. I started backing off, eventually getting out totally.

Several months back a dear friend and design did the very same thing. She's even moved her business out of the downtown office and back home. She's much happier in a studio of one.

By: arjan

arjan — Thu, 14 Sep 2006 21:05:49 +0000

You are so right. And you tell it right, too.
I sold my share in my ever-growing communication agency for the very same reason. Now I'm starting a design studio and keep it small. Someone said I am going back to myself, which I think is exactly how it feels. And you know that someone even more wise said: "A designer knows he has achieved perfection not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away." The same thing counts for your company.
Good luck with the transition - and don't mind what others might think.