For Real
The job of a graphic designer, whether one works on a computer, paper or any other medium mostly consists basically in getting involved in some more or less clearly defined subject and of communicating this concerning the demands of a customer. Hence there is a concept to be developed and materialized building on the content and externally defined instructions.
Beyond the ticklish experience to expose one's ideas and abilities as well as one's design philosophy to the interplay of supply and demand the most decisive motivation might be to produce something that will be used in the "real world" and is not just l'art pour l'art or technological bits and pieces.