Having had a few projects with relatively quick turnarounds in the last few months, doing the odd bit of extra work after hours is something I know a little about. Here at Glow we really believe in a work/life balance though and I'm happy to say that it is rare for me to stay much longer than our normal working day. With this in mind I stumbled upon this great article by Edward Hann.
What a way to make a living
Edward Hann
Before I start, I would like to note that I love the work I do and wouldn’t want to do anything else. At times It doesn’t even feel like a job, but when I sit down to think about it, graphic design is still exactly that, a job. It involves hard work and frequent long hours. Sitting in front of a computer screen for 14 hours a day does not make for a healthy lifestyle; a creatively driven career is great but being expected to switch it on at 9pm every night of the week for the last week, less so. I have been working in design for around 5 years, give or take, and in this time have worked at a range of studios of varying sizes, each totally different from each other. My time at these studios has been exciting, challenging, incredibly rewarding although at times utterly frustrating. For the most part my career has been a positive and vibrant experience, but I have come across a worrying trend, a culture of late nights and long hours that are openly encouraged. I would even go so far to say that a macho culture has arisen, which one might expect from the finance or banking industry but not in the creative one. To me there is nothing creative or satisfying about trying to see who can stay awake the longest after a 24 hour stint. In other professions this could be considered dangerous, clear and simple, but in design culture it seems to be becoming more and more routine.....
