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I’ve spent 26 years designing for major corporations, so now that I no longer work for one, it’s nice to be able to step away from that design thinking and finally spend the time exploring design again.
My main website was the first big step in that direction. Once again, I’m able to freely tinker and explore without the restrictions of the “business needs.”
I do give myself a stopping point and parameters, since they’re actually a good thing. My new workflow is quite the contrast from the “hustle” culture of the corporate world.
I don’t hate corporate design. I fell in love with it back when I started the design program at New World School of the Arts (a.k.a. NWSA) in Miami. Paul Rand became my hero.
This was when I was still pursuing traditional animation as a career, but since NWSA didn’t have an animation program, I took design (I had gotten accepted into Ringling School of Art & Design, but couldn’t afford it so I opted for NWSA). I never knew what graphic design was, and after the first course, I fell in love with it. This whole new world of typography, layout, spacing, etc, suddenly opened up to me. I began to see the world around me in a completely different way. I noticed design everywhere! Store fronts, billboards, print collateral, cars, buses, apparel, film, tv, etc.
My obsession with animation influenced my design. My work had movement to it. I didn’t notice it until my professor pointed it out.
I love minimal corporate design, editorial design, but I also love the rawness of graffiti, and other hand made aesthetics. From simple layouts, to crazy compositions where colors and patterns clash.
I’m not exploring design as much as I’d like since I have other, more important priorities and passion projects that need my attention. But when I have time, I like to sit and explore design.