Yet another musical reference.

I’ve been thinking about what exactly it is that I get out of design. Money is certainly not my ultimate goal. If that were the case, I would’ve stayed in school, doing something I hate, while continuously telling myself that eventually I’d be able to buy a house that I’d regret and own a new car that I want people to judge me by, because if they judged the real me, they’d hate what they saw.

Do I just want personal gratification? Is the only reason I design to be told that something I did looks nice or works well? No. Even though the other night while talking with Joe Sparano, I chose my words poorly and it sounded like that was what I want out of design, it’s not. Do I love hearing that someone is pleased with the work I did? Of course. I’m a human.

In the end, I just want to help people.

I don’t want to help them just so I feel better about myself or feel that I’ve done something great for society. I just want to help them because they need someone to do something that I can do, so that is where I step in. I design because it’s all I know.

If helping someone means increasing their profits, great. If it means helping gain awareness for a social cause that they’re involved in, even better.

My dream is that I eventually help people through design in a way that gives them something other than money. However, that day is too far ahead in the future to think about too much at this point.

I’ll still hold onto the dream, though, even as others stare at it with a very confused look in their eye.