Can one really make a lot of money by doing design?
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Many years ago, one of my colleagues asked, right after starting work in design, whether it was possible to become rich through design To be honest, I’m also confused by this problem. So I always naively believed that working in design allowed one to earn a lot of money and become very wealthy. It was not until a few days ago that the answer to this question gradually became clear. Actually, making a fortune means different things to different people. Some people think that earning 100 million isn’t considered being rich. Some people believe that $20 million is enough to achieve financial freedom, while others already possess billions and still strive to become the richest person in the world. Therefore, we rank the amount of wealth people possess to facilitate discussion. Suppose you have 10,000 yuan; that’s a five-digit amount, which we refer to as the ¥5 level ； If you have 1 million, that’s a 7-digit amount; your wealth is at level 7. 10 million corresponds to level 8, over 100 million is level 9, amounts over 1 billion are at level 10, and 100 billion is at level 12. Some people spend their entire lives hovering around the order of magnitude of ￥7. For example, the working-class people of my parents’ generation have assets that, in total, remain at that level throughout their lives; it’s difficult for them to go beyond that. Then there are people whose total lifetime wealth amounts to just 6 yuan; ordinary farmers, for example. What about the interior design industry? As far as I know, among those who work in interior design, few reach a wealth level of ￥9, and even fewer reach ￥10. In other words, it is highly likely that the design industry does not produce sudden millionaires. But why? Why doesn’t the interior design industry produce millionaires? Why can’t this industry produce as many wealthy people as the internet industry, or as many rich individuals as the real estate industry?
For the average working class, if they want to earn a lot of money, the key word is two characters – hard work; another method is three characters – rob a bank.
Recently, in the “Work Life” section, there’s a new friend who works in thermal design, @GreatTimes, who often posts questions about this issue; he can take a look.
This issue is actually the same as that of various \"stars\" who become famous – what matters most is having a special skill and being able to sell oneself at a good price. Gradually, a market where one is recognized is formed. Today, various kinds of “masters” can be found everywhere in society, but very few truly have their own market. When it comes to interior design, CCTV has a show called “Room Swap” which I absolutely love watching. Those who can make it onto that show are surely exceptional people; however, it’s no easy feat—you also need enough people to support you. ，，，，，。 Do your best according to your abilities; all we can do is hope for success :)
Society is very practical these days; it’s all about money.
Is it a good thing that everything is measured in expensive money?
In the design industry, designs are created based on the requirements of others, and those who put forward those requirements certainly won’t allow you to make too much money. Real estate is different: as long as there is land, buildings can be constructed, and once those buildings are built, there will be people willing to buy them. Design work isn’t something that will be recognized just because you’ve designed it, right?
Those in technology in China can’t make it; those in design can usually manage to live a decent middle-class life, but it’s difficult to reach the upper middle class. Interior design is even more difficult; the entry barriers are too low. It’s about doing as many projects as possible – if you handle the construction yourself, you can earn both a fee for labor and costs for materials, while those who only do design work can only make a modest income.
China does not place importance on technology or patents, and it shows no respect for others’ designs, which is what has led to the current situation. If you want to make a lot of money, you need to have strong connections first, and everything else comes later. Of course, there’s also another scenario: if your technology is unique and no one else possesses it, then you’re in a great position; otherwise, it’s of no use.
Horses don’t grow fat without grass at night, and people don’t become rich without unexpected wealth; there’s no way to make big money by just going to work!
In China, 80% of the business elite come from sales, 10% from foreign trade, and 5% from finance. Those with a technical background make up less than 1%, I guess.