Benek, it surely has to do with the type of design. Personally I have also not experienced any real issues with payment in the last 8 years or so. That has to do with the type of design. I see myself more as a consultant than a designer. But I see other designers in other projects struggle with this and I would like to get rid of this old idea that engineering is more important than design. Not just for the sake of design but because I think everyone would benefit from that. And true, if you want to see yourself as an artist, then you have to live with artists fees. :)