Archive for the ‘Personal Projects’ Category
When should a Graphic Designer stop designing?
As a graphic designer, it’s very difficult to know when to stop designing. I know whenever we have a free minute to ourselves after a long day at work we immediately move on to our personal design projects. Or if there are no personal projects on the go we read design magazines and books or explore the internet for graphic design blogs or portfolios gaining valuable inspiration for the next project. Essentially, we eat, sleep and breath design. But when is it the right time to say, ‘No, I am going to stop designing and do something else’?
A good recent example came when I finished a restoration project on my pride and joy… my VW camper van. It has spent the last 5 weeks at the body shop being completely dismantled, rubbed down, primed up and re-sprayed from british racing green (with a white and maroon roof) to a much more appealing harvest moon beige.
So after spending some time buying all new shiny VW badges, getting the cool white wall tyres put on and literally spending a whole weekend washing, waxing and polishing the van, I stood back and looked at it and thought ‘is it too plain?’. I like the simple look but is this too simple? Am I missing out on an opportunity to create something really eye catching and different?
How about you? Do you find it hard to stop yourself from designing anything you can find? Does your spare room have vector graphics plastered all over it? Does the house number on your front door feature some ultra cool typography? Or are you able to step away from the design world and enjoy non design related hobbies?
So now to my dilemma, should I carry my love for design into the one non design related hobby I have and spend hours coming up with an awesome design for my VW camper van or is it time to stop designing?
What do you think? Should I leave it plain and simple? Or design some artwork to be plastered all over the van?
I would love to know your thoughts.
Tags: Vehicle Graphics, VW Camper Vans
Posted in Graphic Design, Personal Projects | 6 Comments »