Vlad Grama
3 min readJun 18, 2019
A sample of my geometric style…

Hello! Since this is my first time posting an article on Medium, I find it appropriate to introduce myself.

My name is Vlad Grama and I am a Digital Product designer based in Iasi, Romania, who specializes in web and mobile interfaces and product strategy.

My inspiration came from watching a podcast featuring @Baugasm, which determined me to challenge myself in a similar way.

What’s it about?

My #365shapes challenge consisted of creating a poster for each day of the year, all following my particular style. I started my challenge on the 27th of May 2018, with the “Redsun” poster, and ended it on the 26th of May 2019, with the “LAST” one.

The rules are as following:

  • I had to follow a geometric style, which I defined myself
  • It only had to contain basic shapes and hues, no gradients or shadows — and of course, I sometimes “forgot” about these rules myself
  • Each should have an appropriate name and description
  • No poster could be planned ahead, and each needed to be executed seamlessly
  • No poster could be done in advance, one had to be created every day, regardless of working conditions or unforeseen events
  • Each was to be posted on social media, on the exact day of its creation.
  • Posters had to be done under an hour and a half
  • They had to be done using only one design software (I used Affinity Designer for mine)
The rewind… Careful, loud noises!

Real talk

By following these rules I was able to overcome adversity and create one poster each day, no matter the consequences. I had to pass trips, vacations, and even my health betrayed me once or twice, and unfortunately I had to say no to many beer nights.

It is not easy coming home from a 8 AM-5 PM day to day job, and focusing to give your best in creating the poster for the day. This challenge was a commitment, to work hard in the limited amount of time I set for myself. Each poster represents me giving my best in that particular day.

People tend to romanticise these kinds of endeavours, but they are usually the same people who cannot go past 30 days of challenge. There is nothing romantic about this, just like there is nothing romantic about an UFC fighter going through training camp. The challenge is hard work and dedication.

It’s hard work and dedication.

This should be perceived as a journey of self-discovery, a journey of building work ethic, a journey of making friends and meeting like-minded people. You do not shape the challenge, you just follow it. The challenge shapes you into who you will become in one year.

The challenge shapes you into who you will become in one year.

It was no superpower, crazy genetic based work ethic, or anything mystical that kept me focused on the task at hand. No! It was the audience who expected a poster each day. The people that follow you are the key to keeping you in the game, keeping you responsible enough to deliver each day. You will get feedback, indirectly through likes and other analytics, and directly, through comments and direct messages. Support from the audience is the best gift any artist/designer could ask for…

Support from the audience is the best gift any artist/designer could ask for…

Rewards

I have always tried to give back to the community, thoughts and ideas which could perhaps help them in their journey as a designer/artist. I have made friends along the way, people I still talk to and exchange ideas with.

This challenge gave me the opportunity to collaborate with individuals and brands. It also got me featured in online/offline magazines such as Affinity’s own Affinity Spotlight and DI (Digital Insight) from South Korea, for which I am grateful and proud, seeing how my work is appreciated by publications as well.

My Instagram account grew past 10k followers and it keeps growing. I plan to publish a eBook about my experience on Instagram, and how it can help you grow. All based on my experience.

This is pretty much all I have to say, and I hope I have not missed anyone in my mentions.

I hope this inspires you in your journey as a creator.

Thank you for your time! If you liked it, follow me for more!

You can visit my website, my Dribbble and my Instagram to connect with me.

Vlad Grama
Vlad Grama

Written by Vlad Grama

I help create beautiful digital products that strike emotions and translate business values into graphical elements. Currently at => https://obelisk.agency

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