Mark, of duopixel.com, make an interesting analysis about the stages of the designers.

Apprentice

Experience: 0 – 7 years.
Learn: By observation, also by trail and error. The apprentice imitates whatever he/consumes, most of the time he/she will be imitating someone he/she admires. He/she tends to make mistakes in his/her decisions if is not well advised or directed. However, he/she will admit his/her mistakes and he/she will avoid to make it again.
Design: Base in the present
He/she will work for free: Whenever he/she will receives some experience o famous in return. The apprentice will accept every single project, no matter how important or big it is. Generally, his/her first projects will fail. The apprentice will advance in his/her carrier by taking project that will give him/her some prestige and he/she will participate in every contest.
House: He/she lives with his/her parents. In the university dorm, or in apartment that his/her parents pay.
Profession: Student, freelance just graduated, junior designer
Way of work: Most of the time he/she will do some “none complex” work. Like: Scanning pictures or provide an style to a text that already have a guide.
Pros: He/she have a lot of energy. Idealistic, enthusiastic, hard worker.
Cons: He/she will abandoned the project whenever he/she get bored. He/she will not focused his/her energy in a single thing. Will make a lot of expensive mistakes

Journeyman
Experience: 7 – 15 years.
Learn: Doing things. He/she will read and keep himself/herself inform about the project. In his/her free time he/she will improving his/her abilities and knowledge, keeping himself/herself up to date
Design: Based on the past and the present
He/she will work for free: Whenever he/she believes in the project. And the he/she thinks that the project will benefit the society.
House: He/she lives in his/her own apartment. Lives with his/her parents because he/she wants to, not because he/she needs to.
Profession: Senior designer, junior consultant
Way of work: Is the one who joins all the pieces the apprentices develops.
Pros: They are those that make reality the projects. They are pragmatic, working, realistic..
Cons: He/she will abandoned the project whenever he/she get bored. Or if someone offer him/her a better project to develop

Master
Experience: 15+ years.
Learn: Living. The mster is able to consume the world that surrounds him/her and to apply it in a coherent way in his projects
Design: Based on the past, the present and the future.
He/she will work for free: Whenever he/she organized the project. And he/she knows that it will work and will benefit the society.
House: He/she lives in his/her own house or apartment. Alone or with his/her family.
Profession: Art director, senior consultant, a university teacher, the owner of his/her own company
Way of work: Advice, administrate, and teach.
Pros: Idealistic, will never give up. They are able to see the future and guide you.
Cons: Nostalgic. Stragglers about the technology.

With whom do you identify yourself?

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