For anyone who went to design school, there’s a significant and noticeable difference between the designer you were then, and the designer you are now.
Remember the person you were when you started design school? What would that student think of the designer you’ve become? And what would you think if you ran into your past-self on the street?
To figure it out, I imagined my student self meeting who I am now… Maybe for coffee, nothing too formal. I can imagine it playing out something like this:
Student Self: “Gee whiz! The future is so bright and hopeful!”
Current Self: “Calm down.”
Student Self: “I’m going to prove to you how much I love design! I know what an agate is, and look! I have a scalpel instead of a hobby knife because I’m that serious about my new profession!”
Current Self: “No one likes a perfectionist, Stephanie. Not even me… I mean, you.”
Student Self: “I’m going to BE SOMEONE! I’m going to be a design rockstar.”
Current Self: “Your worth as a designer has almost nothing to do with how many people know your name. Just make good things.”
I wonder if my Student Self would be angry at my Current Self’s aloof attitude, or if she would just be confused. I was that annoying student who needed to prove herself… and the temptation to do so is still alive today. But I have a trick, whenever I get into one of those running narratives about proving myself. I remember a quote from Paul Rand:
Don’t try to be original, just try to be good.
My Freshman-level doppelganger would nod in agreement, but secretly run off and work painstakingly all night to prove just how creative she could be. She would probably think of who I am now as lazy, unmotivated, or vapid simply because I don’t beat every project into the ground (and myself along with them). But Paul was right. It’s not about trying to prove how creative you are… because that’s vanity. And the satisfaction gained from fulfilled vanity is fleeting.
Ask yourself who you were then and if you’re better off now. Or maybe you’re in a worse spot. I don’t know. Think about it and figure out how the design changes you went through play into your professional life and goals.
Matt
Looking back, I definitely have become a better designer since my freshman year in college, although I wish I had taken more risks in my work back then. The program at Boston University is fairly unique in that no one starts their major full time until junior year. Years 1 and 2 are reserved for an intensive fine arts core, including drawing, painting, and sculpture; my major required film photography (which thankfully I knew because of high school) and an intro to design class, and I elected to take an intro to printmaking class my sophomore year.
I wish I had put more effort in becoming a better drawer, as my illustration skills are really weak. Because my curriculum focused so heavily on drawing from observation, I have a really hard time drawing something not from observation, specifically on initial concept sketches.
Another thing I’ve realized recently about myself is that almost all of my personal project ideas are skewed towards fine art rather than problem solving. The only difference is the end product; instead of making a painting, I design a website. Because a lot of my personal projects focus on exploring social interactions, I usually end up with some sort of interactive space for users with the most obvious solution being a website. I try and convince myself that it’s the ideas that count, and rationalize that with relatively successful projects posted on design blogs that have a really simple design, Clients From Hell being one of them. I guess I think that if I have a cool idea but actually put some time in working on a custom site rather than a Tumblr template, something might amount from it. Who knows, though.
Looking at the larger picture, sometimes I feel like a fine artist with a designer’s toolkit, which isn’t really the best position to be in.
Jan 09, 2010 @ 12:14 PM
Stephanie Horn
“…sometimes I feel like a fine artist with a designer’s toolkit, which isn’t really the best position to be in.”
Sounds like you have a really interesting and varied background. I wish that I had more time in school to pursue areas other than design like printmaking, life-drawing, and photography. I have the design fundamentals and am now trying to apply them to other areas, which I’m finding a little difficult. Sometimes I let myself get caught up by the fact that I may not initially know how to do something. You might have a leg up on a lot of designers who don’t have a broad range of media to choose from when they approach projects.
Jan 09, 2010 @ 3:36 PM
Casey Hayes
I graduated 9 years ago and have recently reconnected from many design school friends. I have great memories of most of them… but I’m starting to remember that I was actually an uptight overachieving jerk back then about design compared to the generally laid-back and fun person I am now. (that is except when someone else is about to make a ‘business’ decision that amputates a design or illustration I’m working on ;-)
When I was in school I had a vision of being a well known or noted designer… not really thinking about the actual type of client I’d have, just that I’d have my own business and would be in demand. About 2-3 years after school I realized that if I wanted the kind of work I enjoy I’d have to direct my portfolio toward it and specialize. I’m about 4.5 years into “specializing” in illustration and design for children’s products and while I’m glad I did, now I’m heading the other direction and trying to diversify for broader freelance work again.
Great blog, great work and amazing writing about design!
Mar 29, 2010 @ 6:26 AM
Stephanie Horn
Thanks for the feedback, Casey! I think it’s the uptight personalities that often cause us to hold ourselves back, or at least be less approachable for feedback and critique. I found that as I loosened up in school and was able to talk less in critiques, but rather ask more questions about clarification, I moved forward faster in my projects and went farther than I could have by myself.
Do you think your vision/dream of yourself as a well-known designer impacted your attitude as well as your portfolio? I found that the more entitled I felt (about becoming a great designer) the more my character and work suffered. When I was able to humble myself, my work would become more authentic and my personality was much more approachable.
Thank you for the lovely compliments!
Apr 01, 2010 @ 2:22 AM