Having worked as a designer for over ten years (Interbrand, Arup, Leo Burnett, PIK), I bring to your attention a comparative analysis of the work on the client side and in the agency.
Working as an in-house designer
Working on the client side, depending on the size of the company, you will be part of a design team, or perhaps even the only one working on a single brand that most likely already has an established style.
Despite the fact that the work of an in-house designer is focused on one industry, the in-house has the opportunity to deal with a number of projects. I was very lucky to join PIK when the company was rebranding. The company's budget allowed me to experiment with printing and formats, in addition to the main work, which includes all printed materials, special companies for outdoor advertising, I developed an identity for sub-brands.
The biggest advantage of working in-house, in my opinion, is that it allows you to explore a brand in a way that working in an agency would never allow.
In the state, you understand the values, culture and philosophy of the company much deeper and more subtle. Working as a graphic designer at PIK, I had the opportunity to see how my design decisions affect the brand, develop and shape it. As an in-house designer, you are more responsible for what you do, because it directly affects the product, service, customers, and the company you work for. This ownership plays an important role in motivating a person or team to create a high-quality and effective product. All in all, in-house work is a great opportunity to build something with a longer-term perspective.
However, most likely, in-house studios will have to deal with people who are not related to design, which means that they will have to communicate much more, present projects and defend their ideas than in agencies. The disadvantage of in-house is that working within one company makes the experience highly specialized, and decisions, especially in large corporations, are made rather slowly due to the bureaucratization of processes.
Despite this, the presence of an in-house studio always seemed to me a good sign - it means that the company cares about the brand. Companies that understand the value of design functionalism attract people who will not only represent the company, but also participate in the development of the brand as it grows. Now there are more and more positive examples of companies that have created their own in-house agencies, which tend to think that the future of design is moving in this direction.
Agency work
Working for a large agency is probably a necessary step in the career of any ambitious creative. It gives you the opportunity to be involved in a wide range of different projects for major brands in a creative team formed from people with very different backgrounds, to gain skills in different areas of graphic design and create a portfolio of very different projects for famous clients, to try different techniques and design tricks. At Leo Burnett I have worked on projects for Nike, Audi, Goodyear, Jeep and many more, sometimes running multiple projects at the same time. In addition to purely commercial work, agencies often participate in charity projects and international festivals, which is also a good practice for creatives. The undeniable advantage of working in an agency is that
Working in an agency sometimes seems more attractive because it is associated with more prestige and working with large and well-known brands, but the expectations for the skills and professionalism of creatives are quite high. Well-established agencies have many years of collective experience and a team of people with different talents, and projects completed in agencies as a whole look more daring and effective. Even with their own in-house studio, companies often turn to agencies for expertise and a fresh look.
As a result of choosing a place of work, it all comes down to personal preferences and a particular company, whether it is an in-house or an agency. Not the last role in the choice should be played by people and the values of the company itself, opportunities for creative and professional growth.