Don’t Settle For Titles.
Just graduating from college 6 months ago, I’ve noticed how much I’ve taken to a sense of status, or title within work. I am a UI/UX Designer for a creative agency called THE PROGRAM. I love what I do and whom I’m doing it for but it CAN’T stop there.
If all we were doing was hard work for a title and cred points from our peers I’d argue we’ve cut ourselves short. I mean, what’s the difference between a job title and a dog breed? Pace, speed, mind, body, soul? It’s like we’re all the same while being a bit different. I’d pose that it’s not what your resume says you are, but who and how you introduce yourself to the world, stating what you stand for as a designer.
Showing up to work is key, but do things that will further your beliefs beyond that and outside of work. Don’t sell yourself short by taking the mentality of a typical college kid just getting by; doing only the work asked to do. Now I didn’t do more homework than asked to complete, but I busted my butt outside of school to network, take on freelance, and meet people in the PDX design industry.
If we don’t put in the extra effort of work, how can we expect to lead someday. Maybe you’d rather follow?
Either way, YOU are the one in control of how much work/play you take on and how you put good into the world. Design is extremely powerful, and it’s time we rise up and take on the true responsibility of a problem solver….we can only do that by showing we’ve invested our blood, sweat, and tears over what we do, and how we do it. The world is encouraged by the fearless, and the whole world is watching for what we put out. That’s a status to take seriously…
-Greg Becker / www.iambecker.com
Brand Consistency: a 101 “duh” reminder.
You could call me OCD. Design might have been a mistake delve into for occupation, or the best decision in regards to my natural making sure I’m on always on top of detail. Now, of course I’m not perfect, but I do try to see every problem within a design and seek to conquer accordingly.
I understand now that the biggest part of my mind that this plays out in is within my own branding and representation of my business. I think it’s essential to seriously own your stuff when it comes to creating the real “you” in terms of standing out in a sea of mediocrity.
Very inspiring video on the truth of Vans as a company, and the story of their success.
The dumbest mistake is viewing design as something you do at the end of the process to ‘tidy up’ the mess, as opposed to understanding it’s a ‘day one’ issue and part of everything.
— TOM PETERS
Finding Inspiration
What motivates you? What inspires you? Why do you do what you do? We all have to ask ourselves this question when first getting into a field like design. We are all inspired by certain things in this life, and finding out what exactly that is and how to keep up within that inspiration isn’t always a straight-forward and obvious path to carve.
The Art of Freelancing
Freelancing is a game that not all can play and do well with. In fact, I’d argue that it takes more brains, hard work, and energy than most have the power to carry out. Freelancing isn’t something a designer (if they can title themself that yet) can just jump into. A certain level of experience is required to know how to communicate, estimate budgets as well as their estimated delivery times, and properly manage their money.
Jason Fried. Scaling within business.
Designer interview : Greg Lutze
Gamification And UX: Where Users Win Or Lose
via Smashing Magazine
ROI of User Experience with Dr. Susan Weinschenk
(via farhanshaikh)
Design: Vocation or Mere Occupation?
“I’m a designer”.
We hear it all the time. Every kid with a sketchbook, graphite pencils, and a keen sense of ambition calls themself a designer; maybe even an artist. However, artist and designer are two very different things. This probably isn’t new to most of you, but to be an artist means you paint your canvas with statements and hard opinions. To be a designer however, is to be the master puzzle solver; the one who can solve problems with fractions of art and with sequential, psychological steps to prove another’s success story. Both are a calling. Both are up to the individual of whether or not their destiny will merely be an occupation, or a calling…a vocation.
