Design is gotta be the best part of the job. I'm management now, a developer by trade, but I spent the first 3 years carrier wise as a designer at a Tokyo design house. I still find that what gets me going when doing estimates and talking w/ clients etc is not the system bits, but how it all fits together, is presented, and will be used by the final user. If that part of the job is missing, then the work is dull and the dev team generally ends up with negative feelings about it when the project is over. On the other hand, when the dev team is right in there with the user and the design is on, it doesn't really matter how much work and long hours are required, when the projects done the feelings are usually positive and members have a sence of accomplishemt. Of course it has to make money too....