As much as clients cause a pain in the backside to many designers. Designers should definitely self educate themself upon alot of factors whether its regarding marketing themself, quotation prices or etc. Alot of student graduates do not know whats going on in the market. Hence there is so many problems with under charge designers or 'pseudo' designers out there. They are ruining the market and alot of them are ignorant and naive. People should start an awareness campaign or a workshop in colleges or universities to solve this problem

I dont really think locals businesses actually take the time to search for potential artist in deviant art and cg talks. Alot of them are unknowledgeable about alot of things. What your speaking on is exactly the same as any other profession, you dont start of a professional you make yourself one or you go and find work somewhere else. Everyone has the equal chance to expose and self educate themselfs about the market as well as updating themself with new market and social knowledge. It isn't impossible and as a matter of fact speaking from a 20 yr old student / freelancer. I get work most of the time and I believe in competition. Why shouldnt we be competitive with international professionals. This is the nature of any business and everyone knows that, either shape up or ship out. Maybe i'm abit harsh but your perspective on this is slightly narrow and quite negative.

Places such as deviantart and cg are places to look for potential talents. Whats wrong with a company looking there for 'professionals' when you cannot provide them what they want. I'm so called 'barely starting' but I've worked freelance over a year and get very interesting jobs as well get a pay that I want. Its not just about commissioning stuff overseas. Its about our current design standard in Malaysia which is currently low. We got so many pseudo designers who claim themselves designers when their actually technicians. Overall our design scene is young, but we also need to have 'quality' not quantity, and right now in the market we have alot of unemployed Designers, not cause of the lack of jobs.

But the lack of (you fill in the blanks)...

the word is definitely not talent my friend... I feel we have plenty of that as we do of graphic designers...
we have people who are lack of exposure, the ability to want to be open and learn more.
Are you telling me the average graduate Design student knows whats going on in the market?
Or that they know the basic sense of 'professionalism?' or how to research on specific topics or on the market? How to actually find jobs? Why is our turnout every year in graduates from design schools who work in the market so low?

Honestly what do you think is the source of these problems. If your saying we cant even compete with professionals what is our solution? Give up and try another profession? Our film, design and music scene have been struggling for the last decade and it hasnt struggled for no apparent reason.

Lets just list down a list of things that some graduates dont do-

1) Behave and always act professional
2) Dress properly
3) Taking responsiblity and dealing with time management
4) marketing themselves or companies
5) Research and find out more practically to anything not just design but the country and society itself.
6) Self educate + self learn
7) passionate and persistent
8) ask questions
9) ask intelligent questions
10) Take critique (this is a big bloody issue in Malaysia, many designers are unable to take criticism or critiques well, they see it as a personal attack instead of something which can come out to be positive and constructive).
11) Presentation
....

I could go on but I wish not too. Our problem is not the lack of support for local, after all designers dont need support, they wish more for 'recognition'. They dont receive this as yes malaysia's market is still young and not quite matured yet. But this cannot be an excuse to problems that hold designers down.

I attended a ceremony recently back 3 months ago of my seniors in LICT and the One academy where they were holding exhibitions of their work and no offence but about 80 % of them cannot design or know the term design. A person knows how to use a photoshop, director or illustrator counts themself straight away as a designer. The term designer here isn't taken professionally and seriously. Overseas a person who is a doctor or a lawyer has to uphold that sense of professionalism as well as the maturity and the mentality for that particular occupation, whilst for designers everywhere not just in Malaysia we have this constant dilemma.

I do agree that we do lack workshops and conventions here, but I ask you what are people doing here about it? Are you telling me people cant form their own competitions or workshops? Or start a community or a club with a general interest to learn?

The problem is with the people. Every root of problem in society is from the person. People are make things complicated, not life.

This post has been edited by nada-: Jan 18 2006, 10:01 PM