20+ designers share their insights and answers to why they chose to the graphic design industry.

Jason Lengstorf

With most of the designs I’ve done, I’ve been given direction roughly equivalent to, “I want to make my site sexier.” So I’ve been challenged to look at a site’s audience and subject matter and define “sexy” for multiple demographics and industries. It’s been an ongoing round of Balderdash: the client gives me something I don’t understand, and it’s my job to define it, then push my definition as THE definition of whatever industry I happen to be designing for.

Andy Jacobson

I’m a control freak. I have an anxiety disorder. I grew up in an unstable environment. I’m obsessive, compulsive.

And I’m smart. (I chose the right field to satisfy all my needs)

Lance Shields

I love to create things that communicate powerful concepts. I love emotion. To me the story is more important than typography or layout (but I love both like any designer). I want to be in business doing what I love - being creative and learning everyday.

Bre Roz

I love that I can become so obsessed with it. I can focus on it for HOURS. I leave work and I come home to do more designing. I love that I make things look HOW I WANT them to. I love seeing something fantastic and new, then figuring out how someone made it - finally making it happen for myself. I love becoming frustrated because I always win in the end with design!

Aaron Irizarry

I love the idea of giving life to someone’s vision by creating a graphic representation of it and or giving it a presence on the web. I love the problem solving, and creation process… to quote Hannibal from the A-Team “I love it when a plan comes together”. I love creating user experiences and figuring out what works and make ideas/products usable, and I love the community of designers and hearing what people are passionate about and see their talents on display.

Jim MacLeod

Originally I wanted to be an illustrator. In college, I found myself leaning more towards the computer side of layout and design. Over the years I have evolved into more of a web designer. All of these different aspects of graphic design offer me the chance to overcome design obstacles. Every day presents a different problem, and especially with web design, there is always a new, better way to learn how to solve these problems. Design allows me to be creative and do something different every single day.

Chris Rossi

I have always been drawn to the beauty and the innovation of the order of good design of all kinds: graphic design, architecture, interior design, fashion. Clarity and control, yet feeling and passion through the use of line, texture, color and form. Ah, and the use of beautiful negative space…mmmm….I love the different interpretations of the same world….love it, love it, love it!!!

Rudy Riley

What drew me to design? I’ve always been intrigued by the visuals that we see throughout our day. I wanted to be one of those people that expressed ideas via web and print. It’s the pleasure of piecing together new ideas and techniques to create a final product. We strive to generate a feeling within an individual that will entice them to act in a manner we desire.

Auggie Falzarano

I didn’t really choose design, design chose me. Since I can remember I have been drawing or doing something creative. I started designing in basic, you know the language for the old Commodore 64s and Atari 800s. I have used every version of Photoshop and same with Corel. Yes, 1990. I love taking someone’s ideas and illustrating them, the look on someone’s face when you nail a design is completely priceless.

Jeffrey Garofalo

I love that someone can take an x-acto knife and carve a poster out of his chest for his work. That’s dedication, passion. Things that I have always loved in some way are connected to design: album covers, book jackets, movie posters. It’s impossible to walk around, get on a subway without seeing Helvetica; or something that’s designed really well. Even takeout menus are looking better these days. And I love that any of this matters.

Chris O’Donnell

I design things not only because I enjoy it and know that there is money to be made in the industry, but because the world needs me to design things. There are many messy things in the world, and it is my job to fix them and make them perfect. Please help me fix the world’s ugliness by never using Comic Sans or Arial.

Shawn Kulla

One of the first memories I have is sitting in the sitting in a hospital waiting room learning how to draw birds. Since then it has just been a natural progression into graphic design. Pretty simple reason, but I love to create and being a designer lets me do just that.

Kenroy George

My love for graphic design originates from my love for beautiful things. i believe that while we are here on earth we should leave it looking much better than the way we found it. graphic design is my way of contributing to that idea. whether it is making something simpler, prettier, and ultimately more usable, it will have some connection to graphic design and i want to be there to see that evolution.

Stephen Riley

That it can help connect people with content that will, in some way, benefit their lives. We can all talk about beauty and art and everything, and while that’s all well and good, the real importance of graphic design is to communicate clearly. Empower people to understand the message and become hopelessly attached to it because it was made just for them. Never forget who you’re really designing for - it’s not yourself. That’s what drives me.

Andy Sowards

Why am I a Designer? Because since I was a child, Design has been all around me. Whether it has been on billboards, in magazines, on tv, or on the internet. It was hard to avoid the appeal of having your work displayed throughout the world.

I came into the industry hoping that my work would one day be seen by the masses of the world, and help shape their lives, emotions, and moments. I do it because I love it. I don’t do it because its a ‘job’ or ’source of income’. Nothing can replace that feeling of a job well done when you get feedback from a client and then see your work displayed proudly by them.

When I think of an idea for a design in my head during my daily routines, I have a compelling feeling to stop what I am doing, and go create it. I feel that if you don’t have these same feelings towards your profession, then you are in the wrong place. Thanks for your time.

James McDonald

What I love about graphic design is how you can freely express yourself. I started getting into web & graphic design around the year 2001. I was at school and I was studying subjects such as Art & Design & Graphic Communication.

The first time I was shown Photoshop, I fell in love. Back then when I first started I completely didn’t care about the business sides of things (probably because I didn’t know people were making money from it, i.e- freelancers). I remember the first thing I designed was a banner for a wrestling e-federation. Thought it was brilliant.

When I did find out about making money from designing graphics and designing web templates, I knew this was the route I wanted to go down. Since I was a kid, I always wanted to be an architect because I had family who were in the architectural business. But, since being introduced to Photoshop, I knew it was the choice for me.

As I said previously, what motivates me about graphic design is expressing yourself and being able to monetize from it. Obviously, there are limits due to client demands, but if you love design like me your up to any challenge that you may be given.

Aaron Lock

I became a designer after realizing how much my band sucked. Music has always been a second passion of mine after art but when I was a kid I was certain we could make it to the big time. I started doing niche design jobs like tattoo design and band logos for way less than they were worth and then I thought to my self, why can’t I do this for a living. So I signed up at the local technical school and the rest is history.

Josh Semans

The freedom of expression, you can just open up Photoshop, and visualize what you are thinking, and make it real. Anything is possible in the world of graphic design, limitless possibilities, whatever the subject is!

Paddy Donnelly

I’m more in the web design business but design in general is fascinating to me. To discover something that’s innovative, clever and uniquely designed is one of the most exciting feelings. I’m so intrigued by how stuff works, why it has been designed in a certain way and the theories that have gone behind it. And I want people to have that feeling for my work also. That’s why I’m a designer. To Intrigue people.

I truly believe that design will save the world!

Calee Himes

What DON’T I love about graphic design (aside from clients who ignore deadlines and want purple polka dots and comic sans)?

I love being in tune with the visual world more than the average person. I love the fact that I can look at a logo and cringe or gush about it. I love creating things out of great concepts and the sense of accomplishment that goes with it, whether or not the client likes it — I especially love it when the client likes it though. I love having a community of other designers to whom I can bitch about ugly design and bad clients and ask questions about typefaces and Adobe programs and web developing.

Stephen Tiano

Because making books is something I like to do a lot that pays.

Why are you a designer?

Leave a comment and let me know!