I’m no longer chasing titles, prestige, or the illusion of success defined by external validation. I’m chasing balance and projects I truly want to work on.

I want to create work that matters, but not at the expense of my health, my relationships, or my ability to simply enjoy life. I want deep, meaningful impact — not just metrics and optics.

I still love design — the craft, the problem-solving, and the beauty of creating something meaningful. But the game has changed. And I’m left wondering what’s next… for the industry and myself.

AI, the creator economy, fragmentized designers, freelancing, smaller agencies, and so on. The world is evolving so damn fast.

“Technology has advanced more in the last thirty years than in the previous two thousand” — Niels Bohr

Design isn’t just about designing anymore. It’s about playing the online game, building an audience, and becoming a content machine. It feels less about the work and more about marketing yourself.

The creator economy is no longer a trend — it’s the new reality. The creator economy is currently valued at approximately $104.2 billion and is projected to double by 2027. Globally, it encompasses a staggering 207 million content creators.

Leaders like Justin Welsh, Dan Koe, Naval, Alex Hermozi, Chris Do (and many others) have mastered the game, building massive audiences, establishing undeniable credibility, and turning their ideas into highly profitable courses. They’ve proven that personal branding isn’t just a buzzword — it’s a business model. But now, as more people chase the same formula for success, the space is becoming an echo chamber. Everyone is optimizing, iterating, and repackaging the same messages, and originality is starting to fade.

I see younger designers putting in 20-hour days, grinding, iterating, chasing trends. They create, post, optimize, and repeat — relentlessly. And I wonder — do I still belong here? Can I still compete? Or is there a different game I should be playing?

I got into design because I loved solving problems, making things better, and creating experiences that mattered. Now, I feel like I have to sell myself before I even get to the work. And that’s exhausting for me. I’m probably not the only one.

This might make me sound like my grandparents reminiscing about the “good old days” — you know, the classic “When I was young, we walked five miles to school in 12 feet of snow” speech. But the truth is, things really have changed.

I grew up before the internet was in every pocket. Before social media dictated careers. Before design became a game of algorithms, engagement metrics, and personal branding. I learned design when craftsmanship mattered more than how well you could market yourself.

Back then, if you were good at what you did, the work spoke for itself. Now, it often feels like the work is secondary to how well you package and sell it. You can be an incredible designer, but if you’re not posting daily, optimizing for reach, and playing the social media game, you’re invisible. Marketing is a new tool every designer needs to master.

And that makes me wonder: Is this evolution? Is it a distraction? Is it even for me? Is this what I truly want?

As you can see, I’m questioning a lot right now. Not just about design, but about what’s next for me. Do I double down and adapt? Or do I carve out a new path that feels more aligned with what I truly want?

My biggest challenge has been overcoming my digital shyness. “Does this reflect 20 years of creative experience?” floods my head every time I post something. Even if I know I’ve created products used by millions, I often feel like an impostor syndrome when someone posts a fancy button design which gets millions of views.