Defining Success as a Designer
Recently I was tagged by Char, and am being forced (reluctantly) to answer some questions regarding achieving success as a designer. I say reluctantly because I hate to say that I am having success, since it’s really such an arbitrary term, often used in the context of self-promotion. (Which this is not!) Here goes…
1. How did you get started in the business?
A few years ago I began creating websites with html code/Microsoft Frontpage as sort of a hobby - my wife and I were pregnant, and I wanted to create a fun site, which resulted in PregnancyEtc.com. After making some money with that, I decided to sell the site and move on. (At that point I had been introduced with the concept of blogging.) I really wasn’t a fan of any of the WordPress themes I found, so I decided to teach myself php and css, so that I could customize my blogs the way I wanted them to look. And that was all she wrote…
2. What kept you going in those early years?
I found that I loved the idea of blogging, and also creating something unique - and in all honesty, the idea of making money on the internet was the initial driving force behind me pursuing the web design thing.
3a. Did you ever feel like you weren�t good enough or you would never make it in this industry?
Without a doubt, 100%, yes.
3b. How did you work through that?
Because I had a passion for creating websites and blogging, it was very easy to stick with it out of love of the game. Since I am a refiner, I continued to redo certain things, and it taught me a lot. Which in turn meant I was able to take my design to higher levels.
4. Do you look at others today and think �Wow, I wish I were that good�?
Yes, I do. There are other designers and internet moguls that I wish I could be, mostly ones that have established themselves as the elite in their field.
5. How do you measure success?
I try as hard as I can not to focus on things like having a Technorati rank of #35, or that I have done a lot of high profile themes. Being humble is something I try to maintain all the time, so for me, if I am happy doing something, then it’s considered success.
6. By your standard, do you think you are successful?
I am currently happy, so yes I consider myself successful!
Okie dokie, I am tagging Cory Miller and Nathan Rice.
Comments
11 Responses to “Defining Success as a Designer”
Brian - thanks so much for participating in this. It’s always fun to glean a little more into the background of the bloggers we look up to.
Wait, does “not tagging” mean tagging? I don’t get it.
Wow, typo there Nathan, you are tagged!
[…] out some other designers who have participated in this discussion: Brian Gardner David Airey Paul Enderson Charity Ondriezek Lisa Sabin-Wilson Share and Enjoy: These icons link […]
Brian, enjoyed your answers! And see the tag!
Here’s my first answer to the first question: “Brian Gardner.”
Thanks for being such an awesome help to get me started … and an encouragement along the way. I wouldn’t be where I am without your friendship.
[…] Brian tagged me … and he’s one of my best friends online and has been an incredible influence and encouragement to me as a blog designer … so here’s answers to the questions floating around about designing success as a designer. […]
[…] never been tagged before, blog-meme tagged that is. Nathan Rice tagged me after he was tagged by Brian Gardner. Although I’m not a successful designer, I’m taking advantage of this opportunity to […]
hey,
you have a great wordpress theme design,
you may take a look the site with the similar grid style,
http://5thirtyone.com/
If my clients says that I am a “successful designer”, than… I am one.
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Hmm. I\’ve seen this before, and believe it won\’t work. Until now I have only seen this in another related post.