Design: what's the point?
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- BoneCrusher
Even at the top of this industry, you're still looked down upon as a graphic designer; someone who makes a pretty logo or picks out colors or designs the signage.
We can talk all we want about design being a part of strategy, but let's face it, we're afterthoughts. We exist on the margins to grease the wheels of capitalism. We rarely produce anything of lasting value, and even when we do, it's not appreciated.
The logos will be redesigned, the magazines and brochures thrown away and forgotten, the stationery: an afterthought. Your brilliant packaging solution: just a way to sell more yogurt.
Do you even really exist in this world if you're a designer? After all, so much of what we create is expendable and unnoticed.
So what's the point?
- utopian0
what are you sayin...
- i_monk0
Let's see where all that talk of strategy and brand loyalty and product movement and user experience goes without graphic designers.
- BoneCrusher0
I'm sayin....
Design is an ultimately worthless industry and career. Somewhere between selling insurance and baby portrait photography.
- monospaced0
Half of my job is strategy and working with other teams.
- BoneCrusher0
monospaced, you're still just some guy who makes logos and tshirts.
- no I'm not! why would you say that!?monospaced
- You're good at it! You're a good designer. But that's all it boils down to....BoneCrusher
- Oh, you saw my 2 year old site so I excuse your naive assumption.monospaced
- You know very little about what I do.monospaced
- hahahajimzy
- BonSeff0
what the fuck are you expecting from a design career? Some deeper meaning? really?
- i_monk0
All jobs can be reduced to that formula.
Doctor: Just some guy who gives people pills and hopefully doesn't kill them.
Fireman: Just some guy who sprays water on fire.
Lawyer: Just some guy who read some books about laws.
etc
- letterhead0
99.9% of jobs in the world are like this, man. If your looking for a way to change the world, make a difference express your inner sadness then go join Greenpeace, or some shit like that.
- BoneCrusher0
Let's put it this way...
If suddenly every doctor in the world died, it would matter.
Can't say the same if every designer vanished.
- bigtrick0
yeah, but you can reduce most careers down to some pithy remark like this. lawyer: yelling about interpretations of some arcane bits of law someone wrote down once. doctor: poking your fingers into some kids' dirty mouth and looking into their waxy ears. software engineer: writing obscure code that's gonna get replaced in two years anyway. and so on.
design ain't so bad. the point is that you get to make things happen for people, translate their words into pictures/motion/symbols, create things that everyone sees, and you get to have a little aesthetic satisfaction along the way.
- BonSeff0
"Do you even really exist in this world if you're a designer? After all, so much of what we create is expendable and unnoticed."
what the fuck is that bullshit? Are you looking for some recognition? Design is a cool way to earn a paycheck, that's it and that's all. Have some fun while earning a living and not have to wear dockers.
Now save the pity party, and quit bringing the rest of us down, asshole.
- ethanfink0
we can live without doctors, just as we can without design. we did it for thousands of years pushing wheels around.
why don't we all learn to be hunters and gatherers instead, I hear that is a fulfilling profession.
- miesvan0
work for a year, then you will understand.
- BoneCrusher0
Steve Jobs once summed up his goal in life: "I want to put a ding in the universe."
Something about those crazy enough to believe they can change the world usually do.
So sorry for "bringing you down" and killing your mid-morning buzz or whatever, BonSeff.
But I'm trying to get some of you to re-evaluate what the fuck you're doing with your 80 years on this Earth.
- ethanfink0
thanks for the inspiration :)