Changethethought

Well, since this is still my blog to some extent, I feel like this is a proper place to air my intentions. I had an epiphany last night and I woke up this morning in a different state of mind. I realized I have been trend whoring much too much lately and I need to slow down a little. I need to find my center if you will. I spend so much time, for obvious reasons when referencing the blog, looking at the up-to-the-moment trendy work that is out there and I allow it to over influence my thinking.

What it has left me with is no real definable identity. For a while I thought this could be a mark of pride, but I am not so sure about that anymore. What I feel I am missing and craving is just pure old fashioned good design. Good typography, good use of space versus negative space, clean lines, simplicity and form following function. The designers I really admire tend to really know who they are and commit, in some sense, to their identity. Scott Hansen is one who comes to top of mind quickly. His work at Iso50 is just all around well designed. Some of it is trendy, but it is all well designed. The ‘good design’ aspect of his work is what will make his work a reference point for years to come while the trend whores will most likely fall off the map. It is as though he holds up a measuring stick to all his work and asks, “alright, this is done, but is it well designed?”

I haven’t been doing this, what I have been asking myself too much is, “alright I am finished, is this cool?” Cool comes and goes and changes as a matter of perspective. Good design has staying power. So, it’s time to clear out my attic a little bit and start self-editing. I am going to commit to this statement of purpose starting today and start holding up that measuring stick to my work. Don’t worry, I will still be attracted to bright colors, and I think you will still see a lot of my identity in the work, but I am going to put more controls on what I produce. I think ‘better design’ will resonate with more people than just producing heaps and heaps of ‘cool stuff’. Hopefully I will begin to find myself in the process as well and there will be more clarity in my work. Don’t worry about the site either, that is staying for a while as well. I do actually think the site, although it is trendy, is still far better designed than 90% of the awful looking sites and blogs that are out there at the moment.

I will most likely start with a series of posters, similar to Scott Hansen that you will see on the site sometime over the next few months and move out from there. Please don’t mistake me, I will not be ripping off anything Scott designs, I am just going to follow a bit of his ethos, focus on doing only a few things, but do those things very very well. I know this will take time. If you have an opinion about my epiphany, leave me a comment or contact me via the contact section.

written by Christopher | tags: Changethethought, Ctt News, Personal