The change in the positions included in the 2011 survey means that the time series analysis that revealed annual changes in compensation is not available for this year.

However, in terms of overall trends, it is possible to summarize the dynamics of the larger job market and their implications for design practices. Design salaries have remained relatively flat for several years. Many design firms consider themselves as busy as ever, although margins are narrower than in the past. There are indications that firms are busy because they have not replaced workers who had been released during the deeper start of the recession. Among in-house design departments, a considerable proportion of work has been outsourced that was once undertaken internally in order to reduce head counts in response to the recession.

The result has been an increase in the use of freelance and contract employees, whose availability has held compensation increases in check. In addition, approximately 12,000 students of communication design will graduate from four-year programs each year, more than can be absorbed into the current workforce.

In the broader business cycle, there is optimism that the design economy is improving, with the possibility of increased hiring and compensation adjustments. One of the reasons for this optimism is that many businesses responded to the recession first by cutting costs; now, as they seek to position themselves for the recovery, they realize they must invest in product and message differentiation—aided principally by design. The timing of this increased demand, already visible in some larger firms, will depend largely on the level of business confidence that the recession has bottomed out.

For all designers and creative professionals, it is important to take every opportunity to build skill levels and broad knowledge, even during economic slowdown. The tools are changing, the demands of a hyper-connected society are changing our methods of communicating, and, most importantly, the world itself is changing. If designers are to provide effective communication, messaging and branding in the new global economy, they must understand the cultural context for design solutions and clients’ needs. This will depend upon knowledge, judgment and agility, not just skills.