Wish I Had Your Job

As a graphic designer, I have heard many snide, off-hand remarks from non-designers who feel that my profession is a joke. Condescending little jabs like "Must be fun," "Wish I could play with computers all day," etc. Yes, design work can at times be "fun," but for anyone who truly cares and takes great pride in the work they produce, graphic design is a grueling profession. Unlike other trades, where you learn a skill, then apply it by hitting the repeat button, graphic designers are expected to grow, to push the envelope, to come up with brilliant concepts and wow audiences. Most creative types are hypersensitive anyhow, so the work can often times feel like a powder keg ready to blow.

What started this rant? I blew my top this morning after reading a Reuters article probing the release of Microsoft Office for Apple's OS X. It's a straightforward article, except for this one juicy section:

OS X represents a massive overhaul for Apple's Macintosh computers, and the company is banking on fresh styling, crisp graphics and rich audio and video features to win hearts. Analysts say, however, it is up to Office to transform the new platform from a toy for graphics professionals to a tool for mainstream users like small businesses and students.

A fucking toy?? In other words, Macs are balls of yarn that creative departments bounce around and giggle with like a basket full of kittens. Real computer users (those with real jobs) don't use Macs. Bizarre, especially the "student" angle, cause Lord only knows how many PowerBooks and iMacs I've seen in dorm rooms and lecture halls.

But this isn't a Mac rant per se, just an illustration of how non-creative tech writers view graphic designers, their profession, and the uphill battle for acceptance (whatever that means) many of us face.