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

One hour only, no more no less(a timer will be set.
Any form of design or artwork is usable.
Designs must be done separately by 24-hours
Designs can be repeated
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

To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key.