Joshua Steele
Topics in Graphic Design
4/10/2019
Reflection: Ad Agency vs Graphic Design
What we learned last week about ad agencies and design studios was interesting, it was something that I hadn’t considered when thinking about the different ways one can pursue a career in design.
One of the things that I found especially interesting was the more relaxed atmosphere of the graphic design studios, they took on a lot of work and the smaller ones especially seemed to have a more casual atmosphere. Despite this, they still had notable clientele, such as Hot Wheels for one, and it was still important work such as coming up with logos or helmet designs. At larger studios like Pentagram, they might be asked to do an entire rebrand.
In contrast the advertising studios had to work a lot faster and be a lot more technical. There are proposals flying back and forth, and some work is done unpaid, everything is ramped up including the pay, in a graphic design studio the pay is much more predictable and the work more varied, but in an ad agency you are much more likely to have a set role, pay might be more unpredictable, and also unlike a graphic design studio we learned you’re much more apt to be fired in an ad agency.
Overall it seems to me that for beginners, a design studio rather then an ad agency, might be the way to go, but for those who are confident in their skills and a much larger paycheck they might not mind the disadvantages an agency offers.
