finding the right word

I have been asked to define my self, to define what it is that I do. Exactly. Succinctly. This description should set me apart from other designers. Sounds easy. I do this for others, why shouldn't I be doing this for myself?

Problem. I don't do just one thing. Media in general is interesting to me, be it the printed word, a scrolled page, furniture and fabric, or paint and wood. Television, theatre, song or radio, these are all interesting ways to communicate, to solve the problem of communicating effectively... of designing.

So I find it hard to claim one media for my own. Too limiting for me. Some may look at me and say, "there goes a guy who is mediocre at many things". Maybe that's just my inside voice. But I have long learned in this life that for ME, as a perfectionist, I will NEVER get one thing, one vocation, just perfect. Mastered. It's not my "way".

I enjoy alternatives, I look for change. The new excites me.

There is an important caveat here, though. I love things, and cannot part with them. So, I must try, out of necessity, to repurpose, reuse, redefine things that no longer work as they are. If there is truly nothing left, if the life has been lived, then it's time to move on. The environmentalist in me?

So, branding for instance.

A successful logo should tell an accurate story of it's namesake. But, as things change, as businesses evolve, their representation should reflect what they are becoming. Redefining a design is usually needed at some point, as the old logo does not do it's job any more, the job of telling it's audience who the company is. Redesign will redefine.

To me, "design" is just a word that means communicate.

Design a logo. Communicate who my company is.
Design a living room. Communicate how I live privately.
Redesign a house facade. Communicate how I feel part of my community.
Redesign a bathroom. Recommunicate how a bathroom should function.

This need for effective communication can apply to many aspects of life: business, home, family, goal setting, environment, etc...

So, I would say I help people communicate or redefine their communication to fit them or their endeavor. I help realize a correct audience, help define what the messages are. Help someone come to a better understanding about themselves and who they want to be. I help find voices lost or muffled, and hopefully, I help make those voices beautiful... and heard.