Not Comparing Yourself to Others: The Unspoken Truth Every Designer Needs to Hear
Let’s be honest—comparison is the default setting in the design industry. Whether it's peeking at someone’s meticulously crafted Behance portfolio or questioning your entire career because another agency just snagged an award you were eyeing, comparison is the quiet, uninvited guest at the creative table. At Studio Huemann, we’re all too familiar with this. So, let’s talk about it.
Why Comparison is a Double-Edged Sword
We get it. A little bit of comparison can fuel ambition, push boundaries, and remind you of what's possible. But when does it go from healthy motivation to a full-blown anxiety spiral? The line is thinner than a hairline font.
Designers often fall into the trap of scrolling, sighing, and mentally downgrading their skills because someone else’s project looks like it could be featured in an art gallery. But here’s the hard truth: the highlight reels you see online are just that—reels. You don’t see the rough drafts, the late nights spent cursing at Illustrator, or the moments of self-doubt behind those polished images. And if you’re comparing your real, messy work process to someone else’s carefully curated showcase, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment.
The Creative Burnout Loop: Why Comparison Drains You
There’s a reason “comparison is the thief of joy” became a cliché—it’s true. Constantly comparing yourself leads to burnout quicker than a weekend bender. Why? Because instead of focusing on your unique skills, you’re too busy measuring them against someone else’s work that, let’s be honest, has zero relevance to your journey.
At Studio Huemann, we design for moments that matter. We don’t create for the sake of impressing other agencies or chasing trends that will be forgotten faster than last year’s Pantone Colour of the Year. When you compare yourself to others, you’re designing for approval, not purpose. And that’s a guaranteed path to “meh” work.
The Studio Huemann Approach: Tips to Stop the Spiral
We’re not just here to say “don’t compare yourself to others”—because we know that’s easier said than done. Instead, here are some ways we’ve tackled this mindset head-on:
Design for People, Not Applause: Our best work doesn’t come from thinking, “Will this win an award?” It comes from asking, “Will this mean something to the person experiencing it?” Shifting your focus from external praise to internal purpose can be a game-changer.
Celebrate Your Progress (Not Just the Final Piece): Remember that project you cringed at last year? The one that makes you want to delete your whole portfolio? Good. It’s a marker of how far you’ve come. Progress isn’t about perfection; it’s about improving over time. Every cringe-worthy project was a step toward where you are now.
Mute the Noise When You Need To: Sometimes, the best way to reset is to step back. Take a break from scrolling, snooze the accounts that trigger your self-doubt, and immerse yourself in the real world. Go people-watching at that café with the questionable décor or visit that local art gallery. Your creativity needs room to breathe, not constant comparison.
Turn Envy into Insight: Let’s face it—there will always be that one project that makes you wish you’d thought of it first. Instead of stewing in envy, ask yourself why it hit home. Was it the colour scheme? The storytelling? The unexpected use of type? Find the lesson, not the doubt.
Remind Yourself That You’re Not Seeing the Whole Story: This one’s key. That flawless project you’re envying probably went through a dozen iterations, brutal feedback rounds, and a near-meltdown. Trust us; we’ve been there. If everyone posted their real design process—the late-night panic over misaligned grids and the too-many-coffee-fuelled revisions—you’d see that nobody’s creative path is a straight line.
A Final Word (Or a Reality Check)
At Studio Huemann, we’re all about embracing what’s real—even if that means acknowledging that comparison will sneak in sometimes. The trick isn’t eliminating it but recognising it for what it is: a distraction. The truth is, the only designer you should be comparing yourself to is who you were yesterday. If you’re better today, that’s the only win that matters.
So, the next time you’re tempted to measure your work against someone else’s, pause and ask yourself: Am I designing for the applause or the impact? And if you’re designing for the applause, it might be time to shift your perspective. Because the most lasting and impactful work? It comes from designing unapologetically for you.
