Does it matter what you call your profession?

In Graphic Design we are currently reading certain chapters in Design School Reader. At the end of these chapters are questions that we answer or ask ourselves.

In a way it does matter what you call your profession. I don’t think it always has to be so technical though. Just simply saying “I’m a graphic designer,” should be enough. If they ask further into it to what you specifically do, then you can explain from there. If you don’t want to explain it all the time, then say what field you are in from the beginning. “I’m a digital designer.” I just imagine calling myself a graphic designer. It covers everything in that short term. There are multiple fields, but they have all have something to do with graphics.

A job category can have significance. Trying to explain what exactly you do you automatically put yourself into one or more categories. Graphic design has altered the way designers practice by infinitely evolving and modernizing. The more technical our world gets the more the designs change to fit up to those standards.

“In theory, the web and other digital platforms are the proverbial new frontier, but in practice too much “standardized” web design (i.e., the major news and commercial sites from Amazon to the BBC) is replete with--and at times drowning in--brand-spanking-new conventions. Achieving comparably great design on the web has yet to happen.” The changes in technology have increased productivity in the graphic design world and have made things faster to accomplish but has not been perfected yet to be able to keep up fully. All the different fields now compared to 20 years ago have to do with technology advancing. With technology always moving forward new responsibilities come with that. The most important factor is problem solving and always learning new things.

In the world of graphic design we have our creative freedom to do what we want. Just reading and learning about these different opportunities is really eye opening. This profession is forever changing and that in itself is very appealing. I won't have to just stick to doing only one thing for the rest of my life. I can pick and choose what I want to do and when I want to do it.