Figuring Out My “Why” — Why Do I Enjoy Being a Designer?

A look back as I look forward

Photo by Mia Baker on Unsplash

Here’s a short piece I wrote last spring as I thought about why I wanted to become a designer in the first place. Since then, I’ve pivoted somewhat to incorporate more web development into my design work but I’m happy to see the reasons I wrote down months ago still apply today.

I am down to a little over a week before I graduate with my master’s degree and I am so excited! I almost feel as if the past year was really just preparation for this summer because the growth I’ve made in the past couple of months wouldn’t have been achievable without the steady planting and sowing of skills and time during the prior 9 months. Wow. I am just so proud!

Enough with the nostalgia — here are my top 5 reasons “why” when it comes to choosing a career as designer/developer. Hope it inspires you :)

In a discipline like design, especially in the beginning and maybe mid-way through, you have to capture and maintain a flame of desire and motivation for the work. Without that, I think it’s too easy to give up or settle for mediocrity. In my personal experience as a design student and beginner, I got really burnt out when I wasn’t sleeping enough and couldn’t remember why I started my grad program in the first place.

“Why did I ever think I wanted to become a designer? I’m tired, my work isn’t that good, the workload is overwhelming, and it’s not fun right now.”

Then, I went on spring break — thank God. I needed a mindset adjustment and I desperately needed to get some sleep. In the time away from school, I was able to make a list of why I want to become a designer — why it matters to me, to others, and why should I keep at it in the moments I want to quit.

Here’s what I’ve settled on for now:

1. Design helps people trust and recognize objects, brands, and experiences. I like being someone who can help other people know what they’re looking at or interacting with based on the design;
2. The ways in which a designer looks at and thinks about the world around them is amazing. I enjoy looking at colors, patterns, tile, clothing, and food labels with my “thinking cap” on. I love snapping photos on my bus rides for later inspiration. There is also something radical about the way designers look at and weigh the things in their lives — if it’s not “working,” or doesn’t solve the problem it’s supposed to solve, designers are motivated to figure out why and fix it. We can design anything from the layout of our kitchens to our morning routines;
3. No matter the medium or outlet, I want to be a craftswoman for as long as I live. I think designers get to be crafters, plucking inspiration and methods from the ether and forming something beautiful, impactful, meaningful. It’s a dance of creation and making that is incredibly inspiring to me and this time spent studying to become a designer has been one of the most creative experiences of my life;
4. There is something so satisfying and gratifying and maybe self-glorifying about seeing ideas that exist only in my brain/the creative ether become reality — whether on a screen or in my hands. The first time I printed a comp of a poster design, I couldn’t stop smiling. I knew it wasn’t finished yet but I loved it because seconds earlier, it was just zeros and ones but now it was tactile, paper, ink. As a designer, if I wanted to make my own cereal (which I do one day) I feel confident that I can spec out measurements and create the box in Illustrator. I can figure out the right flavors for the right audience and I’ll know how to work with a printer to get a sturdy box made. Before beginning school and adopting a designer’s brain, a project like that would’ve felt too far-fetched and weird and hard. Now, I know it’ll happen in steps and that I can figure it out eventually. I love who I’m becoming;
5. (write-in) Because I believe I was born to solve problems. The more I teach myself JavaScript and slough through difficult hours of learning to program, I remember that I have always loved to solve problems and that at this time in my life, I’m exhibiting that love through computer programming and visual design. In my personal life, I do this with gluten-free baking (and at altitude!!!!!!!) and figuring out how to stay relevant to my teenage sisters. It’s a part of my DNA and something I intend to nurture forever. Designers get to solve real problems for real people — what an incredible legacy to be a part of.

Yeah, I’m still tired and still overwhelmed. I think that’s to be expected in grad school (and LIFE!). But thankfully, I’ve got my joy and motivation back. I really do enjoy finding creative solutions to the problems and issues that people have. It allows me to support and care for people in unique ways — with pixels and colors and code and words. I feel privileged actually to get to do this work, and that I enjoy it. This post will serve as a reminder for “future me” (that’s the current me editing this post months later, yay!)whenever the going gets tough and I need help remembering why I like being a designer so much.