Job satisfaction and Graphic Design (Doug)

Title:

Job satisfaction and Graphic Design

Overview:

We often associate working in the graphic design industry directly with creativity. Also, when trying to picture a graphic design office, it is natural to think of a modern-decorated space, with music playing on the background while people dressed in jeans and designer t-shirts stare at their Macs – apparently focused on their work, having fun, or in some cases looking pretty stressed…

‘But what is it that makes graphic designers enjoy their work?’

Through this report, I intend to look into factors that designers claim to make their jobs enjoyable, and sometimes irreplaceable.

Chapter headings:

1. Should work bring us happiness and fulfilment?

Our choice of occupation is held to define our identity to the extent that the most insistent question we ask of new acquaintances is not where they come from or who their parents were but what they do, the assumption being that the route to a meaningful existence must invariably pass through the gates of paid employment. (De Botton, 2009)

On this chapter, I plan to inform the reader with a historical overview of the role of ‘work’ in modern society and how that influences people’s expectations of their careers. In addition, ‘does work define your identity in today’s world?’

2. Interviews

A series of interviews with designers and professionals of different domains would reveal some facts about what makes people enjoy their work. Will we be surprised by similarities in people’s answers considering their jobs? Or, more importantly: what will we learn about job satisfaction after comparing the many different fields? How does that apply to graphic design careers?

3. Graphic design for a living, or graphic design for life

It is possible that pressures at work or college, or difficulties with clients and bosses have transformed the once enjoyable discipline of graphic design into the designer’s worst nightmare. Can the pleasures of being a designer be preserved throughout college and work? If one loves design, is it better that he or she keeps it out of the hand of ‘others’? Design as a hobby?

Many people earn their living doing one thing, and then they create time and space in their lives to do the thing they love. Some people do it because it makes greater sense emotionally. Others do it because they feel they have no alternative but to pursue their passions “on their side.”  (Robinson, 2009)

Plan of action

- Research into the topic of satisfaction at work in different cultures and systems

- Elaborate interviews for both designers and non-designers. Fine tune questions by first ‘testing’ them on a few people

- Interviewing people and recording results; possibly recording interviewee’s voice in case it is needed for final outcome

- Compare results and contrast with researched material

- Produce final outcome

Bibliography

De Botton, A. (2009) The pleasures and sorrows of work. London: Penguin Books

Robinson, K. & Aronica, L. (2009) The Element: How finding your passion changes everything. London: Allen Lane.

Shaughnessy, A. (2005) How to be a designer without losing your soul. UK: Laurence King Publishing.

Bierut, M. et al. (1994) Looking Closer: Critical writings on graphic design. NY: Allworth Press.

Flow (psychology) [Internet]. Available from [Accessed on 12 July 2009].

Sagmeister, S. (2004) Stefan Sagmeister shares happy design. [Internet].Available from [Accessed on 12 July 2009].