A Survey About Sign Designers

While traversing various social-media avenues, I came across a very interesting survey about sign designers. For those of you who would rather go to the source than read a synopsis, here’s the link: http://www.signhugger.com/2010/05/sizing-up-sign-designer-part-3-in.html

It came from the blog of Teresa M. Young (former ISA chair), the founder of the "legal-age" (21 years old) Sign Biz Network. In this third comprehensive survey of her 170+ members (64 responses), Young specifically queried the under-appreciated birth-mother of all signs: the sign designer. She began compiling results last July. Here are some of the results:  

Male sign designers outnumber their female counterparts 3:1.

More than a third are ages 23-26; only 10% are over 40.

Slightly more than half are "satisfied" with their sign-design career; more than a third are ambivalent, and more than 10% are dissatisfied.

Roughly a third wouldn’t recommend their career; a third are ambivalent, and a third would recommend it. 

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Nearly half are disappointed by their opportunities for "recognition/awards." (Teresa would undoubtedly suggest entering the ISA Sign Design contest, and I would strongly steer people toward Signs of the Times’ magazine’s International Sign Design and Vehicle Graphics contests!)

Such a feeling of lack of recognition was graphically spelled out by this comment: “I thought we graphic artists should be treated like rock stars from employees and clients. Most of the time; however, we’re treated like drive-through-window clerks. It’s our vision that drives the entire graphics industry, and we’re taken for granted."
 

A slight majority are satisfied with the sign company’s amenities. A chart identifies eight considerations.

We thank Teresa for allowing us to provide a synopsis of her findings.