Snippets of random thoughts
Design is a plan and it is a plan for a better life. This being said, was a crystallisation of my thoughts some years ago whilst preparing a friend for a grilling session by the design council.
Creativity plays a part in design but often or often not, design fuses practicality, ergonomics and aesthetics. Last night at Rojak 13 it struck me that good work comes not with money in its objective but with the purpose of fulfilling one's ethical role as a designer. This brings me to another point, when there's so many design houses in Singapore...how many of them are merely service providers and how many of them really fulfill the role of design? This is more than design, it is really about professional ethics! When ethics is well enforced professionally, work created will be good for everyone. It is a part that buyers and sellers have to look into, not to deprive the goodness of its nature from anyone.
The cost of running a business in Singapore is rather high and overheads are high. It is not surprising to see design houses struggling to stay afloat doing almost trashy projects often. When established houses charge the top dollar for its expertise, a service provider may half its quote to secure a project. I can only say this, that every cent paid is worth its own weight in gold. In B2B situations, it could mean a lesser value being portrayed and often it reflects on the business owner's mindset as well, to cut costs in order to keep a wider profit margin, fair from a business perspective, it may not be fair to the suppliers and clients in the end. From another perspective, there are just too many middlemen between supply and demand. The lowest quote gets hired.
A friend and professional acquaintance mentioned to me recently that an events and marketing company lowered his quote just in order to mark up the photography coverage rates to obtain a bigger profit margin for the company, what's worse is when his quote was being lowered, the amount of work that has to be done was still as much, and they even demanded the images be ready the next day. The hirer of the events company was government and stat board related, too. The hirer paid the top dollar expecting the best expertise, ethically speaking, I think my friend could have gotten a higher rate from the services he provided to the events and marketing company.
On another note, I wouldn't mind doing any wedding photography be it pre-weddings or actual days if it were 30 years ago... the divorce rates are so high recently, I would be feeling awkward should I find out if any of the couples I shot didn't make it till death does them part. Wedding images are charged at the top dollar; it is once in a lifetime. Not quite true recently.
Likewise for my services provided to marketing companies for a couple of businesses. The businesses wound up. A part of me died with them. I swear I was cheap. In a similar situation, my quote was being lowered as well.
Creativity plays a part in design but often or often not, design fuses practicality, ergonomics and aesthetics. Last night at Rojak 13 it struck me that good work comes not with money in its objective but with the purpose of fulfilling one's ethical role as a designer. This brings me to another point, when there's so many design houses in Singapore...how many of them are merely service providers and how many of them really fulfill the role of design? This is more than design, it is really about professional ethics! When ethics is well enforced professionally, work created will be good for everyone. It is a part that buyers and sellers have to look into, not to deprive the goodness of its nature from anyone.
The cost of running a business in Singapore is rather high and overheads are high. It is not surprising to see design houses struggling to stay afloat doing almost trashy projects often. When established houses charge the top dollar for its expertise, a service provider may half its quote to secure a project. I can only say this, that every cent paid is worth its own weight in gold. In B2B situations, it could mean a lesser value being portrayed and often it reflects on the business owner's mindset as well, to cut costs in order to keep a wider profit margin, fair from a business perspective, it may not be fair to the suppliers and clients in the end. From another perspective, there are just too many middlemen between supply and demand. The lowest quote gets hired.
A friend and professional acquaintance mentioned to me recently that an events and marketing company lowered his quote just in order to mark up the photography coverage rates to obtain a bigger profit margin for the company, what's worse is when his quote was being lowered, the amount of work that has to be done was still as much, and they even demanded the images be ready the next day. The hirer of the events company was government and stat board related, too. The hirer paid the top dollar expecting the best expertise, ethically speaking, I think my friend could have gotten a higher rate from the services he provided to the events and marketing company.
On another note, I wouldn't mind doing any wedding photography be it pre-weddings or actual days if it were 30 years ago... the divorce rates are so high recently, I would be feeling awkward should I find out if any of the couples I shot didn't make it till death does them part. Wedding images are charged at the top dollar; it is once in a lifetime. Not quite true recently.
Likewise for my services provided to marketing companies for a couple of businesses. The businesses wound up. A part of me died with them. I swear I was cheap. In a similar situation, my quote was being lowered as well.