Graphic Hacks

I've been a freelance designer for almost 8 years now. Over the years, I've seen my work become more and more devalued by more and more graphic hacks flooding the market.

Now what's a graphic hack you ask? Well this is only my opinion of what a graphic hack is. A graphic hack is someone who knows their way around a computer and various software programs with novice to intermediate skill. Someone with no formal training in design,layout, color theory, and typography. Some who can go to ebay, use the "Buy It Now" function and buy a butt load of web templates and start advertising their services as a graphic artist at slave wages.

However a trained and experienced graphic artist can spot a graphic hack's work a mile away. They are usually cookie cutter templates that the hack has replaced a few images. The fonts are usually over sized and not pleasing to the eyes. The layout is botched and the colors aren't appropriate for the product or message being sent. And when you point these things out, you're called a hater. Really? Seriously?

I run across graphic hacks all day long on Craigslist.org and other freelance marketing sites and I even know some personally.

So here is my problem with graphic hacks. They will build a 5 page site for $200 or design a flyer for $25 or business cards including printing for $40. This has become so rampant that clients now expect these rates as the standard going rate. Well, I'm so sorry to disappoint you cheap ass people who need graphic services,but these are hack rates. These hacks could never be employed in an ad agency, with corporate firms, with movie houses, or any other legitimate company that needs graphic artists because their work is substandard.

Now I went out into the freelance world because I could make more money and have more control over my time and spend more time with my family. But those days are vanishing quickly thanks in part to the graphic hack plague. When I have to spend most of my day bidding on jobs and losing 98% of them because someone says they'll do the job for $10 an hour on a 30 hour job, I start to wonder why am I still doing this.

I've lost the joy I use to have in my profession. I've lost the pride I use to have in calling myself a designer. I'm loosing my creativity cause I spend most of my time trying to compete with low ballers and not enough time creating.

So with this, I'm deciding to find a new career. I won't have my wages undercut because I'm competing with sub par work from sub par wanna be designers who are willing to work for minimum wage. I didn't work my way through school for that.

Have fun graphic hacks and for all the clients using them... you get what you pay for.

I'm just sayin'... OMG WTF, I'm better then minimum wage.