The beauty of Creating
"Create", one of the four pillars supporting the existence of Shi — my creative essence, drastically defines my journey as a creative since I began to study and better understand design, namely design related to communication, encompassing graphic design and design thinking.
"Think", "Respect", "Humanize", and "Create" support my creative essence, allowing harmonious tuning between right and wrong in responding to the best visual option in a given problem.
Currently, "Create" quickly relates to the remaining pillars of my creative essence. To create, you need to think and understand the best way to get a quick answer; it is necessary to respect, without taboos, to find a harmonious solution that is complete by personality. It is increasingly essential to humanize: transmit sensations and emotions, understand and attribute human character; to create, it is necessary to "Create", and in this context, soft skills, behavioural skills of each individual, and hard skills, technical skills capable of giving voice to creative imagination, emerge.
In design, communication is considered the most relevant soft skill. If we don't know how to communicate our opinions best, there is more room for error and displeasure. The more effective the communication, the better the final result. When discussing hard skills, we usually discuss work tools that are improved with practice. As a graphic designer, I learned from an early age how to work with tools such as Illustrator, In Design, and Photoshop (belonging to Adobe). I have followed the evolution of these tools closely over these ten years, and it is magnificent to see how they currently adapt and relate, even more so with AI.
Have you ever played chess?
For me, creating is like being in a game of chess. Each strategic movement seeks a peculiar move towards victory, incessantly balancing tradition (knowledge) with innovation (current tools available). Each move could dictate the end of the game.
Let's imagine that each piece on the chessboard represents a vital element in developing a creative proposal (related to branding).
Let's start by comparing one of the most relevant pieces in the game — the King. The King is at the centre, representing the brand's essence through its values, mission and promise, strategically guiding each move. At her side is the queen, who we consider to be the personification of creativity and vision. The bishop and the knight represent adaptability and agility in the face of change. The tower defines limits, and the spinning top conveys the message and allows stability to safeguard victory.
Like chess, creating a visual universe within a brand requires foresight and planning. Each movement must be carefully considered, anticipating possible reactions from the target audience. Each decision shapes the narrative, whether referring to the chess match or the lifetime of a brand.
The game's evolution between the first and the last play can be compared to the dynamic process of a brand and its lifetime. This analogy between a game of chess and creating a brand allows us to understand better what a brand is and its best strategy over time. As the market changes, trends emerge, meaning brands must adapt and reinvent themselves to remain relevant/present. It is essential to be one step ahead, anticipating the next move, just as a brand should, embracing probabilities and behavioural changes.
Let's look again at creation.
Throughout the process, the beauty of creating is often in the way you translate abstract ideas/concepts into visual languages and narratives. My journey as a creative has been slightly bumpy, like any journey. However, this path and vision of generating and developing an idea/concept are increasingly embedded in my creative personality.
In the creation process, it is essential to highlight the importance of the mood board. Defining the concept/idea and translating the essence/visual language through a mood board is crucial. It allows you to optimize the creation process. Another important factor is visual culture — all areas are essential, from numbers to works of art to tradition and contemporary times; the more visual culture there is, the more space for creating a unitary proposal. Any path is valid at the moment of creation, whether we are scientists or artists, and creativity and the moment of creation will always be present. Being a designer is more than having a relationship with art and architecture or even with marketing; it is essential to go further and acquire knowledge in several areas that are not equal. It makes sense?
To finish, this pillar of creativity, "Create", interferes from start to finish in the creative process, not only through creating an idea but also developing it through the work tools available.
You can discover more about my creative essence — Shi, here.
Stay creative, and see you next time.
Thank you,
B.
p.s. all images created by anotherbrigida
