I started getting into graphic design when I was around 13 years old. What started as curiosity quickly became something I genuinely cared about. I spent years learning Photoshop, experimenting with different styles, creating graphics, and eventually working on real projects for other people. By the time I was choosing what to study at university, graphic design wasn't a new interest I was considering exploring. It was already a big part of my life, and I had already been working as a graphic designer for years.
So naturally, when it was time to choose a university degree, people expected me to study something related to design.
I didn't. I chose Software Engineering.
At first, that decision might seem strange. If I already knew I wanted to work in a creative field, why would I spend four years studying programming, software development, algorithms, databases, and everything else that comes with engineering?
The answer was that I didn't want to choose between creativity and technology. I wanted both.
I Didn't Want to Stop Being a Designer
I knew that design was something I wanted to continue doing. I enjoyed the creative process, solving visual problems, understanding how people interact with things, and turning ideas into something people could actually see and use.
But I also became increasingly interested in what happened beyond the design itself.
I wanted to understand how the things I designed were actually built. I wanted to understand what developers were thinking when they looked at a design. I wanted to know why certain ideas were easy to implement while others were difficult. More importantly, I wanted to develop the way I approached problems.
That was the biggest reason I chose Software Engineering.
“I didn't choose it because I wanted to leave design behind. I chose it because I wanted to add another way of thinking to my creative process.”
Design had already taught me how to think creatively. Engineering gave me another layer: logic, structure, systems, problem solving, and the ability to break complicated problems into smaller ones.
Over the four years I spent studying it, I started to realize how useful that combination actually was.
Design Taught Me How to Create. Engineering Taught Me How to Think.
I don't think you need an engineering degree to become a good designer, and I wouldn't tell every designer that they should study software engineering. But for me, it worked extremely well.
Having both backgrounds changed the way I approach projects. I became less focused on just producing the visual outcome and more interested in understanding the entire system around it.
That became especially valuable as my work moved further into web design, UI/UX, digital products, and eventually running my own agency.
I could look at a problem from the perspective of a designer, but I could also think about how the solution could be structured, built, automated, or improved technically.
And then AI started changing the equation even more.
AI Made the Combination Even More Useful
AI has become part of almost every stage of my design process. Especially when working on UI and digital products.
But using AI effectively isn't just about knowing which AI tool is popular this month. A large part of getting good results comes down to understanding how to communicate an idea clearly, how to break a problem down, how to evaluate an output, and how to iterate on it.
In other words, a lot of it comes down to how you think. My engineering background became surprisingly useful here.
I started spending more time learning how to prompt properly, how to structure problems for AI, and how to use AI-assisted coding tools. Eventually, I started experimenting with what people now commonly call "vibe coding" and began building prototypes and small software tools myself.
This opened up a completely different side of creativity for me. Instead of having an idea and immediately thinking about finding a developer to build it, I could often take the first step myself.
I could design something, prototype it, build a functional version, test it, change it, and keep iterating. I could also create internal tools and plugins to solve problems I was personally facing.
“I wasn't trying to become a traditional software engineer. I was using engineering knowledge to give my creative ideas somewhere to go.”
This Became Especially Important When I Started Web & Value
Running a creative agency made me realize that the work doesn't stop when the design is finished.
There are budgets to manage, clients to communicate with, proposals to prepare, projects to organize, work to deliver, and a lot of repetitive processes happening behind the scenes.
When I started building Web & Value, I found myself using the combination of design, engineering, and AI constantly. Instead of looking at AI simply as a tool for generating images or writing copy, I started thinking about how it could become part of the actual operating system of the business.
- I could build workflows around it.
- I could use agents to handle repetitive tasks.
- I could create tools to make certain processes faster.
- I could automate parts of client management and project delivery.
- I could use technology to reduce the amount of manual work involved in running the agency.
Even things like managing budgets and organizing client work started becoming opportunities to build better systems rather than simply doing everything manually. That has had a huge impact on how efficiently I can operate.
And I don't think the most important part of this is actually AI.
The important part is having the mindset to look at a problem and think, "There has to be a better way to do this." Then having enough creative and technical knowledge to actually try building that better way.
Creativity Became More Useful When I Added Technology to It
Looking back at my decision four years later, I don't regret choosing Software Engineering at all. If anything, I'm glad I didn't choose the obvious path.
Because I don't think my engineering education made me less creative. It gave my creativity more ways to express itself.
A designer can create a beautiful interface. But what happens when that designer can also prototype it?
- What happens when they can build a working version?
- What happens when they can automate parts of their workflow?
- What happens when they can create their own tools?
- What happens when they understand enough technology to work closely with engineers, developers, AI systems, and digital products?
The possibilities become much bigger. That's probably the biggest lesson I've taken from the last four years.
I originally thought I was choosing between two different directions: design or engineering.
“In reality, I was building a bridge between them.”
And that bridge has allowed me to explore areas I didn't even know were possible when I was 13 and first opening Photoshop.
Graphic design is still one of my most important tools. It's still the part of my work that keeps me creative and curious. But now it works alongside engineering, AI, web development, automation, digital products, and business.
And I think that's what makes the combination so valuable to me.
“I didn't study software engineering to become less of a designer. I studied it so I could become a designer who can do more.”
