My Revival

I'm back! (Funny, I make it seem like you even missed me) It's been a while since my last ventures in blogging. During my last few semesters of I.D. school I documented my thesis progress which was on the topic of footwear for active commuters (commuterfootworks.blogspot.com). I also had a personal blog... but we can bypass that for now. So now, as I have recently experienced a revival in my professional life (which of course holds hands with my personal life) I am compelled to share many of the thoughts revolving around my professional progression with hopes to help others and myself understand that we are not alone in this path to happiness.

So this 'revival'...

About a couple decades ago when I was in undergraduate school, I found interest in Graphic Design. Since I was a young kid, I had always been drawn to design (no pun intended), primarily in things as residential architecture, sports cars, and fighter jets–yeah, it was that specific. I had never thought about Graphic Design as a full time profession for some reason (maybe self-doubt?) so I had only done it pro bono or if whatever position I held at the time required some peripheral design assistance (such as when I worked as a 'jack of many responsibilities' for the footwear startup DZR Shoes). But after 7 years working in various roles and industries (from advertising media planning to footwear product management), I found myself wanting to finally take a stab at design as a profession. As an aficionado for sneaker design and wanting to master the design process (because design process/thinking is the same for whatever you are designing), I decided to try Industrial Design.

My "dream home" as of 5th grade.

And a mid-to-late 60's GTO would be nice too.

Fast forward to 2017-19. After having worked as a Footwear Designer for over 6 years, I realized that I was missing the shorter timelines/faster feedback loops and the functional aspect of designing for clients looking to communicate with their audience. Also, recall how I mentioned above 'holding hands with my personal life'... I feel Graphic Design allows me opportunities to help other people/friends directly through this type of work–flyers for an old colleague's event, a branding assets to help a friend get their business started, etc. Don't get me wrong, Footwear Design was a great experience to understand the design process (and I can still design or develop a good footwear product with the knowledge I gained if called upon), but following brand guides, configuring layouts, and producing the visual product with a faster turnaround (i.e. digital and print) has a different sense of fulfillment.

Also, I found that if you weren't designing for functional innovation in footwear and merely designing to meet a fashion/market trend (which was often the product brief with mass-market brands because of the 80/20 notion regarding product that kept the lights on vs product that pushed technical innovation), the review process among decision makers became too subjective; design elements for "line-fillers" or products made for the sake of "brand B is doing it, so should we" were nitpicked based on assumptions and personal taste, and not consumer insights. Here's an example statement I heard often from non-design team members when I was working on women's product: "I don't know if that looks like a 'women's' (hiker/running shoe/sandal/etc.) enough." As if a curvier line vs a more hard-angled line was the solution. Anyway, I digress.

So here I am with a portfolio that reflects this shift in my goals as a designer. And beyond the design output that a portfolio showcases, I hope for opportunities to showcase the soft skills (e.g. leadership, presentation, collaboration, etc.) that are not as apparent and be allowed a path into becoming a more complete "solutions provider" for growing businesses and people manager. Not for the sake of money or status, but for the sake of directly elevating others to achieve their aspirations (I was fortunate to have taught a college-level design course at my alma mater and there was nothing like the feeling of knowing you've helped shape the mindset and professional path of an aspiring individual). I guess that's the dad in me too.

Looking forward...

My lil' Leo. Just like Dad.