Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Problem solving and the problem I have with design

I don't know why I never cared about science or politics before. I always really thought history was more interesting, and I guess if I'm being honest, it was more FUN to remember stories than to solve problems. That probably has something to do with why I went to art school… it seemed to somewhat align with my outlook on just staying out of the business of serious, hopeless & frustrating problem-solving. Then there was the rude awakening when I realized that doing design IS just problem-solving... the same problem over and over again. They try to tell you at school that each design challenge is unique, but that's kind of the scam. Generally speaking, most people (and therefore clients) really just want to look good in the market and be on-trend with their demo. There's nothing wrong with that at all -- in fact, that really makes a lot of sense. It's how I feel about my own brand as well. 


My point is… I am disappointed in myself for holding so much interest for so long in something that can actually be quite dull and simplistic at its core. I sometimes catch myself wishing that I was working on a different problem -- maybe one that mattered to more people.  It's okay to do design for a living, but I just think there are more interesting problems to solve. I'll let you know if I change my mind on all of this 4 years from now. Stay tuned.