There are all kinds of people that call themselves designers. I've looked through probably at least 20 portfolios so far this year (we're only on day 9...) because I love seeing the work that other people are producing. I like doing that not so I can copy or do something similar, but I think it's good to have an idea of what you like, how your designs differentiate, and also to get inspiration to keep in mind for the future. I also like to think of self-commissioned projects that I could create for myself to add to my portfolio.
But, all of them look pretty different, and not only is there a difference in all of the projects I've seen, but there's a difference between designers and their specialties. Sometimes I feel like every good designer knows it all, and can satisfy any client, whether their needs are print based, web based, branding, app creation, illustrating, hand-lettering, coding, ect. ect. ect. But I'm starting to get this feeling that it's not really like that, and if you don't have the know-how to do one thing or another, you shouldn't feel bad about it. You shouldn't apologize for it, and if you truly don't have the desire to learn how to do it, then don't apologize for that either.
As a designer, you have to always be evolving. A designer 20 years ago meant something very different than a designer today means, and those that didn't update themselves probably aren't succeeding today. I talked a few months ago about
becoming an expert, and I sort of concluded that it's a good idea to become really good at one thing before moving on to learn about something new. I can't say I've become an expert in any one thing yet, but I still think it's a really good idea to loosely follow that methodology.
I wonder if a lot of designers did it that way. I wonder if the designers that seem to "know it all" did it that way. I wonder if I really have the patience to do it that way.
I do know that I need to stop being envious of the designers that have 85 million things listed under their "Skills" page.
I ran into all of these thoughts last week when I was
working on a blog design project for
this girl. I don't consider myself to be an expert or even half as knowledgeable as any of the developers out there, but I can do simple tasks and build off of templates, and of course there's handy dandy Google. But as I sat there changing the blog around, I felt like I was an imposter. I don't advertise that I'm a developer, and if someone came to me with a crazy development project I would tell them the truth.
I guess my point is that I feel like I need to learn coding (at least basics, if not more) to be a successful designer, but I don't know if I even want to get into all of that. I'm not the tech-y type of girl, I just like things that look pretty, so maybe I don't even belong in that world. Is that how it works for other designers that choose not to follow the developer path as well?
Obviously I have many years to deveop my skills as a designer, and my thoughts and passions may change, but for now I think I'll stick with the designer side of it, and leave the development side of it to the people that can wrap their mind around all of it. For me, if a quick Google can solve my html problem, then it's good enough for me.
With all of that said, I'm going to bring up another side to this discussion, and that's the side where I consider that there might be designers
and developers out there that aren't nice and shut out those that aren't up to their standards. I saw
this infographic that someone on Pinterest posted a few weeks ago, and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it. I don’t
really know where it came from or what authority the sources have, but I guess
it stung me a little bit. It paints this picture that Developers are better
than Designers, maybe because they know this other complicated language, and
then there are “amateurs” that are beneath Developers and Designers.
Ok, so
maybe bloggers that aren’t into blogging to get followers and sell ad space and
all that just need a basic design, so they do it themselves. What’s wrong with
that? Maybe a designer is just starting out and trying to learn the ropes of
the business. Not really an amateur, but they aren’t an expert in design yet.
There’s this Mean Girls “You can’t sit with us” feeling that
I sometimes get about the design industry, and I think I feel like it targets
those of us who are teaching ourselves. Those of us who can’t devote 40 hours a
week to a design job because we have other day jobs.
Am I the only beginner (possibly amateur) designer that
feels like this? It can even be applied to any other profession, so I’d love to
hear what you have to say about it!
For now, I’ll leave you with a nice little computer and
iPhone background with this great quote that I found over at
Creative Mornings,
which is a great series of “breakfast lectures for the creative community”. I
plan on exploring the site a little more to see what I can be inspired by!
Click
here to get it in Aqua,
here to get it in pink, and
here to get it in black & gray.
And get it for your iPhone!
Click
here to get it in Aqua,
here to get it in pink, and
here to get it in black & gray.
Enjoy, and have a great weekend!