Behind the Work

Most portfolio projects look like straight lines. Brief → concept → execution. But the real thing? It’s usually the opposite: confusion first, then detours, doubts, and eventually — that one moment where everything just settles into place and you go, “Yep. That’s it.”

This isn’t a case study. It’s a look at what happens behind the work.

1. Not “branding” — rhythm

Before I land on a logo, a color palette, or even a layout, I’m looking for rhythm. Some brands feel like a whisper. Some speak like a confident monologue. Design, for me, starts when I understand the tempo of the brand. Everything else — typography, spacing, tone — grows from that.

2. Sometimes, the best thing to do is nothing

There are days when I open Figma too early.

I start designing, but it feels empty — not because I’m out of ideas, but because I don’t yet know what I’m trying to say.

And when that happens, I stop. I read more. I sit with the brief longer. The best design ideas don’t come from inspiration. They come from clarity.

3. The most dangerous place is “kinda okay”

If I hate something — I know it right away. If I love something — same. But “kinda okay”? That’s dangerous.

Because that’s when I start justifying. Then the client says:

“Could we try a few more options?”

And I know they’re right — I already felt it. So I’ve learned: if it’s not an 8 out of 10 in my gut, it’s a no.

I start over.

4. How do I know it’s right?

Honestly? My body tells me. When the composition works, I stop fiddling. I lean back. I breathe. I smile. It’s like music — when the chords land, there’s no urge to tweak tempo or pitch. I just know. And that’s when I export.

Behind every clean mockup are abandoned drafts, clumsy versions, weird experiments, and long stretches of nothing. I don’t want to only show the polished part — because the real design work often happens before the visuals. That’s where the meaning lives.