Design Is a Job

What’s this book about?

This book is about working, and about how working is labor, and about how labor gets paid. It’s about how to make sure you’re selling your labor to the right people, for the right purpose, while not being exploited.

It will teach you very practical things like how to negotiate a salary, how to read a contract, how to make sure you’re not getting suckered into a job you’ll be scammed on, and how to be respected (and respectful) in the workplace.

It’ll also teach you how to band together with other workers.

Who should read this book?

Anybody working as a designer, whether freelance, contract, or in house.

So it’s just for designers?

I wrote it with designers in mind, because I’m a designer, but I’ve been told that photographers, illustrators, developers, and even the occasional manager has gotten something out of the book.

Will this book help me get a job?

It might. But more likely, it’ll help you not get a shitty job where you get exploited. ‘Cause the only thing worse than being broke is being broke and owing someone your time.

I read the original. Is this one that different?

I wrote the first one in 2012. The world was a very different place. So was design. I want this book to stay useful, so I updated it with the intent that someone coming into the industry right now could get the same value out of the book that you got when you read it ten years ago. It’s a very different book.

Why is it a zine now?

Because it used to be sold for $36. That made it inaccessible to a lot of people that I wanted to reach. Getting it printed this way means I can sell it for $9. You can buy four for the price that one used to cost. You can get some for your friends.

Is it union printed?

Yeah. Now it is.

I’m a teacher and that’s still too much, can we work out a deal?

Email me.

What about libraries?

I got you.

Won’t the ink rub off onto my fingers and then get all over my clothes?

That’s the best part. You’ll look like a worker. Embrace it.

DO you ship internationally?

Yes. (I added this question after 37 people asked me if I shipped internationally without checking first. Obviously adding the question here isn’t going to change that behavior. These are the same people who stand in the middle of the kitchen, within arm’s reach of the fridge, and scream to you in the other room “Do we have milk?” If you’re in a relationship with someone like this and they refuse to go to therapy, maybe don’t be?) Anyway, yes. We ship internationally.

For reasons, I would prefer a PDF.

I understand, and I got you.

Is this one of those woke books that’s gonna make me uncomfortable?

Yes. You should probably try to get it banned. You should also get fucked, and out of the industry.

This is more of a comment than a question…

Ok, we’re done here.