The Current State Of Designers In Singapore

Today I went for a meeting with a client. I had sent some work to them for approval.

Everything seemed fine, or so I thought. Well the meeting started off well enough but soon, it became a case of just do a layout my way, without any changes, because my way is better.

I dunno, it really puzzles me. Do some clients look for designers to make their work better, or are they looking for designers to just do their bidding blindly? A designer is often engaged to improve the look, ergonomics or function of something. Instead, over here, it seems, designers are engaged to merely turn into reality, someone's vision (which in the first place, is something we do). Designers here have little to no say in how things should be done. Our "expertise", as some clients see it, is to just follow.

I dunno, maybe I am saddened by the way the words are put across, the "just follow" remark seems to hint at a society that merely seeks to do as told, with little acceptance of alternative or even improved viewpoints. I am not saying my ideas are a definite improvement, but I think subtlety is more successful than in-your-face highlights at times.

Then again, to be fair, most clients just want something that's useable, not one that takes into consideration ergonomics or subtlety or even wit.

Perhaps I am currently too idealistic, perhaps I should consider each job on its merits, that most are bread & butter projects, while there are a select few that allow us to go to town with our ideas. It is, as they would say, time to mature as a designer and take the good with the bad.

Random thought of the day - Simplicity is not the goal. It is the by-product of a good idea and modest expectations.