I love design, I love UI, I love handlettering, I love gadgets, I love print design, I love logo design, I love photography. Growing up I found out that I was always drawn to loving many things. From pencils to computers.

These interests were more than just materialistic these were hobbies that I pour everything into. I was always drawn to the newest things. I wouldn’t just buy the object and then be done with it, that wasn’t enough. When something came out, I needed to know everything about that new interest. I would research everything I could about this new interest. Over the years I have grown interest in a lot of things. Some have dropped off while others I still stick around with me.

When design was an interest of mine, I was overwhelmed with the amount of types of design there were. I went to school for design with a focus in Branding, I loved branding and the elements it provides to company but something was missing. After I graduated from school I got a job at a small spot in Sacramento, CA were I did basic iOS apps as well as layout design for epub. I then thought I really enjoyed ePub and layout design. About 9 months ago I was hired on at startup in San Diego, CA as a Visual Designer. As becoming more involved in UI design I noticed as I went home I started to fall in love with handlettering and type design. My day consisted of UI design during the day then handlettering practice at night. I felt that both help fuel each other and I didn’t feel stuck just only focusing on one type of design.

I noticed after a while my designs at my job slipped a little and noticed myself not becoming as innovative as I could be. Purely because I was working and had no time to focus on new elements that are out there, Then when I got home I focused on typography. Where did my exploration of UI go? I struggled strongly with well what do I want to do, what makes me happy, what do other people want me to do, what pays the bills? I listened to a couple podcasts and read a few articles about the struggle this impacts on designers and it seems to be far greater than expected.

I realized the best thing, for me at least, was to pour all my focus on one thing at a time and execute it. I grew to realized that design comes and goes but what sticks with you, is your imagination. If you struggle with what type of design you like or what you think you like because others like it. Let all that go. Think, why did you get into design? When your designing what makes you forget… well, your designing. When I was a kid I used to watch movies, pause the movies and try and draw whatever I saw on TV. Why? I have no idea, but when I was doing it I wasn’t thinking well I wonder if someone is going to like this later or how many people will follow me for this. I was doing it because I enjoy it.

I thought my struggles were what type of design I was going to get into or wanted to learn. Learn it all if you want. My real struggle was what do I want to tackle first and what makes me feel like that kid in front of that TV. As of right now that is UI Design, in a couple months that may be typography, in a year that may be illustrations. Who knows? Isn’t that the best part about design… nobody knows. The only consistency in design is the inconstancy of design.