Design illustrates itself as a solely creative field, that of which is made for complex minds unlike the informational and calculating roles of modern job positions. Graphic design and the design field is growing rapidly for this reason–opportunities such as boot camps and online courses offer these opportunities and a promise of a high salary and career with a creative background. While it seems like fun, many people often find themselves burning themselves in the same fire they set with the trying passion of becoming a designer. Many people tend to solely focus on the design part of the field, but there are many, many other aspects of design that can really make or break designs professionally.
One of the most important lessons of learning before designing was when I was in high school. From a young age, I was very passionate about art and design, and as early as 8 years old, I found myself drawing a lot. Inside and outside of school, I was so passionate about creating art, so much that I would often confess that I wanted to be a freelance artist, like a lot of the people that inspired me. I entered high school being able to take art classes above my intended level, but realised that it was so different to my expectations. While people in my freshman year were creating art, I was writing reports and learning the basis and origins of art.
One of my most vivid memories from my art classes was writing a 5 page report my sophomore year about Nighthawks by Edward Hopper. I remember feeling as though my creativity was stripped from me and my time was being wasted. I wasn’t working with oil paints and making my own masterpiece, like I thought I would. I was painting an amalgamation of words together, describing the impact Hopper had on American art in the most miserable way possible. I was not exactly thankful for the “A” that I received on my paper, because after all I was taking an art class. I deeply desired to make art, not research something that has been researched many times before. It wasn’t until years later that I realised the impact of research. Even if I didn’t exactly understand how it would later impact my career, I would understand this concept when my time finally came to work in the creative field.
I didn’t find my passion for the arts again until I started studying User Interface Design. When I first arrived in the UK, I went through many trials and tribulations with what I wanted to do for my career. I was going through the final university classes that I paid for to get my AAS Degree in Full Stack Development, but I didn’t feel right working in a field that I was only book smart in. I jumped through multiple hoops to realise that I wanted to go back to my creative roots in art and design, and took up the opportunity to teach myself UI design. It wasn’t until I started teaching myself that I realised how important User Experience was.
This transition to User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX) design was a pivotal moment in my career. UI and UX are not just about making things look good; they are about making things work well. This distinction is vital. As I began to immerse myself in the world of UI design, I quickly learned that while the aesthetics of a design are important, they are secondary to how a design functions and serves its intended audience.
UX, in particular, opened my eyes to the importance of research and testing. It’s not enough to create something that looks appealing; it needs to be intuitive and serve the user’s needs. This is where the process becomes more scientific. UX design involves gathering data, understanding user behaviours, and iterating on designs based on feedback. This process is rigorous, but it ensures that the final product is not only beautiful but also effective.
For these reasons, it is important to understand empathy that design effectively. Like art, UI design and design in general relies on you to put yourself in the shoes of the viewer. You need to understand the emotion that the viewer feels, their interpretation, their needs to fully understand the driving force behind that person’s experience. Empathy is not something that can be taught in a traditional sense; it’s something that develops over time, through experience and observation. In my early days, I was so focused on the visual aspects of design. I wanted to create something beautiful, something that would impress others. But as I gained more experience, I began to see that the most successful designs are those that connect with people on a deeper level. This connection can only be achieved by truly understanding the user’s perspective.
Moreover, without these aspects and understanding of UX, your creativity can outweigh your practicality and result in a design that becomes unusable. Creativity has to be tempered with practicality in design–without being able to implement user needs in a design, your visually-stunning design can fall flat, and you lose all meaning to something that you’ve spent so long to develop.
Design is more than just a career; it’s a lifelong journey of learning, exploration, and growth. It’s about constantly pushing yourself to improve and adapt, while also staying true to your creative instincts. The lessons I’ve learned along the way—from the importance of research and empathy to the value of collaboration and communication—have all contributed to my growth as a designer.
As I continue on this journey, I’m excited to see where it will take me next. Whether it’s exploring new areas of design, learning new skills, or simply finding new ways to connect with users, I know that the possibilities are endless. Design is a field that challenges you to think differently, to see the world from new perspectives, and to create something that has the power to inspire and transform. And that, to me, is what makes it such a rewarding and fulfilling career.
