At Edwin Marie, we are web designers, but to be a designer is not limited to a job title or educational achievements. Designers are needed in all aspects of life such as architecture, education, home decor, and even janitorial services. Really. Designers are a part of a larger group of people called creatives which encompasses artists, musicians, philosophers, and more.
All creatives have different skills and similar attributes. As a designer, it's important for me that you know what you are getting when you hire me to design your website. So, here are ten things nobody told you about people like me:
Good designers must always be avant-gardists, always one step ahead of the times. They should–and must–question everything generally thought to be obvious. They must have an intuition for people’s changing attitudes. For the reality in which they live, for their dreams, their desires, their worries, their needs, their living habits. They must also be able to assess realistically the opportunities and bounds of technology. Sounds simple, right?
You can call this attribute being a realistic dreamer. We understand the way things are as a practical measure, but we also see how we can improve on what we see by eliminating the excess and focusing on the important tasks.
Enjoying what you do and who you do it with is one of the main reasons I've personally pursued jobs and education focused on an aspect of design. And the ones that didn't allow for my creativity in design to come out through my work felt suffocating and laborious.
When I have a project in front of me, I sit down and let my mind expand. But I keep my timeline and therefore more efforts focused on achieving the ultimate goal. It is a mind and work balance that was harder the younger I was.
There are nights that I'll wake up from sleep after an hour or so and I can't get back to bed simply because my mind is racing with ways to improve whatever project I am working on. I'd like to say these happen ever so often, but they are frequent enough that I keep a notebook next to my bed and replace it a few times a year.
But sleeping is not where my mind really runs wild. Driving home, waiting in a doctor's office, eating lunch, and even bathroom visits all present opportunities for me to analyze what I'm seeing and create a better design in my mind.
Yoga and meditation are great ways for me to physically and mentally disconnect from the stresses of this world, but I even sneak some new thoughts in during that time, too.
When people first meet me, they feel like I have no problem speaking to anyone, anywhere, at any time, about anything. While I have a level of comfort in that arena, I'm also isolated in my mind and can find that a crowded room becomes lonelier than an empty bus terminal.
When we do talk, though, I am genuine and invested in what we are talking about because I am always intrigued by something new. Which brings me to my next point...
Working in a routine is not healthy for designers. We need distractions in the form of new versions of things. It is inspiring to see work from other designers, to feed off the trends that are happening in the world, and to bring our own solutions to new problems.
But, new isn't only where it's at for us. Understanding when to incorporate older or classic design elements is also very important as weaving new and old feels comforting in many ways.
I've always been the guy that says try it at least once. Never tried going to church? Give it a go. Never tried marijuana. Have at it. I know this rubs some people the wrong way, but life, in my opinion, is too short to never know what an experience could have been like. In fact, I find that the experience is usually different than what we think it will be.
Of course, when those test runs work out it's an amazing new feather in the cap. But when they don't, it can hurt designers emotionally harder than what it appears others experience. Our sensitivity is off the charts it seems.
This took me a long time to deal with as I was growing up. A very, very long time and it was an emotional disaster for most of my life. To be more sensitive than my counterparts, to be willing to stay home with the kids and let my wife work, to be happier at a play than hunting, and to be comfortable handing over the finances to my wife all left this horrible feeling of inadequacy in my mind.
Don't get me started on the way society used to treat people that didn't fit this mold. Or, even to this day, looks down on people that don't fit into a predefined box.
Once I was able to get past the self-imposed pressures of not fitting into a gender role, I felt free to open my design options even more. It was my sensitivity to the way I was viewed that I had to deal with. I'm so glad I did.
I didn't actually come up with this one, but I read it in another article I used to prepare for this post. However, I don't care who said it because this is just spot on. As a designer, I'm willing to believe in the possible and push all my eggs into that basket while still researching the heck out of whatever I'm doing. I'm even willing to believe in other people because I want to believe in the good of mankind.
I am so happy with the growth I have personally experienced as a web designer. Getting to impact the world by helping small business owners grow their wealth and influence via their online web presence has been utterly rewarding.
It's good to know who you are hiring when you choose your web designer. Hopefully, I have resonated with you enough that you want to give me a call. If so, I'm waiting to help you take your site to a whole new level.
“If You Think Math is Hard Try Web Design”
― Pixxelznet
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Fabrics of contemporary colors and textures and suitable and appealing on old chairs.Modern lighting and ventilation enhance otherwise traditional rooms.
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