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The Angry Designer Graphic Design, Freelancing, Branding & Creative Business Podcast
Graphic Designer BURNOUT Isn’t What You Think
00:15:54
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- [00:00]
A
If you clicked on this because you're feeling exhausted, you're frustrated, you're questioning your design career, you are in the right place. But first, I want to make something extremely clear. You're not broken, you're not lazy, and you might not actually be burned out. Or at least not for the same reasons you think. And that actually matters. Because when you treat the wrong problem, you don't just stay stuck. You make things worse. In this episode of the Angry Designer podcast, powered by Wick Studio, we're breaking down why Burnout has become the industry's favorite label for everything designers hate about their jobs. Why most burnout advice given to you actually makes things worse, and why so many designers are walking away from a career they love, but not because of design, but because of all the noise around it. Because once you actually understand the type of verno you might be dealing with, the solution becomes obvious. And it's probably not what you've been told to do, because nobody seems to talk about the real problems. Until now. Let's go. So there's a problem with how we talk about burnout. It has become literally the label, the default excuse for everything designers are feeling today. I mean, you. You don't enjoy your job anymore. Burnout. You don't enjoy designing anymore. Burnout. You're tired all the time. Burnout. You hate your job. Burnout. You hate client emails that make your eye twitch. Well, that's definitely burnout. But the thing is, burnout is real. But lumping everything into that bucket is just lazy. And if that feels uncomfortable, then good, because that means we're actually getting somewhere. It's like going to the doctor and saying, I feel awful. And he says, yeah, you're. You're sick. No diagnosis, no plan, no meds. And yet somehow people are shocked when this advice doesn't work. Most designers don't need time off, they don't need a passion reboot, and they definitely don't need a frickin gratitude journal telling them to be thankful for a job that is killing their creativity. They need help from what's actually causing the problem. That's the difference that nobody actually talks about. Because it's not sexy, it's scary. Design is not the problem here. Most designers, they're not burned out from design. We've just turned Burnout into this nice layer table that lets the real problems walk away scot free. Bad environments, broken processes, zero trust, constant judgment. An industry that wants us to care, yet treats our work like a commodity. If you've ever wondered, did I Choose the wrong career. Let me ask you something. If you were working on projects you actually loved with people you liked, in a good creative environment where your thinking and opinions mattered and you got paid what you were worth, do you honestly see yourself ever getting burned out? Yeah, sure, you get tired sometimes. That's called having a frickin job. But burned out? Hell no. And that answer right there changes everything that comes next. Because burnout implies the work itself is the problem. But if the real issue is the environment, your whole story changes. Maybe I'm not actually in the wrong career, just in the wrong place right now. The problem with labeling everything that is is that when you call it all design burnout, something dangerous happen, happens. You start resenting the very thing that you actually love to do. And it's not even the real problem. The problem you don't even fix. You just tolerate until you can't anymore. And you villainize graphic design. And that's not even because you hate the work. It's because you blame the wrong part of this whole process. Crappy boss. I'm just going to leave design toxic environment. I'm just going to leave design no work life balance. Yeah, design sucks. More often than not, designers leave the industry. And that's what kills me. Seeing designers leave the industry for the wrong reasons. Not because design failed them, but because they never address the real problem. People don't look at the systems, the environments and the leadership, the culture. They're actually blaming you and making you feel like burnout is a personal failure. The industry is lying to you about burnout. All these burnout experts give advice that puts the designer at first fault. You know, you didn't manage your time properly, you didn't set better boundaries, you didn't meditate hard enough. Meanwhile, the systems that actually are causing the burnout stay completely untouched. I mean you're still expected to do more faster without asking any sort of questions. And you're still surrounded by all these half brained managers who have no clue about frickin design yet somehow control every design decision you make. Most burnout advice comes from people who've already escaped it. You know, just take a break, cool from the system that you'll be back in on Monday or just reconnect with your passion. Yeah, because that'll fix the shitty workflow and the bad account managers you're working with. You can't just think your way out of burnout. This is where most advice falls apart. You either change the conditions that's causing the burnout or at the very Least you stop letting them control your nervous system, your anxiety. The first step in changing anything is knowing exactly what you're dealing with, because burnout is real. But it's not just one thing. The way I see it, there's three types of burnouts that designers seem to confuse, and lumping them together into one is exactly why nothing seems to help. First, you have exhaustion burnout. And this is the most obvious one you know. Too much work, too many hours, not enough time to recover in between the days. The work is good, culture's cool, but it's very go, go, go. And you're in an environment where everything is urgent and feels chaotic and you never actually get to unplug. This can be exciting, but it can lead to being physically tired. This burnout is real and it's the most straightforward to try and control, because most of the time, rest actually helps. This is usually short lived. This business does have its peaks and values, which are hard to control, especially when they're based on client demands. But good employers recognize that this pace isn't sustainable and generally try to reward those spikes. But when they don't and things don't change, it can lead to the next next type of burnout. Environmental burnout. And now a word from our sponsor.
- [06:03]
B
All right, designers, let's cut the bowl. How many times have you had a killer website design only to watch it fall apart because of code or developer telling you no, no, no. Or maybe you've held back from web design altogether, thinking it's just too complicated and too technical or totally out of your wheelhouse. Either way, it's time for a change. Wix Studio is designed for designers, removing the barriers that limits your designs. Whether you're tired of developers watering down your ideas or too intimidated by the technical side of web, wix Studio puts the creative power back in your hands. No code required. With a drag and drop interface that feels designer intuitive. Plus no code, animations and even AI. AI powered tools, you can create fully custom websites that match your vision. Every pixel, every detail. And if you're worried about the learning curve, don't be. Wix Studio is designed to feel as intuitive as your favorite design tools. Some designers here even say more. So that means you can jump right in and focus on what you do best. Designing badass brand aligned with websites that'll take your business to the next level. So whether you've had enough of developers holding you back or you're ready to finally step into web design, check out wix studio.com and take control. That's wix studio.com go and take back web design for graphic designers.
- [07:40]
A
Environmental burnout comes from a toxic environment. Poor processes, no job clarity, constant fire drills, bad management disguised as fast paced culture, and nobody cares. This is the burnout that makes designers feel crazy. Because no matter how hard they try or what they're promised, it never changes. And this is where people usually disagree with me. Because I don't think you can fix environmental burnout with better habits or resilience or another podcast telling you to push through it. Because this has nothing to do with you. If you're burned out because of the environment around you, the solution isn't more grip, it's change. And avoiding that decision is what keeps people burned out for years. Last but not least is production burnout. And this isn't about being tired. This is about being stuck in production roles. You were hired as a designer, but all you're doing is production. You're not thinking anymore and your job has evolved into cranking out thin, mindless designs again and again. More. Just get it out. You know, there's no space to be creative. Too impressive. Improve your skills. There's no mentorship, no long term plan, and you're not learning anything. You're not using your creative brain. You're just shipping. And that messes with designers in a different way because you can feel your soul slowly dying in real time. You're not burned out from design, you're burned out from being treated like a production monkey with no plan to get better. So why does most burnout advice fail? It's actually kind of simple. It's not actually trying to change anything that's causing burnout. It's designed to help you cope inside of a broken system that you have absolutely no control to change. And that's why the gurus always give you the same advice that gets turned on you. You know, get more rest, set better boundaries, work on your mindset, find some support group. Meanwhile, nothing changes around you. The environment still sucks, the process is still messy. You know, you're still blamed for everything. Designers don't burn out because of things they can control. They burn out because they're stuck. And no amount of soft advice fixes a situation that you just can't change. So the first thing you have to do is stop thinking that this is a forever job. Before we talk about anything else, there's one decision you have to make. You have to decide if this is going to be temporary. Not emotionally, but practically. If you're stuck in an environment you can't Change. Right now, the worst thing you can do is pretend it's permanent. Decide intentionally that this is going to be temporary, because at the risk of your happiness, your passion for design, or just your passion for life, it's just not sustainable. So pick a timeline. 90 days, six months, whatever's right for your situation, mentally and financially. And during that time, stop asking, how do I survive this? And start asking how do I squeeze every ounce of value from. From this hellhole? Because even a bad job can teach you things about the industry, like production tips and vendor relationships and bad internal processes to avoid in the future, and at the very least, red flags to discuss at your next job interview. But now you're not stuck. You're just passing through. And when there's a plan, burnout shrinks and loses its power over you. So if you're stuck in an environment you can't change and have decided at some point to move on, this is actually what you do to get yourself in a better position. Number one, you switch from output to input. Burnout accelerates when you only produce and not absorb, whether it's the job, your boss, the environment, or the kind of work that drains your energy. Forcing creativity never works. So you don't fix that by forcing more output on yourself. You fix it by feeding your brain. Again. This is the simplest advice I've ever given, and it actually works. Put down your tools, get out and feed your creativity. Browse a magazine rack with a different frame of mind. Flip through a book, walk through a bookstore, and absorb all the amazing cover art. Go to a creative market, visit your local gallery, art studio, comic shop, wherever that you can ingest a large amount of creativity. No analysis, just absorb. Your goal here is to feed your creative soul and wake up your brain to design again. Because your brain needs creative calories before it can actually create. And I know a thing or two about calories. Number two, reclaim your design thinking. Not making Most burned out designers aren't actually bad designers. They're just stuck in execution mode. So give yourself a reset that doesn't require producing anything. Pick a brand, a website, a design you like, and actually dissect it. I mean, have you ever actually tried this? Ask yourself, who are they actually talking to here? What problem are they actually trying to solve? And why does it feel the way it does? I'm not asking you to redesign a single thing. No mock ups, nothing. Just break things down and start thinking like a designer again. Because you don't need to make more. You just need to remember how to think like a designer again. And number three, remove outcomes from creativity at work. Everything you make is judged, is tracked, it's timed, it's corrected, sucks. And creativity dies when everything has consequences. So you need to design with zero consequences attached. You need a small protected window where every day you can design a little bit with no fear. You know, same time, same day, 30 minutes a day. No portfolio, no posting. Just fun. Give yourself permission to make things ugly, make messy things, make things that nobody ever sees. Okay? Not for your portfolio, not to post, not even to get better. Just to remind your brain, your soul, what it feels like to create without the pressure of being evaluated. This is connecting with that whole feeling of being a designer again. Because your creativity didn't disappear. It just got quiet when it didn't feel safe. And your job right now isn't to force it back. It's to give yourself space, to fall back in love with design again. So if you're listening to this and thinking, hey, that's me. Good. Scary, but good. Because that means something important. It means that you're not actually broken and you're not weak and you're definitely not failing as a designer. You're just reacting how any designer would to a system that stops working for you. And if there's one thing above anything else I want you to remember in this episode is that burnout is not the end of your career. It's feedback. It's your brain telling you something needs to be changed, not abandoned. You don't need to escape design. You just need to stop letting those bad jubies decide your design fate. Don't forget to, like, subscribe, comment, and let's keep this nice little thing going. You know, you watch, we'll keep creating content on behalf of Shonda myself. Stay creative and stay angry. Peace. It.