If you are reading this article, generative A.I. has not ended civilization.
At least, not yet.
A year ago, its introduction caused anxiety about the unintended consequences of this technology and how it might affect everything from critical infrastructure to job security. Will rogue A.I. take over the power grid? Will sinister bots drain our bank accounts? Will DALLE, ChatGPT, and Midjourney become our clients’ default design platforms for DIY branding, design, and illustration?
There are many unanswered questions, yet the adoption of A.I. is already becoming mainstream and promoted prematurely as the new “silver bullet” for product and service enhancement across all segments of the economy.
Who knows how A.I. will affect our world a year from now. What if half of our fears come true? How will we adjust to new realities, and is it time for a serious “Plan B?”
In this spirit, I have reached out to three graphic designers who, years ago, decided to leave the profession to pursue other passions while still using design to shape their future. I posed several questions regarding their career beginnings, work experience, and what inspired them to change direction. Here are their responses:
Gregor Beer: Helicopter Pilot
Originally from Bern, Switzerland, where his family was involved in graphic design and advertising, Gregor Beer was encouraged to draw and paint at an early age. His initial training was in printing, but he made a radical decision, “I followed my passion and became a paragliding instructor at the age of 20.” A few years later, the concerned hand of parental guidance tapped him on the shoulder and urged him to “get a real education.” His response? “I want to become a graphic designer.”
Following his apprenticeship with some top Swiss agencies, he felt restless. When I asked Gregor what inspired his career change, he said, “I always loved the creative part of design but could not deal with being in the office all day long.” At 27, he worked in New York but decided to return to Switzerland. “Back then, I earned a lot of money as a freelance art director and immediately knew what to do with the cash on hand – train to be a helicopter pilot.” Gregor was born to fly.
I’ve been tracking Beer’s career and learned he is no ordinary pilot reporting on traffic. He has multiple certifications and licenses and works in Chile, Sudan, Kyrgyzstan, and Nepal. He specializes in high-altitude flying that requires specialized training for helicopter pilots. A while back, I received a cheerful email from Katmandu in the Himalayas, where he was making daily flights to snowy mountain peaks.
I believe my work matters, and after 26 years, I have extensive experience in my field.
Gregor Beer
Now he’s back in the Swiss Alps enjoying the glow of a successful career. “I work as the Deputy Head of Training for the biggest helicopter company in Switzerland. Also, I fly commercially within Swiss Helicopter to teach students and other flight instructors. The Swiss government hires me to conduct yearly checks on other pilots. I believe my work matters, and after 26 years, I have extensive experience in my field.” His CV states – 19,810 “landings to date.”
Although often in the clouds, he still relies on his design experience in his job. “When it comes to creating new training materials for the flight school, I have the design skills to produce them.” In addition, he takes extraordinary photographs while in flight, which he uses for large-scale, meticulously drawn landscapes.
When asked if he does an occasional freelance design project, he confessed, “No, others do a better job than me.”
Yvette Lenhart: Fitness & Wellness Coach
Her path to design began with a childhood interest in drawing, color, and seeing patterns in everyday life. She continued this interest in high school while also studying dance. “In my senior year, my art teacher had a friend come to speak to our class. He was a graphic designer. I had no idea what that meant, but that presentation was a turning point. I thought, “That sounds really cool.”
At The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, she applied for a double major in graphic design and dance but discovered it was not an option. “So I chose graphic design.” After college, she worked as a junior designer on packaging, signage, and poster projects at the Carbone Smolan Agency in the late 1990s.
But what about dance, and how did she develop an interest in fitness? “I started taking Pilates in 2003 and was often told by fellow students that they liked to sit near me in class so they could follow my form. After several years as a student, I was interested to know more about the practice and pursued my certification in Pilates Mat. I was hooked once I started teaching my first weekly class and witnessed its overwhelmingly positive impact on the students. Within a couple of years, I taught daily classes all over NYC.”
Her training in design informs much about her process and interaction with students. “I do not doubt that my design training shapes my approach to every class or session. I have a through-line meaningfully and thoughtfully relating one move to the next, like designing a book. I think it’s an instilled discipline that affects every choice I make, like the flow, the pace, the rhythm, the vocal quality, the music, and even what I’m wearing! It all contributes to the user experience and helps make a class memorable.”
I am often asked, “Who is Pilates good for?” My answer is anyone with a spine!
Yvette Lenhart
Now certified in numerous fitness modalities, she teaches various group classes at facilities in New York City and New Jersey Additionally, she has a private training practice with clients managing an injury or condition or prefers a more personalized session. I am often asked, “Who is Pilates good for?” My answer is anyone with a spine!
In 2016, when she co-founded STRENGTH & SERENITY® Pilates and Yoga Retreats with a friend. “My design background was invaluable to every aspect of the business. It helped us shape the brand image and marketing materials and informed our choice of venues, how we craft the itineraries, create the menus, and so on. There is an attention to detail put into every aspect of the process, which is evident to all our guests.”
She still enjoys keeping her design skills nimble and does an occasional graphics project for long-term clients. But on the horizon are other exciting ambitions. “As my next venture, I plan to bring my designs to the world of luxury activewear. That will be the ultimate way to combine my two passions!” Watch out, Lululemon!
Clement Mok: Restaurant Entrepreneur
Widely celebrated in his career, Clement Mok is a designer, digital pioneer, software publisher and developer, author, design patent holder, and restaurateur. Last year, he won the coveted Cooper Hewitt National Design Award. His career history is singularly impressive, from his early days at Apple, where he helped Steve Jobs launch the Macintosh in 1984, to creating digital-ready photo libraries and Internet software. Clement is a designer who feels comfortable with change and quickly capitalized on opportunities outside the graphic design service model that put him on an entrepreneurial path.
The ability to frame, shape, and give form to an idea inspired me to become a graphic designer. That was the driving force for each of my work endeavors.
Clement Mok
Initially wanting to be an architect, he realized that math and physics were not his strengths, but he remained hungry for a creative outlet. Seeing a magazine article about graphic design in high school, he discovered it was something you can do as an adult. “So instead of taking woodshop or automotive shop in my sophomore year, I signed up for a graphic workshop class — this was in the early 70s when print shops in high school were relatively common. I was a sponge and learned how to craft letterpress and other print-making techniques and was using the shop’s offset press to print posters and tickets for school events.” Mok adds, “The ability to frame, shape, and give form to an idea inspired me to become a graphic designer. That was the driving force for each of my work endeavors.”
By Clement’s account, the path from design as a service to product development was gradual and, at times, perilous. “When living and working in Silicon Valley surrounded by people who want to reinvent the world constantly, that energy rubs off. Work-for-equity opportunities with startups were a common practice. I’ve made plenty of mistakes and had many false starts — some decisions were nearly fatal. I’ve learned over the years to pursue things that one has knowledge or adjacent knowledge of. And more importantly, you must be passionate about it.”
Fortunately, food and cooking are passions that prepared him for his latest role as the co-founder and managing partner of SUGAR FISH, a celebrated sushi restaurant with seventeen locations in Los Angeles and New York. “A sushi business is about quality food and needs to reflect that in all its expressions — whether how the food is presented on the plate, the sequential order of the food delivered to the table, how the server presents the food, every aspect of the dining environment and the thousands of communication interactions before and after an engagement with all our restaurants. Here, great design and execution are totally in sync.”
With everything on his plate, does he have time to design for other clients? “The five restaurant concepts (including burgers and pasta) keep me plenty busy with branding and design work. It’s been a constant challenge with many learning and growing opportunities. The only side hustle I engage in is mentorship.”
These three designers acted on their restlessness, ambition, and passion. No external threat, technical or otherwise, forced a “Plan B.” For Gregor, Yvette, and Clement, it was more of an internal drive for emotional satisfaction to engage with something significant, whether flying, fitness, or fine cuisine. Additionally, each draws on their fundamental belief in the power of design as essential to hone their new career. Another thing they share is that their new professions depend on disciplined human dexterity and high-touch skills that an alien algorithm will likely not replicate anytime soon.
If by this time next year, generative A.I. proves to be an existential threat to your career, you have twelve months to reflect on an inner passion that is ready and waiting for your undivided attention to lead you in an exciting new direction.
P.S. If you followed my previous WONDERLUST column, I thank you. This year, I will feature fewer stories from my artist journals but will offer eclectic, timely, and visually compelling topics. I hope you will enjoy them. Happy ’24
Ken Carbone is an artist, designer, and recipient of the 2012 AIGA Medal. He is a Senior Advisor to 50,000feet, a strategic branding and design firm with offices in Chicago, New York, and London.
Images courtesy Gregor Beer, Yvette Lenhart (photographed by Colin Key), and Clement Mok.