They are keeping me down!
Most designers have the urge to “create”. Most of us came into this profession because we wanted to make things, influence the world, or simply because we wanted good things to exist. It's a very naive, innocent, and happy-go-lucky viewpoint most young people have, bless them.
Than reality hits us, and we learn that our job won’t be creating awesome shit full time. Like, seriously?!
The truth of the matter is, it is on a rare occasion that we get a chance to start something new, from scratch.
Most of our efforts will go to maintaining existing things, and making things not fall apart. This can be a rather disappointing realization for some of us, but it is our reality.
We are employed by businesses who use design and technology as an asset, in order to achieve certain goals—profit for the most part. Rarely do these goals benefit from deep, profound, never-seen-before design and development work. They do however benefit from efficiency, reduced risk, and squeezing every bit of every investment made into them.
If you are in a place in your career where you are still yearning for creating new things, look for job opportunities or projects which require a lot of exploration. These will be your open-ended, we-don’t-really-know-what-we’re-doing-yet type of engagements.
The pay will most certainly be shit, but at least you’ll be happy.
1
1
1
1What's this?
You are reading his blog.