I am often asked “What do you enjoy most?” when people view my portfolio. My history showcases work in copywriting, visual identity, print, web, and interactive design—there are also the sitemap and wireframe documents I produce for some clients which I don’t include in my portfolio. People want to know am I a graphic designer, a user experience designer, or a front-end web developer? I reply that I view design as a process to solve communication challenges – be they print, web, identity, or user experience – my enjoyment derives from the process and the solutions.
“No, I mean if you had to choose just one, what would it be?”
This is where the conversation turns uncomfortable.
I ask the person to lean in (closer!) and whisper the secret that, if it fell into the wrong hands, could spell disaster for the human race.
“I’m gay. You don’t know this, being the heterosexual you are, but we gay folk have superpowers far above heterosexuals. It’s true! Why, just the other week I sent party announcements, prepared party foods and beverages, created a music playlist for the party, set appropriate lighting in my home, attended to the needs of every guest, ushered everyone out at just the right time, and cleaned up after the guests before I went to sleep. Without a brow hair out of place or breaking. a. sweat. Those same abilities to throw fabulous! parties are also what give me the ability to try and succeed in so many different things. Like design, or vegan cooking, or walking into a crowded room full of complete strangers and make friends. I’m a blessed gorl.”
The tension isn’t as rife as the time when my response to being asked “So, uh, you sleep with other men?” was “Well, if there aren’t any sheep around…” But brother – sister! – there’s definitely audible possibilities to hear a pin drop.
All kidding aside, people asking me to choose one area of design presume our minds work the same, that I can limit myself to one creative outlet. The idea of a singular focus further presumes that it’s better to be the best at one thing than good at several things. I can do information architecture or design but I can’t be the best at what I do if I don’t choose one. And if I do choose design, then I should narrow my focus on just print, or web, or visual identity.
Most of my friends in Europe and Asia are polyglots – we’ll save the conversation about Americans and their inability to even master the English language another day – I wouldn’t think to ask “If you could only speak one language, which would you choose?” Languages are unique in their rhythm and structure, and each one is spoken only when deemed most appropriate.
Working in a freelance capacity, there are projects when it’s necessary to wear more than one hat. Sometimes I will be asked to design a brand identity and style guide that informs brand collateral; other times I may be required to produce lo- and hi-fidelity wireframes for a website redesign; and there are some projects where I’ll design a website then write the HTML & CSS. My ability to adapt to any given project also allows my work to evolve whilst giving me the opportunity to realize “bigger, better, more ambitious”.
This isn’t to say that there are project roles I do not enjoy. Au contraire.
Project Management
If I’m working in a director capacity, I already have my hands full managing creative folk during a project: checking on the progress of a design; working with a designer to solve any creative blocks or unresolved ideas; patiently listen to a frustrated designer vent about a project or other team members without saying “Oh My GOD will you just shut up and do the work?”. Multiply that number of people managed by an entire project and I’d turn full-blown alcoholic before the design phase even had a chance to start.
Software / Web Developer
When I worked at an ad agency in New York, I was allowed to take continuing education classes at NYU. I decided to give computer programming a go and took an introductory course in Java. No matter how many times I asked the teacher to repeat the information written on the board, I had no idea what was being said. When completion of my class assignments consisted of trial-and-error typing – Did that line of code work? Yes? Oh thank God. – I knew it was time to drop the class.
Product Manager
It is far, far, far better to work in a design capacity than schedule brand initiatives. There are the spreadsheets, the meetings about the spreadsheets, the meetings about the meetings about the spreadsheets, and who can forget the constant generation of new buzzwords that scream “malapropism!” No thank you.
I prefer to focus on what I know best than be everything to everyone.
Also? I can’t paint with oils or acrylics. It’s true! Every freshman at Pratt was required to take Light, Color and Design I & II which taught students everything they ever wanted to know about, well, light, color and design. Class assignments involving the use of oil paints always gave me problems. While other students were able to mix base pigments into an array of colors, I made every shade of brown and gray imaginable. On the bright side, I can discern my browns and grays.
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Wait… you’re gay?