Oil tankers V Speedboats : What business is better for designers to grow?

This is for young designers on where is better at the beginning of their career to enhance & develop their skillsets.

Purpose:

This article will hopefully give insight to new designers, as to where they may want to work when they finish their studies. It’s for those who are looking to gain experience in the big bad world of design (it’s not really bad!).

I can say from first hand experience, when college was finished, I was unsure, as to which route to take. Should I work for a large company (Oil tanker) producing a product that already exists or should I try a smaller company producing something new (Speedboat).

The point of this article is to provide insight for those who are unsure as to what they expect would suit them best. It will highlight some of the aspects to consider when you are applying for new positions and you are eagerly looking for that first pay cheque. The aim is to draw light on some areas outside of your control, so that you consider them when choosing between two different types of companies.

Oil tankers:

I am calling large companies, Oil tankers. This is because of their large scale capabilities and similar attributes to large companies.

These can cover a broader range, therefore there are more possibilities of different aspects of design. More often than not, they are on longer voyages, aiming for a target, which is over the horizon. There are more areas required in the maintenance of this ship due to capacity. This tends to require more people of various backgrounds. They can also take a longer time to implement a change of direction if necessary.

Pros:

• You can be exposed to a lot of different areas of design available, that may be more suited to your skills.
• More contact with other designers of different levels, that can support you and share ideas with.
• Generally speaking, most large companies will allow for your personal development to enhance your skill sets.
• Much more access to resources, whether these are related to design or not.
• Group ownership, if something goes wrong it won’t be entirely your fault
• You will learn a lot about other aspects of the business which you would never have thought about before.

Cons:

• The rate at which work progresses may not be to your liking, sometimes it can be held up by aspects outside of your control.
• You’ll have to prove your worth! People may not automatically trust your design skills as your only a fresh graduate.
• You may have to pick up other designer’s projects which you may find difficult to comprehend as we all work in different ways.
• Internal politics happen in all large industries, you have to be aware of them and understand how to handle them, depending on your personality you may not be ok with this. It all depends on your attitude.
• They can be slow to accept new methodologies as we all know some people just don’t like change!

The larger companies that have an in-house design team can provide varying levels of support. It does depends on the level of design within the particular organisation. Some organisations will have a more established design practice than others and this can allow for greater coaching and support. Best you do some research on the company and their work before hand.

Needless to say, if the industry is not traditionally a company that has dealt with design, for example insurance companies (as in provided services before a digital age) and now have to produce a digital platform and experience for users . They may have areas of the business which are more apprehensive to design practices and methodologies. It is up to you to lead these characters.

These companies are eager to incorporate designers but you will have to help them understand the process, don’t forget they hire designers because they acknowledge and value the skills that designers have! So now is your time to shine!

Speedboats:

I am calling smaller companies speedboats, because of there size and charactersitic similarities to a speedboat. They generally have a smaller capacity of delivery but their strengths are their speed & ability to implement a change in course when necessary. They tend to move more quickly towards a closer target with greater acceleration. They have a smaller threshold due to the size of the workforce.

Pros:

• The team is generally smaller, so communication between the members of the team will be ongoing and effective.
• The people who are there tend to have a strong passion and belief in what they are doing.
• You can be expected to take a lead in the team with your design knowledge, and there will be large amounts of trust given to you.
• A much larger expectancy of delivery, due to the company needing to make a name for itself.

Cons:

• People can become overly passionate and a little more possessive about the work at hand. It can lead to some great debates but be careful these don’t turn into subjective arguments.
• You can be expected to work long and hard to get the product off the ground, so don’t expect it to be easy!
• You may be the only designer at the company and if you are fresh out of college you will need to be on top of your game to help others.
• The level of support structures which are available at larger companies, more than likely will not exist here.
• The company may not succeed and could be gone within twelve months. It is entirely reliant on how much you can output.

The speedboat company can be exciting in the pursuit of a revolutionary product. They are generally an interesting place to work, and require hard work. It depends on what they are trying to do, if you don’t believe in the product you shouldn’t be part of the team.

They require full dedication from all of their workforce, it is an adventurous place to work, as it is trying to pioneer new ground. This is a benefit in the approach that they take. It can require large amounts of work to get it’s product off the ground. This needs long hours, which may or may not, be what you want to do. It can lead to joy or sorrow, depending on how/if the company grows.

Conclusion:

The choice is up to you, where do you think is a better fit? You may fit into either quite well. It all depends what level you feel your skills are at.

One thing is for certain, neither option will be similar to your college course and you will need to accept that quickly and adapt to your surroundings.

If an opportunity with either, becomes available, you will learn tremendous amounts but in different areas. It all comes down to what you feel is most beneficial to you.

There is no right or wrong decision, with whatever you happen to choose. I hope that this article has highlighted the differences for you and provides some insight into what path you think is the best for you.

The design and tech industries are constantly changing, so don’t worry. It doesn’t matter what you choose; you can always change if you feel it is not working.