DESIGNER IDENTITY
VOLUME ONE ISSUE ONE TONI BOWIE
THIS IS HOW REAL DESIGNERS FEEL*
*BASED ON QUOTES FROM SURVEY OF 13 DESIGNERS
this zine is the first of a three part series, exploring the stages of becoming an interior designer using primary data from designers in education and the workplace. the inspiration for this series comes from personal frustrations of imposter syndrome and feeling unprepared for the industry after six years of higher education.
this series is the outcome of my final MFA (master of fine arts) module, serving as evidence for myself that the journey of an interior designer (or any designer) is a turbulent one. despite the project's purpose being directed inwards, i realise many other new or established designers may benefit from the various primary research within each zine. this series therefore acts as a resource, whether to be referenced by others, reassurance for those feeling isolated by their negative experiences, or as a call for change.
designers commonly assume that our peers are confident, knowledgable designers with no faults, and bury our uncertainty behind fear of humiliation, inferiority or shame of being the group's outlier or weak link. this is how i've spent my entirety of higher education feeling, and have concluded that its time to question this taboo and unify the imperfect development of personal creativity.
this survey was open between 14/02/23 and 21/03/23, consisting of 13 respondents with backrounds in interior design, interior decoration, interior architecture and architecture. the age range spanned from 22 to 37, gender isn't included as no designer reported gender as a positive/negative influence on their design identity.
it's interesting/concerning to note that during the distrubution of the survey, one undergraduate tutor refused to pass the survey to their students, in fear they #wouldn't get it$ and cause an #existential crisis$.
GOOD
ST L I LL
GETT ING
OOK
JOB I
IN EDUCATION NOT IN EDUCATION IN PREFERRED JOB INDUSTRY NOT IN PREFERRED JOB INDUSTRY STUDENT ALSO WORKING UNDER GRADUATE POST GRADUATE 11 2 1 1 6 7 1
KEEP
REJECTED
CANNOT # # # # $ $ $ $ $ #
DRIVE
ING TOOK FIRST
SAW + REGRET IT
NO OPPO RTUN IT
IES
CURRENTLY STRUGGLING HAVE STRUGGLED NEVER STRUGGLED
SIX OUT OF TEN
UNI WAS BRILLIANT NOT MANY OPPORTUNITIES IN INDUSTRY
NO SUPPORTIVE MANAGEMENT
ITS A TOUGH INDUSTRY TO DO WHAT YOU WANT TO DO
ASNEGATIVE I HAVE NO WORK EXPERIENCE
QUOTES FROM SURVEY PARTICIPANTS
SENSE OF SELF NURTURED AT UNI BUT BEING MYSELF WON'T MAKE MONEY
UNI HAD UPS + DOWNS. WORK PLACE RUINED CREATIVITY
MYDISLIKEDBA, BUT LOVED MY MA
ONLY HAD ONE FREELANCE PROJECT SINCE UNI, WISH I WORKED IN MY DESIRED FIELD
LOVED MY BA, BUT THE MA I PICKED WASN'T FOR ME
DESIGNING FOR CLIENTS + GETTING FEEDBACK BOOSTING CONFIDENCE
I FEEL LUCKY + UNLUCKY. BUT THE OVERWORKING PAID OFF
whether in education or the workplace, a disrupted design identity is evidently common (10/13 designers). the largest negative impact amongst the designers was the workplace, with university being neutral.
O c TONI BOWIE MAY 2023