But the Bring-On-The-Slump crowd are equally self-indulgent. Recessions are marked by bankruptcies, mass unemployment, house repossessions and general misery, not by moral renewal. A mean-spirited Puritanism lies behind those beckoning recession. Their outlook reveals a shocking detachment from economic and historical realities. The recessionistas just don't get it, they have not grasped the depth of the economic crisis we face. This is no mere downturn, blip or 'natural correction'; it's a process that will last years. It could inflict a terrible toll on the profession. No doubt these commentators come from the kind of backgrounds that weren't blighted by previous busts, but few practising designers and architects will be able to maintain such glorious indifference in the face of the coming havoc. The prospect facing young designers is particularly bleak. Ian Cochrane, director of Tice group and former managing director of both Fitch and Landor Europe, recently gave a clue to what might happen. He recommended that design agencies should consider a three-day week, and advised design students to 'get out of this business… [which] does not need you'.