A book dedicated to the designer who not only wants to be good at design, but wants to understand what that really means.

Whether you’re a student, you’re five years into an agency job and still floundering to find confidence, ten years in and considering career reinvention, or feeling stale and burnt out from decades of poor collaboration and deadline fatigue, this can act as a companion throughout your journey.

Reviews

“An insightful treatise on the differences between art and design. Drawing on practical experience from a career that spans design education, creative agencies, and leading in-house teams, Jon offers a unique perspective on how design works in different contexts. Whether you’re just starting out in your design career or have been on the journey for a while, this book will help you navigate many of the challenges you will face when design meets business.”

— Cordell Ratzlaff, User Experience Director at Google

“Robinson makes a bold statement about modern creativity and the role we ask it to play in society and culture. His teaching experience shines through sharp anecdotes that provide clarity about the function of design, and the duty of a designer. This book may become the rallying cry for the next generation of designers, creators, and humans.”

— James Bradley Campbell, Senior Director, Experience Design at Salesforce

You Are Not An Artist reads like the notes taken from a decade’s worth of mentoring conversations with someone who is at the same time tenured and practical, earnest and unabashed. I wish I’d had this reference when I was starting my career in design, but I’m not upset to have it now, as each passage is written in a way to be easily picked up and put into practice again when the need arises.”

— Danielle Hicks, Principal Designer, Athenahealth

About the author

Jon Robinson is not an artist. He’s currently the Director of Product Design for an east coast-based virtual healthcare company. Before that, he freelanced, worked for creative agencies, spent time at small not-for-profits and on in-house design teams, and built experiences for global brands as an experience strategy and design consultant. Jon has a bachelor’s degree in art history and graphic design from Illinois Wesleyan University, a graduate degree in creative technologies from Illinois State University, and a graduate degree in design thinking from Indiana University.