Why I’ll Be Quiet Quitting Graphic Design, Potentially.

“ im’ Not burning it all down, just loosening my grip. Letting it be what it is, while I build something alongside it that feels steadier. Something that might carry me forward in a different way.“

After over a year of applying to design jobs and getting nowhere, I’ve decided to quietly step back. No dramatic “I’m leaving the industry” post. No portfolio wipe. Just a soft and potential pivot out of a career that’s become more exhausting than inspiring.

I’m calling it a quiet quit, not because I hate design, but because trying to turn it into a stable job has felt like shouting into a void.

Let’s talk about the job market (aka: design purgatory)

The graphic design job market right now? Grim. Especially if you’re not already “in” somewhere. Every other listing is either a scam, a glorified unpaid internship disguised as a “junior opportunity,” or a unicorn role where they want you to do social media, motion graphics, video editing, branding, packaging, customer service, and maybe also walk their dog, all for £21k a year.

And if you do find something remotely reasonable, you apply, jump through hoops, get shortlisted, maybe even interviewed, and then nothing. Silence. Ghosted by companies who proudly advertise “strong communication” as a company value.

After a while, it starts to feel like applying for jobs is the job. Except it’s unpaid and completely unrewarding.

Free work, just for fun!

And we can’t forget the “take-home tasks” — design a full campaign, rebrand a company, create a strategy and ten deliverables... all unpaid, of course. Just to “get a feel for how you think.” Imagine asking your dentist to do a free root canal so you can see their vibe.

I’ve had interviews, second interviews, polite rejections, full-on ghosting, and roles that expect you to be a full design team in one person, for barely a living wage. Meanwhile, senior designers are being let go or offered not much more. Redundancies are constant. The supply of great designers is massive. The demand? Questionable.

It’s not just tough. It’s oversaturated, unstable, and in some cases, unethical.

So here’s where I’m at.

Right now, I work part time in healthcare, two days a week, over 12 hour shifts. It’s a lot in one go, but it gives me the rest of the week to focus on the creative things I do love. I run my shop, and I work with an ongoing design client I’ve been creating monthly cover art for over the past few years.

Those two things, my client and my shop, make up the other half of my work week. I genuinely love them. They’ve been consistent (so far) fulfilling, and creatively rewarding. But I also know that most things in this line of work are temporary. One day, I might have to say goodbye to both, it’s happened before, where clients drop you, usually because of their own financial reasons, work and sales become inconsistent and unpredictable. Hopefully not soon though, but still, it’s something I keep in the back of my mind.

And believe me, I tried to make design my full time thing. I actually left my part time job at one point because I thought I had enough freelance work to keep me going. It felt like the right time to take the leap, I had regular clients, steady projects, and for a while, it worked. But slowly, clients disappeared. Work dried up. The unpredictable income started catching up with me, and I realised I couldn’t keep pushing forward like that without risking everything else.

Thankfully, my old job let me come back part time. And honestly, that move saved me. It gave me just enough financial stability to keep doing the creative work I love, but without the constant stress of making it pay for everything.

I’m shifting paths.

After everything, I’ve decided to start a Master’s in Psychology. It’s not a random leap. I’ve had experience in dementia care, mental health, and healthcare settings. I’ve lived it, supported people close to me (and at work) through it, and it's always been something I’ve been drawn to.

It’s a path that feels meaningful. It’s needed. It’s human.
And, if we’re being practical, it’s also more stable. There are real jobs, clear qualifications, an actual demand, and a sense that the work actually matters in a tangible way.

I’m not abandoning creativity. I’m just redirecting it. And I’m not saying I’ll never do design again. I just don’t want to hinge my financial security or mental health on trying to find a full time design role in a market that’s honestly a bit of a mess.

Not gone, just shifting.

This isn’t REALLY a goodbye. I’m not leaving completely, and I’m not disappearing from the creative world. I’m still running my shop. I’m still working with clients I enjoy. I’m still creating. I’m just choosing not to chase something as a job, that doesn’t seem to be chasing me back.

This is a soft exit from the job hunt, not from the work itself. A shift in priority, not a rejection of the craft. I still believe in design. I still love it. I’m just no longer betting everything on it.

So this is me, quietly quitting graphic design. Not burning it all down, just loosening my grip. Letting it be what it is, while I build something alongside it that feels steadier. Something that might carry me forward in a different way. Art Therapist maybe?? Who knows.