An Adventure With Daily Design - 365 Days of Design (2017)
This is a project that I started back in June 2017. I was feeling constrained and not that happy with my overall design work at the time. After some great lectures and activities during Design Week PDX, I started looking at my own design style. I quickly realized that I don't really have one. I had somehow just let 10+ years of paying bills and trying to make a living supersede the main reason I got into Graphic Design. I love art and design! Over the course of an entire year, I was going to work on a different design/art project. This would include photography, video, drawings, paintings, and basically anything involving some form of art or design! For the most part, I was looking at exercising design muscles to find my style as a designer. Here are the rules I stuck to during the year-long project:
The Rules set for the project and myself
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One hour only, no more no less(a timer will be set.
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Any form of design or artwork is usable.
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Designs must be done separately by 24-hours
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Designs can be repeated
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No posting work done for clients
My final thoughts on the project
So I am finally finished with all 365 days/designs! I may get a corny with this, but that is kind of the point of a project like this. I did this project as a sort of self discovery of my design style and finally get back into a habit of creating just for creating sake. I have always loved art and design always seemed like a natural fit for a career. Over the years I had lost my passion for design and art in general. It was not any one thing that really triggered me to take on a project like this, but a few things. I was and am at a crossroads in my design career and am still trying to figure things out even after all these years. One of the reasons I took on this personal project was to get my spark back for art and design! It was like I was just going through the motions to make enough money to pay bills and not really enjoying design anymore. I had also come to realize that I never really developed my own style. I thought that committing myself to a project like this I would be able to narrow that down. So did I figure out and or narrow in on my style of design? Definitely NOT!!! I really don't have any particular style that I adhere to or practice. I can say that I lean towards abstract/minimalism and enjoy that type of style. The thing is I just enjoy design in general and don't think I really need to be tied down to any particular style. Trends change and next year a client may want something completely different that what I did for them a year ago. I guess the big question is, have I come away from this better or worse as a designer? Hands down, better in so many ways! I feel re-invigorated for art and design. I am already looking at what I can do next and take my design to the next level. I don't do things the way most designers do things and that is ok with me. It has taken me a long time to actually be comfortable with those words! It is all about the end result and what was trying to be accomplished. I don't care how I get there, just get there! Hopefully I have inspired and or at least a few people have enjoyed this project and what I have done. Either way I have learned that I am happy with it and that is all that really matters in the end!
JUNE
JULY
AUGUST
SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
DECEMBER
JANUARY
FEBRUARY
MARCH