5 things I would do differently . . . #5

Being Less of a Designer

Drum roll please . . . it’s the last week of my series “5 things I would do differently” and I’m super excited about this weeks post. This week I wanted to talk about being less of a designer. When I say “Less of a Designer,” Im mainly talking about two things.

1. Waiting for the question before answering.

I have found that in the last year, I started to solve client problems before they had presented the problem. I find that with the title of designer, we tend to let our confidence go to our head and get a little cocky. I think there is a great value to listening before speaking, and I think we can be much more productive in solving out clients problems when we do listen.

2. Humility.

I have also found that being a full time designer has had the tendency to envelope every facet of my life. This also strikes on the topic of being a little over confident/cocky. I have found that separating my career mentality (creatively solving problems) from my personal life has helped me maintained sanity. Realizing that I don’t have an answer for everyones issue is something I constantly find myself realizing. Even as I’m writing this, I realize how lame this sounds, but I think that this is a common issue for people in professions where they are in a position of authority. Not sure if all of this is making complete sense, but if you think I’m completely off…please leave a comment.