Conversation

How come designers are always unhappy? 🤔
Quote Tweet
This quote always pops into my head when talking to start-up founders telling me how much they value design and want to compete on UX, but lack any designers on their team. “Don't tell me what you value, show me your budget, and I'll tell you what you value.” ― Joe Biden
Show this thread
16
37
Replying to
Nonlinguistic brain is consistent source of anxiety. Now turn that dial up. Most designers truly don't understand how the world works. Most notably, the operative reasons paychecks are issued. Designers are the only ones who think they are solving problems. Should do to start.
1
5
Replying to
As a designer you get told (wrongly) that it’s your job to create a shining vision of what should exist. And then more pragmatic people build an actually feasible version of whatever you came up with, which inevitably sucks compared to the dreamscape you had in your head
1
1
Replying to
Hmmm Interior designers seem like a happier bunch? Does Meatspace design differ from Bitspace design? I spos Design / Utility coupling different for Meatspace where well designed spaces confer aesthetic/utility equilibrium vs Equilibrium harder to grok in bitspace?
Replying to
Many reasons. Our work is too interesting to the average onlooker and invites constant meddling (as opposed to more cryptic/unintelligible looking work), we are often sold an naïve bundle of lies in school about the scope and importance of our impact
1
2
Replying to
I’m a designer I immediately thought of this brilliant graph Designers can always visualize a better reality than they can materialize If happiness is “satisfaction with the present” and designers can always see better, by definition designing is intentional unhappiness.
Image
4