Granted, design may not save the world.While design may be about solving client problems, meeting insane deadlines or challenging the way in which we see the world, it’s also about translating things from one side to the other. About communicating. But as far as saving the world is concerned, unlike many a honorable professions, it’s just not at the top of the list. It almost feels like it’s one of those endangered carreers you sometimes see on the Discovery Channel.If you’re not sure what design is (and don’t worry, uncertainty is quite appropriate), you should know that, in a nutshell, on a typical day, a designer may go something like this:Who am I and where am I really going? These are questions I need answered by 4 PM.
Basically, as it turns out, designers need to constantly re-invent stuff, just to make a living.
That said, there’s no use calling a spade a spade, when you can say it’s a ‘tool designed for the purpose of digging or removing earth’. That’s how designers think. They positively hate straightforward solutions. ‘Let’s make it complicated’, they say.
Similarly, why should blog posts be easy to follow, why should coding follow standards, or why should the web offer ‘ready-made’ solutions to the designer’s dilemma: ‘is my work worth the bucks?’. Design may be worth thousands of dollars or just a few cents. Freelance designers sometimes join online communities, trying to earn some honest money. Sometimes they fail miserably, sometimes the results may just be worth their trouble. And they (successful or not) all deeply, profoundly hate each other. Just goes to show that a designer’s world is a tormented, fear-driven, insecure universe.
Of course, changing the way we think about stuff, and, more importantly, about how stuff should be made, can make a huge difference for our world. Design, however, is rarely regarded as the all-encompassing, all-saving answer to usability problems. Usability, it seems, is doing just fine on its own. Ranging from sustainability to evaluating organic materials, design is considered a mere tool. Like using an electric drilling machine, when you only need a shovel. They (designers) may argue you won’t get very far with just the one shovel. More often than not, though, you do. And everything works out ok, no design involved.These are all facts that are not about to change overnight. So please remember: without your help, designers may slowly fade away. Your time, energy and resources are all appreciated. Today, just go out and hug a designer. They may say they hate it, but deep down, they’ll thank you for it.(an ipsx.ro/words initiative. Please note that no designers were harmed in the making of this post.)
Hug a designer today
Granted, design may not save the world.While design may be about solving client problems, meeting insane deadlines or challenging the way in which we see the world, it’s also about translating things from one side to the other. About communicating. But as far as saving the world is concerned, unlike many a honorable professions, it’s just not at the top of the list. It almost feels like it’s one of those endangered carreers you sometimes see on the Discovery Channel.If you’re not sure what design is (and don’t worry, uncertainty is quite appropriate), you should know that, in a nutshell, on a typical day, a designer may go something like this:Who am I and where am I really going? These are questions I need answered by 4 PM.
Basically, as it turns out, designers need to constantly re-invent stuff, just to make a living.
That said, there’s no use calling a spade a spade, when you can say it’s a ‘tool designed for the purpose of digging or removing earth’. That’s how designers think. They positively hate straightforward solutions. ‘Let’s make it complicated’, they say.
Similarly, why should blog posts be easy to follow, why should coding follow standards, or why should the web offer ‘ready-made’ solutions to the designer’s dilemma: ‘is my work worth the bucks?’. Design may be worth thousands of dollars or just a few cents. Freelance designers sometimes join online communities, trying to earn some honest money. Sometimes they fail miserably, sometimes the results may just be worth their trouble. And they (successful or not) all deeply, profoundly hate each other. Just goes to show that a designer’s world is a tormented, fear-driven, insecure universe.
Of course, changing the way we think about stuff, and, more importantly, about how stuff should be made, can make a huge difference for our world. Design, however, is rarely regarded as the all-encompassing, all-saving answer to usability problems. Usability, it seems, is doing just fine on its own. Ranging from sustainability to evaluating organic materials, design is considered a mere tool. Like using an electric drilling machine, when you only need a shovel. They (designers) may argue you won’t get very far with just the one shovel. More often than not, though, you do. And everything works out ok, no design involved.These are all facts that are not about to change overnight. So please remember: without your help, designers may slowly fade away. Your time, energy and resources are all appreciated. Today, just go out and hug a designer. They may say they hate it, but deep down, they’ll thank you for it.(an ipsx.ro/words initiative. Please note that no designers were harmed in the making of this post.)