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
“My Role As A Designer”
I’ve always dabbled with technology to create things. I guess my love for making movies, recording music, and playing around in Photoshop really drove me to what I call myself today; a designer. I explore and dabble with various forms of design, however (to the common folk), professionally I call myself a web designer. Within my industry I’m known as a user experience designer and front end developer, however it’s all branched under the large creative umbrella of “INTERACTIVE MEDIA”.
Establishing Morals Within Design
Design is a great thing within culture. It’s one of the most influential messengers we humans have to offer to one another. Design has created tons of awareness for great causes, missions, and campaigns, but I’d argue that most West-European modern design within the last 100 years has done more damage than good.
