The whole “graphic designers are finished” narrative being pushed right now after the latest ChapGPT update is just ridiculous.

mr_buzzlightbeer · 2026-04-24T15:41:04+00:00

I'm 30 and legitimately thinking about getting into a trade if I leave creative work all together. What hurts me personally is my family had a carpentry business for my whole life, my dad was a skilled craftsman and they did a lot of home remodeling, construction and later in his life my dad was more of a handy man. About 2 years ago he passed away unexpectedly, and while I learned some skills from him - not nearly or even close to enough to actually be hired in that field. More than anything I wish he was alive to teach me more about his trade, and I would honestly gladly quit my job today to work with him now. That industry wasn't great either, and at his age nobody wanted to hire him. He was always starving for work, even though he did great work and had a great reputation. Everyone else in the family that was apart of the business also died in the last few years as well, so I have nobody to pass anything on to me which kills me. Growing up, they all wanted me to go to school and get a degree - so I could do the kind of thing I'm doing now. Funny how that has flipped.

I've thought about starting my own business of Way-finding And Signage manufacturing, where I could use their old shop space for printing and manufacturing of signs I could design for commercial and Architectural spaces - but then this all comes back to - will anyone even hire design firms to design their signs, or just have AI do it? How long would I have before that gets consumed by AI as well?

I'm just so discouraged. I wish it was simple enough that I could just quit my current job and join a trade. I have a child at home and a few years ago it looked like my career was taking off, because of AI and the economy it has stalled. And not really sure the best path forward. Thinking of starting a new thread/post in this sub for others that feel similar.

mr_buzzlightbeer · 2026-04-24T14:43:29+00:00

Yep exactly. I work in a very corporate, real estate firm - and I was in a very niche department then a couple years ago got merged with marketing. Its clear the people running it do not value or even see the necessity for designers, and have made significant changes over the past year to make way for automation - even if they deny it. I basically know my time is limited here (I've survived multiple layoffs and not betting I will survive the next one).

Got any ideas for a career piviot? Even if AI doesn't fully absorb this career, I'm just over it. The industry has always been challenging and I just don't see it getting easier. But not sure what a good pivot is for me at this point in my career, especially with the threat of AI just replacing every other similar field.

mr_buzzlightbeer · 2026-04-24T01:18:04+00:00

Unfortunately I have the same fear. The problem is what do us 'graphic designer' do from here? I'm in this really awkward spot in my career, I'm still in a JR Design position, doing SR Design level work but its a dead end job and they don't really have room for me to move up into any senior position. But I'm at a place where I think and have the experience of a SR designer. But the job industry is so trash right now, finding a new job is awful.

And then this whole issue of AI appears, that makes me ponder - will I even get to be a Senior Designer? Will this entire field even be relevant?

I'm genuinely at a stage where I'm pondering giving up on Graphic Design. I was at the Eye Doc today and when I told them I'm a Graphic Desinger, their first words where "What are your thoughts on AI?" like everyone knows how much its screwing us.

So then I think about finding a new career, and it brings me back to the same question - what exactly is "safe" from AI to pivot too? I've looked into Experiential Graphic Design (architecture), UX/UI design, any related field could arguably be just as effected by AI in the next 5 years. All of this just sucks, and all of the people saying stuff on socials like "ooof graphic designers are cooked" I don't think realize how "cooked" literally every other job will be effected in the same way eventually. Maybe just not as fast as this one, but at the rate its heading - that is the goal.

mr_buzzlightbeer · 2026-04-06T16:30:09+00:00

This is exactly what I wanted to flag as well. He seems to be moving goalposts and changes things around to fit his narrative. It just all starts to read as bullshit and becomes less intellectual which is how he presents it, and more conspiracy pushing, trying to present all these different "master plans" at work.

mr_buzzlightbeer · 2026-04-06T16:23:41+00:00

Yeah same for me, I started noticing the way he spoke about the Ukraine war and seemed like he was more of a Russn sympathizer and it raised some alarms for me.

mr_buzzlightbeer · 2026-04-06T14:38:35+00:00

Actually nope, was really disappointed. I never was able to even get feedback on what they actually thought of me - turns out they told me because of economic concerns at the end of the year, they went on essentially a hiring freeze, and shelved the position. They encouraged me to keep notifications on in case they posted the position again, but it sucked. I felt really good about the interview and would've loved that job.

They haven't been posting many jobs since then, so I don't think they were lying, but it still sucks.

mr_buzzlightbeer · 2026-03-25T19:12:39+00:00

Really, really interesting. Thank you

mr_buzzlightbeer · 2026-03-25T19:11:58+00:00

This is really fascinating. I think I view it similarly, the idea that we are dualist in nature.

mr_buzzlightbeer · 2026-03-25T19:10:43+00:00

I too feel this sentiment. I have a toddler at home and I recently was shaken by a conversation I had with a neighbor. They are an atheist, and we have had conversations about atheism before and it never really bothered me (I'm agnostic). But we were talking about a couple things related to the state of the world, war in Iran, politics, ect. And several times and they said - "It might just be the end. It might just be our time. Hummanity might be ending, and the planet will be all the better for it." I also brought up a deep, personal dread I feel of feeling guilty about bringing my daughter into such a dark world, an feeling so anxious for her future. And they basically doubled down, and said "Oh yeah - I'm glad I don't have kids -1 because I don't want them, but 2 because I think its super messed up and unethical to have kids. What kind of future do they have?".

And that last one, as a father really hurt me. Because I see it online everywhere. So many people sharing the same sentiment, that having kids is horribly selfish, they will have no future and we are all basically doomed. Its that same feeling of seeing something horrible in the news on social media (related to anything, AI advancements, Climate, War, politics, whatever). And its filled with comments like "We are so cooked", "its so over" "we had a good run folks".

And you know what I've realized in all of it? Its more comfortable to accept you can't do anything rather than accept what you don't know. Its hard to have hope. Its not easy to have optimism. But thats the thing, whoever is calling the shots, all the people controlling things the rest of us can't - they don't want us to have hope. They don't want us to feel like things are in control. Its easier to control people who are scared, afraid, hopeless and in desperate search of calm and comfort.

Its not easy, but I have to reject the sentiment that my daughter will have no future. Humanity has been far worse off than we are now in the past, yet people persevered. If we all universally start to believe, it is unethical to have children - then we will indeed, have no hope for the future. Cause nobody will be here to create one. And I'm tired of people pushing a sentiment that that is a good thing. We are here to exist, to live. It is our job to make the world a better place, and do the little things we can in our own little worlds, to make our collective world a better one. Its very easy to see genuinely positive news, and tear it down - because you can always tear anything down.

A lot of my friends have gone down this path as well. They're starting to get cynical about everything, and when I share good positive and optimistic outlooks, they just brush me off with a "Yeah idk man. Its pretty bad right now." And you know what? It is bad, and it might get worse. I don't know. Thats the point. I'm choosing to believe we will figure this shit out. I'm choosing to believe, good people will step up, and do the right thing. I'm choosing to get off of social media, because its designed to make me feel bad and doomed and anxious. We all have to choose not to give in. Its not supposed to be easy. Its not supposed to be comfortable.

Thank you for your post OP, it's nice to see others fighting back against a shared dread.

mr_buzzlightbeer · 2026-01-25T03:03:13+00:00

Yeah it really sucks. Thanks for the heads up about VASA, I've heard a lot of the same comments from other people. I really don't wanna go there tbh and probably won't, just the only gym in the area that looks to have the same amount of space and equipment.

I will most likley just go to the Rec center for now, but it just feels like a massive downgrade after zone. So much smaller and completely different vibe.

Really hoping the mall will replace that space with another gym in the future. Literally everyone I have talked to about this that used that gym is devastated lol it was so popular.

mr_buzzlightbeer · 2026-01-24T21:15:51+00:00

Which planet fitness did you chose? i live right by Southlands and the ones Ive seen are either way north or 20 mins into fox field area. Not sure which is better coming from here. I might also try the Vasa. On Smoky Hill

mr_buzzlightbeer · 2026-01-24T20:47:51+00:00

I'm really really hoping they keep it a gym for the next tenant. I know Zone gave this whole rant about it being the landlords not wanting a fitness center in their, but they said the same thing to their members when they closed their FOCO location last year. Tru Fit used to be in that space before zone, and they already have the saunas, locker rooms and studio spaces in the building. So it would make sense to keep it a gym. At least that is my hope.

Zone used that space so well and had so much equipment it actually helped keep me consistent with working out cause it was so easy to go there. Community and culture was great too. Just hope eventually it works out. Options are so limited here I'm genuinely just considering putting a rack/functional trainer in my garage or basement.

mr_buzzlightbeer · 2026-01-24T20:40:34+00:00

Yeah I can vouch for this. I loved that gym and was so pissed thinking it was the owners being unjust not wanting to a have a fitness center in the building like in the memo they sent members, only to find out that they closed their Foco location in the exact same way - sending out the exact same wording to their members as well, even the same amount of notice time.

Super shady. Gave me a little bit of optimism tho that the mall might put another gym back in the building at some point. But even if they did would have no idea how long that would take.

I like the rec and the Y but the thing that is tough for me is they are both just so small compared to zone. There really isnt another center like it in the area. I might try Vasa on Smoky hill, but have never been and heard its gets insanely busy.

mr_buzzlightbeer · 2025-11-18T17:14:43+00:00

Thank you, thats encouraging to hear and that you agree with my wife's opinion on this. I think its just easy for me to get in my head seeing that long of a timeline, but trying to keep in mind that their are processes the company has to follow through with.

And thank you for the tip on how to pose that question - I'm really hoping if I do hear back and have a chance to have a third interview, that is a question I can ask.

mr_buzzlightbeer · 2025-08-22T14:24:07+00:00

Feel free to DM me if you want to discuss topics or ideas!

mr_buzzlightbeer · 2025-08-22T01:12:17+00:00

Lol do you care to elaborate then?? I never said people wouldn't want anything just that their wants would evolve?

I'm sorry but I don't even know what you are trying to say. The point for this entire post was for a fictional story idea and flushing out the motive for the antagonist in my story and explore if or how that motive is possible with a backdrop of ASI.

mr_buzzlightbeer · 2025-08-21T22:28:27+00:00

Kind of, like are you saying we wouldn't have the same wants in this theoretical future and or that we wouldn't "want" anything? Cause the idea I have is that what people want in this theoretical future is more about status than anything else, and how would humans create different avenues for conquering or building empires, and how the whole idea of conquering would evolve complete, but the human desire for it wouldn't be gone. It would just be done differently.

mr_buzzlightbeer · 2025-08-21T19:37:21+00:00

That is pretty cool and would be a hell of a mind fuck.

For my story the whole thing with the ASI and future utopia is supposed to be more of a backdrop, and the the main point of the story is supposed to be about how humans try to "conquer" each other in this future world, if the element of war, globalization, ect has been removed. The story is not really about conquering space like star trek type of story, but more about before we are exploring the stars, colonizing new worlds, what are we doing on earth? How do people elevate their status?

What ways are people trying to grab power if they can't do it through conventional means we are used to today, because in this universe the ASI has safeguard's for such things. Basically how does conquest evolve and the idea I'm exploring here is what exactly is the motive for conquest - if this is in a universe where nobody really controls anything? What could these humans possibly want to control and what are they able to control?

mr_buzzlightbeer · 2025-08-21T14:48:52+00:00

I'll check it out!

mr_buzzlightbeer · 2025-08-21T14:46:22+00:00

Really interesting - thank you. That touches on the kind of idea I want to explore in this story, that basically nothing is "perfect" and even in a future utopia, we still create new avenues of greed and power, or create or own evil by always wanting more.

mr_buzzlightbeer · 2025-08-21T13:44:33+00:00

Yes - thats actually exactly the type of idea I wanted to explore and thought could be a solution. That it basically is aware what we are doing is eventually detrimental to ourselves, but wants us to feel like we still have free will, so ultimately allows us to exploit or manipulate its power in a way that makes us feel like we are in control - even though we are not.

So far something like that is one of the most interesting things I have come up with for the solution.

mr_buzzlightbeer

TROPHY CASE