I Don't Regret Becoming a Designer (But I Get Why You Might)

The real talk about why design feels impossible right now

Hi! I'm Tracy from The Femme Foundry. Your weekly dose of real talk about creative life. Design insights, honest stories, and practical advice that actually helps - in a space where you can drop the act and just be yourself.

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I saw a thread this week that made my heart hurt. A designer saying they regret their career choice. The comments were brutal. Story after story of talented people struggling to find work, getting lowballed, or watching companies choose AI over hiring them.

I've been there. Three years ago, I was refreshing job boards obsessively, applying to anything that mentioned "design." I had clients trying to pay me in exposure while my bank account hit zero. I remember one project where the client asked for the fifteenth revision and I genuinely considered throwing my laptop out the window. I felt invisible in a sea of other designers, all fighting for the same scraps.

The design industry feels broken right now, and it's not just in your head.

You're competing with AI, Canva, and a thousand other designers for every job. Companies want you to be a one-person agency - illustrator, animator, web developer, UX designer, branding expert, photographer, video editor. Oh, and they want it done yesterday for half your rate. One designer mentioned applying for a "Graphic Artist" position that required graphic design, motion graphics, photography, video editing, and 3D experience. Another talked about posting a single remote position on LinkedIn and getting 2000+ applicants in just 10 days.

The pandemic made everything worse. Design and marketing are always first to get cut when companies panic. But it's not just us. Writers, photographers, illustrators, musicians - all these fields are struggling right now. The current climate has everyone feeling uncertain. Seniors are taking junior positions because they're desperate. Entry-level designers can't even get their foot in the door. Here in South Africa, I see incredible talent constantly undervalued. People think design is "just drawing" or "making logos."

Then there's the "Canva effect" and AI panic. Clients discover they can make something "good enough" themselves and think they don't need us anymore.

I won't lie to you. It's tough out there. But here's what those discouraging threads don't tell you.

The designers who are thriving right now didn't get there by accident. They stopped competing on price and started competing on value. They found clients who understand that design is an investment, not an expense. They built relationships instead of just submitting portfolios into the void.

Some went freelance and built their own studios. Some pivoted into adjacent fields like UX or marketing. Some found their niche and became the go-to person for that specific thing. The key word is "some." Not everyone will make it. That's the harsh reality of any field like this. But giving up because it's hard guarantees you won't be one of the ones who do.

I don't regret becoming a designer. Not even a little bit. The turning point came when I stopped chasing every client and started choosing them. Building my own studio meant I could work with brands I actually cared about instead of whoever would hire me. Now I'm present for my daughter's bedtime stories and afternoon naps instead of being stuck in someone else's office until god knows what time. I get to solve problems for a living, and help businesses tell their stories. That didn't happen overnight. It took years of learning, growing, failing, and trying again. It took refusing to give up when things got hard.

The design world needs people who understand that this is more than making things look pretty. We solve problems. We communicate ideas. We influence behaviour. We create connections between brands and people. That's not something Canva or AI can replace. But it is something you have to fight for.

Learning any new skill should never be a regret. Even if you pivot later, the problem-solving and strategic thinking you learn in design transfers everywhere. Your degree or experience isn't a life sentence. Who you are now isn't who you'll be in ten years.

Next week, I'm releasing the Ultimate Guide to Finding Clients because so many of you asked for it after my pricing article. It's everything I wish I'd known when I was struggling to find my place in this field. The guide won't magically fix the broken parts of our industry or your business, but I hope it will inspire you to take action, give you some food for thought, and provide some valuable tips.

Do you regret becoming a designer? How worried are you that AI will replace you?

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