Through my experience as a web designer I worked at a few different companies and experienced lots of different things. I went the whole college route and was told how the "real world" would be. But you don’t really understand what it is until you experience it.

So through this writing I will try to answer (more of a rant than an answer) the Day Old Question: Why are designers treated like they know absolutely nothing except how to click a mouse and push a key?

What I’m about to go into detail about doesn’t follow suit with all companies, but I think a lot of companies.

In “Corporate America” there are titles, structures, systems, rules, etc., everything that the creative mind of a designer hates. These corporations hire designers to do a job, and that job is to be creative and design whatever it is they want. So why is it, that once we are hired, there’s always somebody or a group of people who have nothing to do with designing anything, putting a plethora (yes plethora) of creative input into what we make.

This so called “criticism” makes absolutely no sense to me. Now, I’m all for constructive criticism if there are reasons behind the changes but what really, REALLY drives me nuts is this conversation:

Designer - “Ok, here’s the first version of the design to show our client.”

Person who knows nothing – “Let me take a look.”

D – “Here you go.”

PWKN – “Alright
 Move this here, change this color to green, make this a little bigger
yeah, and when you’re done, let me take another look.”

D – “Is there any reason why you’re making these changes without showing the client first?”

PWKN – “I just think it will look better like that.”




If you’re a designer, you’ve heard this before. Take sometime, gather your thoughts and read on.




Ok, now if you’re like me, this is the point in the conversation when you want to go all “Falling Down” on their ass. Just typing that conversation got me angry. WHY THE HELL DID YOU HIRE A DESIGNER THEN?

Seriously, why was the designer hired? I feel like the job of a designer is the same as the job of, I don’t know, a stapler, or a piece of tape. We’re just a tool that can be used for other people when they need it. Apparently all we know how to do is use the programs, and like a monkey, drone, or brainwashed cyber slave, we just take orders and create. Everything else is for some other schmo to decide. Designers know nothing.

What’s worse is that you are still encouraged to give input because you are the designer. But no matter how much input you give, you will always be overwritten or someone else will just take credit.

This was one of my main reasons for starting SureFire Web Services. I can’t see myself taking orders and trying to swim up creek for my entire career. I mean, face it. The only way you will have your ideas heard is if you move up the ranks, become some director or head of designers or something.

But who has time for that?