WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?

In college I knew this answer: A designer. And so I am. End of story right? Hmm not really…

Does anyone know how many types of designers are out there? Well wikipedia points out 19 different types of designers. Yeah that’s a lot. And then even if you pick one, you probably need to decide what your specialty will be. For example, if you are a graphic designer, then would you be a wedding invitation designer? A greeting card designer? A printmaker? A typographer? Have your own shop? Work for a design firm? So you see it’s not that simple.

So far in my design career, I have worked as a User Interface Designer, a Graphic/Visual Designer, a Web Designer, and an Information Architect. Right now at my job at IBM, I float between visual design and information architecture. But then there’s my freelance which includes branding, wedding stationary design, and creating blogsites. Maybe it’s my view of how other designers are doing it, my limited time now that I’m a Mama, or self-inflicted pressure to have a specialty but sometimes I feel compelled to just PICK one! Do any other designers out there feel the same way?

You may have noticed when I changed my site, I no longer have a Services section. It’s partly due to the fact that I am getting work without needing to announce it and mainly because I don’t know what I want to offer! HA How is it at almost 30 years old, I am still asking myself this question? (see title)

So here’s my question to you (designer or not): Do you struggle with this? Do I need to pick one? Am I crazy? If I keep doing it all, will I just be mediocre at everything instead of amazing at one thing?

Would love to hear thoughts on this!

I won’t even mention photography in this post. That will just confuse me even more.

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