Design for Reality

The only reason that we might strive to design for the best brands is to fulfill our own career
narratives.
As designers, we need to get out of our head and look instead to immediate local problems that
call for unique design solutions. Not only will this direct our abilities toward solving real
problems, but it will also make us better designers while we’re at it.
There are often many lessons and opportunities surrounding us. However, if we’re caught up in
the grandiose vision of our careers, these lessons will appear small or inconsequential, and we
may miss them.
If you think that taking on a small project is demeaning to the potential scale of your work, get
out of your head. Keep in mind that there is no one to perform for. And quite frankly, much less
people are keeping tabs on your career than you may think. In fact, it’s likely that no one is. This
can be hard to digest when you’re stuck inside your own head.
Don’t Linger on Past Successes
When we reminisce about our past successes, we forget about the hours of work and execution
that got us to where we are today. So instead of dreaming about your story, get back to work
and out of your head. Start a new page daily, and eliminate any ideas of grandeur.
“I was trapped so terribly inside my own head that I was a prisoner to my own thoughts.” –
Ryan Holliday
Be a Student
In order for your design work to grow, you must be able to learn from criticism. Participating in
the dialogue of design communities, such as Dribbble, is valuable, but they can also shelter your
work from the lessons of reality.
The online design community is extremely supportive to one another. It’s great that everyone
can so easily join such a conversation. However, constantly looking for positive feedback will
not drive us to learn, so we must be careful in how eagerly we participate.