The moment you knew (2)
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- nocomply
I'm talking about the moment you knew you were done being a designer.
For me this happened about 7 or 8 years after moment #1 previously discussed.
I was really struggling on yet another web comp for a client. It looked like shite. I was running out of inspiration and felt trapped by the same formula I had been implementing for years.
I realized that all I do is give the same gift with different wrapping paper day in and day out.
I've been around long enough to watch trends come and go in graphic design. I don't really want to be caught up in these trends anymore, but clients keep requesting "that look."
Since this epiphany I've been moving more into the development side of things.
I want to be done being a designer, but I can't really escape it right now.
Maybe I'm just burnt out.
- TheBlueOne0
30 seconds after I seriously contemplated doing design work
- MrRemote0
Did you find that you started making more money after this? I did.
- ninjasavant0
Every day at 5
- Jaline0
Development = win
- zoiks0
I think about jumping off this cliff every time I sit down to do freelance work... then I get a check and I forget the pain until next time.
- Llyod0
this was 2004. I had finished work on some xbox shit and I realized that I sucked at it. then I took a swing at some guy I worked with then I was chased around sf by assholes with sonic mind control devices. after that I was pretty much done. I worked in dec of 05 for tribal and it sucked so I gave up design altogether.
- ukit0
I'm seriously thinking about leaving my art director position and just getting a menial job at Starbucks or Kinkos and doing that until I'm like 40.
- cannonball0
When I realized I'm only doing it for a paycheck.
- eating_tv0
If you are in the business of "giving clients the look THEY want" you're doing it wrong.
- hallelujah0
all jobs suck
- cannonball0
All day I fantasize about doing manual labor. The day's work justifying itself through excellence in craft.... way more satisfying than some butthole CD whining about this or that to you.
- CALLES0
The moment you knew... you were gay or straight
- ukit0
Working in retail you don't have to think, and I could just try to pick up girls all day. The pay was shit though.
- Nairn0
I realised a couple of years back that I really didn't want to spend the rest of my life applying the shallow veneer of 'design' to other people's produkt.
That said, in the companies that I started and in the work I've done for others throughout my professional career I've come to appreciate how important this veneer is, so I'll always value it - I just want to wrangle the ability to my own end.
As such, I'm midway through starting something new up, which will hopefully provide an outlet for me to express my own efforts and to work with the people out there who I know (and appreciate) completely outclass me. There's a long game too - to be able to produce real world objects that will be genuinely valued and, over the horizon somewhere, might actually be quite useful and functional.
"Design" is such a broadly-encompassing term - in an ideal sense, it covers all of man's highest achievements. I want to capture some of that sentiment in my life - otherwise, what's the point of it all?
- cannonball0
I've been considering gardening.
- grunttt0
i often find my mind wandering... "what could i be doing besides this?"... i think that's a sign.
- MSTRPLN0
around the same time when banners were introduced
- hallelujah0
development sounds boring as shit--is it?
- web design in general sounds boring as shithallelujah
- sorry, I seem to be in a terrible moodhallelujah
- apologieshallelujah
- it is... and i wanted to quit, but there's just so much work/money in this field..janne76
- you know, i spoke to many people in all kinds of interesting professions and a lot of them are sick of their shit every now and then..janne76
- every now and then..janne76
- airey0
a few friends over the years have ditched design and gone on to other things and been really happy for the change.
i guess the thing is to make sure you're not putting 100% pressure on your job to be the creative outlet you require. or even the 1 thing to hang your happiness on. even though a lot of us are happy in this career realistically a large percentage of day to day work is bread and butter stuff. not for everyone but certainly me and most designers i know. you need to create or find additional avenues to work with. when i was a mac monkey i used to chase band artwork, mainly for free. anything to save me from from press ads.
saying that a rut is a rut and you have to either change jobs / careers / underwear or get some new interests / hobbies. you dug yourself into the rut so you gots ta dig yerself out.
personally, i kidnap hookers and hunt them in national parks (much like 'turkey shoot', or the less well known ice-t remake 'surviving the game') and wear their skin as clothes around the house. it gets me outside and also introduces both physical and adrenalin elements into my life.
- great idea! it's a win-win situation. city is freed from hookers and you have a great escape from coding!!!janne76