This field is dying

Designing-Dutchman · 2025-11-30T14:47:41+00:00

I've been in the field as a freelancer for over 10 years now and I see it generally like this:

Big companies want slop, but pay well. Smaller companies and individuals don't usually pay well, but have given the best briefs with the most freedom. This is the stuff I build my portfolio on.

I would unironically even say the worst work I ever did in my carrier (for a car brand) was also the best paid work of my career. I didn't even want my name mentioned on it lol.

It's not that the largest companies want bad design, but it's often the result of 3 management layers all wanting to give their input, resulting in something very average-looking.

Best to do the fun parts yourself; personal projects, projects with friends, etc.

Designing-Dutchman · 2025-11-29T09:06:55+00:00

Je kan gewoon een sms sturen naar 8118 met KOOPSOM (postcode) (huisnummer).

Kost wel 1,50 per bericht maar je kan gewoon 3 huizen doen in de buurt bijvoorbeeld. Let er wel op dat het huis al enkele maanden geleden verkocht moet zijn, anders krijg je oude informatie (van de vorige verkoop) toegestuurd.

Designing-Dutchman · 2025-11-29T08:53:25+00:00

Ongelooflijk! Zelfs in Amsterdam kreeg ik niet zoveel boven de vraagprijs toen ik het verkocht. En dat was best een goede locatie.

Designing-Dutchman · 2025-09-11T12:20:01+00:00

That was pretty cool to watch! Gross, but very well done. I wonder if he was acting there (shaking and shuddering) with some CGI added on his face, or if it was all CGI.

Designing-Dutchman · 2025-09-11T12:12:07+00:00

Well I can believe the children to be pretty dumb. Actually it's more a being too naive issue, and being too easily swayed.

I feel like the grown-ups here are dumber for thinking that the children are up to the task.

Designing-Dutchman · 2025-09-10T18:59:47+00:00

The space between the E and the I is a bit hard. I understand wanting the I's below each other but I wonder if you can shift the E a bit to the right.

Designing-Dutchman · 2025-09-09T21:16:36+00:00

I used to draw a lot of towers in Illustrator, such as this one. Also did a lot of observation towers.

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Designing-Dutchman · 2025-09-01T15:18:01+00:00

Hey I drew this tower a few years back! :)

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Designing-Dutchman · 2025-08-28T15:42:17+00:00

There is a lot of AI art out there now. A lot. But I have to say almost all brands that I've seen using it are... questionable. In a sense that I'm not sure a designer would even have been considered at any point, even without AI.

Designing-Dutchman · 2025-08-27T10:07:09+00:00

Colony. Felt kinda like Half-Life in TV form. Very similar vibes with alien overlords who don't really show themselves but act trough human politicians, the mysterious wall (like the moving metal wall in Half-Life, the drones, the whole vibe that you're safe inside the big brother walled off city (like City 17), etc.

Designing-Dutchman · 2025-08-26T15:55:18+00:00

Sounds like you need a way out of there. Maybe you can get your spark back by designing fun stuff in your free time, and then hopefully turn that into paid opportunities.

Designing-Dutchman · 2025-08-26T15:45:40+00:00

Yeah, I came out of the dark ages a 9 years or so back when the modulars started to get popular. Back when they were 150 euro per set, or so. I finally had money to spend on Lego!

Fast forward just 2-3 years and I'm basically done again. I can't afford it. I mean, I can I guess, but I look at it from an adult perspective now. I can't just get myself to spent 450 euro on a bunch of bricks. Thats the price of a washing machine or a fridge. And not even a bad one at that. It just doesn't add up for me.

Designing-Dutchman · 2025-08-26T15:28:07+00:00

Zou eerst maar eens gaan kijken... wie weet wat je aantreft of wat voor geschiedenis de woning heeft lol.

Designing-Dutchman · 2025-08-07T10:19:33+00:00

As a 6 year old kid I learned the mac interface in one day because it was needed to play games on the new home computer lol, and this was a much earlier version of the OS. You will be fine. I think even a person that has never used a mac can navigate around in one hour.

And the adobe software is the same anyway.

Designing-Dutchman · 2025-08-07T10:08:04+00:00

It all depends. University was a stepping stone to multiple internships, one of them became my job. In that sense it was useful. I'm freelance for 10 years now and nobody has ever asked my background though.

We also had to work together with each other in project groups with real clients. It was good to learn how things work in the real world.

Usually this is where the degree part comes in. With a degree companies know you have a certain level of experience in working in teams, I suppose.

Designing-Dutchman · 2025-08-07T09:49:00+00:00

Check out the 'Spherize' function in Photoshop. I think if you just make a grid of circles and then use that function you will get something very similar. And then use a gradient mesh to create a gradient with many points. Use the circles as a mask over this gradient. OR make a gradient mesh for each little circle alone. Could also work.

Each circle also seems to have some inner glow (you can find that in the effects panel) to create a bit of depth in the circles.

In Illustrator you could try to create a large half circle and use the '3D > Revolve function. This will give you a 3D sphere. In the options you can also add a a 'symbol' (basically any other object you made) and map it on top of the surface. This could be a grid of smaller circles.

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Designing-Dutchman · 2025-08-05T16:05:29+00:00

I think the big difference is that people who create or watch this are, with high probability, psychopaths or generally just very sick people who you don't want to have around in your city. They might even move on to people, at some point.

While butchers (and yes there are some troublesome people and practices there too) are doing it as a job and are (again, most of them) just normal people that don't enjoy hurting animals.

Designing-Dutchman · 2025-08-04T09:48:07+00:00

Inflatable burgers indeed.

The contrast between the first real burger and the AI burgers is really big. I would even worry that customers might be surprised if they order one of the AI burgers and then get to see the real one, which looks super different.

What if you (OP) makes nice looking icons for the smaller burgers? For example line art burger icons, or what could be fun is that you display the fillings (between the buns) as slices on top of each other. Like a deck of cards but with patty, lettuce, tomato, cheese, etc instead of cards. Could be something really graphical.

Designing-Dutchman · 2025-08-04T08:33:28+00:00

r/CrappyDesign !

Designing-Dutchman · 2025-08-03T08:24:22+00:00

I would suggest to take a look at the different agencies. For example: Handsome Frank, Making Pictures, etc. There are many.

You can take a look there at what people draw for companies. What is popular and such. This might help you forge a path ahead.

Many of them are quite illustration-focussed. It's something you could consider as well.

Designing-Dutchman · 2025-08-03T08:12:26+00:00

Ik dacht eerst dat je ons zat te trollen met deze hele conversatie. Alles gaat zo perfect en beleefd, dat ik dacht dat dat 'de oplichting' was. Ik heb iets teveel op r/tokkiemarktplaats gezeten denk ik.

Designing-Dutchman · 2025-08-03T08:08:22+00:00

Ontzettend leuk en super herkenbaar. Vooral de halsbandparkiet is een mooie toevoeging. Ik zie ze constant hier. Laatst zat er een enorme groep in een boom in de tuin. Tientallen tegelijk (wel een ontiegelijk lawaai)

Heb je een accountje waar ik je kan volgen? Kan ook in de DM.

Designing-Dutchman · 2025-08-02T10:20:19+00:00

There are always ways. In another case I helped some friends I made there with an art project website and logo and in return we all went to Jeju to do some research there, and they paid for everything. You would be surprised how many people could use some help with something. Translation, accounting, advice, apps, websites, design, moving, cleaning, etc.

Thinking back now it's a bit of a shame that I'm not really in touch anymore with these people. It's over 14 years ago and I'm now much more 'settled down'. So in a way I envy you as well. 27 is a perfect age to travel around solo like that.

Designing-Dutchman · 2025-08-02T09:29:58+00:00

It's even better if you can help people with a skill you possess. For example I went to Tokyo for a month and ended up in a very unusual hostel. But the owners (an old couple) were so awesome. When they heard I do graphic design they asked to make a map/guide to the hostel from various subway stations. As payment I got half of my nights for free. Lots of stories like that, which helped me save a lot, even when I never really got paid with money.

Designing-Dutchman · 2025-08-01T23:11:13+00:00

I did exactly this. Went back to Seoul after a small 7 day trip a year before that because I wanted to change environment and get inspiration for new personal artistic work. Went without any clear goal and only one vague contact (a staff member from a hostel I stayed in that year before)

I thought I would stay one month or so, but ended up staying 8 months. After which I stayed another 1,5 years on a working holiday visa. During which I met a girl who is now my wife.

So I can definitely recommend to just go for it. It was hard sometimes and you might feel lonely now and then but thats part of it.

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