Before anything else, let’s explain the concept of design and what it truly is. This way you will be able to understand everything that I’m going to mention today much better. If you misinterpret what design is, you won’t understand whether or not you are actually passionate about it and whether what you are doing is actually design.
When somebody is a designer, most people immediately assume that this person draws stuff. However, this is not the only option and modern designers are so much more. Today, when you say it could mean a lot of things and it may include a lot of different tasks, but all designers are creative and innovative, they are producers, planners etc. It’s not all about having the skills to make something appealing, it takes a lot of knowledge to figure out what good design is.
A designer is a person with the idea to create something new, which is functional and visually appealing. They first need to come up with their designs and also have the necessary skills needed to make their ideas become a reality. If you are already creative and like to do some designing as a passion, then maybe it is a good idea to consider it as a career choice.
If you create some visually appealing items on a daily basis and try to make them practical and with a purpose, then you should definitively consider becoming a professional designer. Here are the things you should consider.
1. You will make money off your passion
The first reason why you should consider designing professionally is because of the fact that you already enjoy doing it. Even when there is no direct financial benefit from it, you enjoy designing on daily basis as it fulfils you and keeps your mind entertained.
Now, just imagine doing this every day, while at the same time knowing that you will be paid for doing it. In my opinion, this is a jack pot. There is nothing really better than having a job that you truly like and enjoy. Coming to work will never be that difficult, after all you will be doing things you enjoy doing in your free time as well.
The sad reality is that a lot of people who work today have a job position which they don’t really like, or one that isn’t their first choices. This is simply a hard thing to accomplish when you consider how shaky the job market and the whole economy in general is. If you have the opportunity to get employed as a full time designer, while at the same time being passionate about it, I suggest going for it; you won’t regret your decision.
2. You will learn more about designing
Becoming a full-time designer can help you hone your skills and learn more about designing. Generally speaking, when you start designing regularly, you will be in an environment where a lot of useful information flows each day and with other people’s experiences you can learn much quicker.
Chances are you will work with other fellow designers and their experience can help you overcome obstacles faster and learn at a quicker rate. On the other hand, when you work full work hours every day, your hands and mind simply start to absorb things and become more certain in the things they do.
When you work for clients they will also challenge you and make you work harder while at the same time stepping out of your comfort zone. In order to become a better designer you cannot only focus on doing what you like. You need to learn to handle different tasks and get valuable lessons from them. Only then can you develop a unique style which will simply scream your name.
3. A full-time designer is never bored
There are so many jobs to day which are repetitive and boring. Some of them are even “creative” jobs and they still become repetitive so quickly that even people who are passionate about them get annoyed and frustrated after some time has passed.
A designer’s job is never like this and there is pattern for how your everyday work will look like. The job dynamic is constantly changing and all of your projects will be different and unique in their own way. Every client will want you to do something different and you will have a lot of interesting tasks coming your way on daily basis. Each of them carrying a set of problems and focusing on different target audiences.
This dynamics of new projects and challenges will give you room for being creative and you can always look to expand how you think and adapt to new styles. Every day will feel like something new, as you will be doing something new. This means that your job will be more bearable. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes you might get boring projects, but they will be much easier to handle, as all design projects, no matter how generic they might seem, give room for creativity and innovation.
4. Designers can choose the projects they work on
You probably won’t have this option during the first couple of years of work. However, as you get more experienced and more specialized at a certain type of designing work, you will get more opportunities to choose your own projects and clients. This means that you will have an amazing amount of freedom most jobs don’t really have. You will be able to do projects that suit you and express your creativity and knowledge as best as you can.
Just think about it for a moment and you will understand how fulfilling it can be to do the things you are passionate about and choose the projects you prefer while at the same time making money from them. There are so few job positions which are this rewarding and when you get here, you will be completely happy with your job and every work day will become relatively easy.
5. Your work hours will be flexible
Unlike most job positions, being a designer usually has flexibility when it comes to work hours. Most jobs have a steady 8 hours shift during which you will work, but this is not the case when you are a designer.
When you start, you might become a freelance designer and find clients online. When you find a gig this way, you will have a deadline for the project on which both parties agree. This means that you will have all the freedom in the world to organize your time and work when you see fit.
If the deadline is in a week, you can take the first three days to come up with a good idea for your design and take the rest of the time to execute it. If you are more of a cautious type, you can work hard the first couple of days and finish the project before the deadline and take the rest of your time off.
Additionally, there are people whose work hours don’t align with their biorhythm. For example, you might be a night owl, but your shift starts in the morning. When you are a designer this is usually not a problem, as you will have the freedom of working whenever you like, as long as you get the job done on time.
6. People will see your work and interact with it
When you are doing designs as a hobby at home there aren’t many people who will be able to see your talent and the work you are capable of doing. Sure, you can show it to your friends but you will ultimately feel like you want to share your work with the world. This is only normal.
Having a regular job means that you will work at a quicker pace and deliver designs which will be visible to others and not just your clients. For example, if you design a logo for some business organization that logo will be seen by all of their customers and as that business will strive to become more known, your logo will also reach larger audiences which can see your name with the logo.
Not only will more people see your work, but a lot of designs offer interaction to users and this is something you can see. For example, if you’ve designed a website you can see how people react to it and hear their opinion on it. This is very rewarding and the reactions can motivate you to work harder and better, no matter if they are good or bad.
These are the most important reasons why you should pursue your passion as a designer and become a professional. If you have any other reasons to add feel free to share and tell us more about what you think. In my opinion, being a designer has a lot of positive sides and it’s a great career choice. However, this doesn’t mean that you won’t have to work hard in order to become a successful designer.
You will have to invest a lot of time and effort to start making serious money and during that time you will have to do everything that comes your way. Still, what job doesn’t require these sacrifices? Add up the reasons above and see if it’s worth it or not.