Stop Making Sense
Anti-advice for the designer who's bored.
A few weeks back I had the fun of going on my brand designer friend Alyssa’s brand design course, and doing a live workshop showcasing my process of designing posters and using textures to impactify them. It was a blast and a ball, and at the end, someone in the chat asked for tips to keep designing and creating a fun time. I didn’t get the chance to fully answer it as we were strapped for time, so here’s me countervailing for that.
I’ll try to make this quick, because I have a mountain of edits to do for work, am painfully hungover from partaking in too much wine with friends yesterday evening, and a Jamie xx show to go to tonight.
Design, So Confusing: A Design Anti-Advice Register by James JunkMake room for confusion: Confusion isn’t a roadblock but an invitation to explore. Imagine you’re tasked with designing a poster for a music festival, and you find yourself stuck on how to visually depict the diverse mix of genres. Start by experimenting with various elements—unexpected type, weird shapes, contrasting colors, and unconventional layouts. It’ll all look chaotic at first, with no clear direction, and you’re gonna wanna scrap it all and just delete and start over. But instead of discarding them, go and delve deeper into the confusion. Analyze what each element conveys, mix and match different ideas, and allow the design to evolve organically. You’ll highly likely land at a unique and dynamic poster that you never would have gotten had you never given confusion a chance.
Don’t be so sure about things: If you ask me, certainty can be a double-edged sword. I think it’s great to have a vision, but as creatives—a direct synonym to perfectionists—we tend to stick to what we know works, and that in turn can do us mis-favors because we stifle innovation and limit or potential. Why not open yourself up to the possibility of ending up with something you didn’t expect or predict?
Stop making sense: Creativity isn’t always about making sense. Sometimes, the coolest ideas come from moments of nonsensical experimentation. I do it all the time: creating things that seem absurd and irrational. But who cares if they are? What matters is that I’m practicing, exploring, and expanding my boundaries of creativity. Whenever I step outside the confines of logic, I always end up somewhere exciting.
Make it ugly: This is a simile to the above, but I feel it’s worth mentioning: don’t shy away from making something that doesn’t fit into what you think is a beautiful design. Sometimes, the raw, unpolished, and “ugly” designs carry the most powerful messages and evoke the strongest emotions. It’s also just fun to make something so ugly that it’s actually kinda pretty, acquired taste and allat.
Have a heart: I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – design is about creating things that matter beyond yourself. Inject your work with purpose and passion and you’ll never run out of ideas. Commercial work is great, but you’ll find creations that don’t put profit on the front seat fuel the soul so much more. When you create with a heart, the right work and clients will find you. Promise.
If you’re the person who asked this question in the chat, I hope I did at least an okay job at answering your question and sharing with you some of my thoughts on keeping design fun. But if not, well, then what are you doing reading this, nosy boots?
Kidding.
♌️ THINGS THAT SAY MORE ABOUT SOMEONE THAN THEIR ZODIAC SIGN
Their Bookmarks bar on Chrome (if you use coordinated folders instead of haphazardly adding individual bookmarks, we should get married)
Their opinion on tight kerning (yes to tight kerning = kiss on the nose; no to tight kerning = public lynching by way of tomato throwing)
The kind of music they put on while designing (if they don’t put music on at all, call the cops)
The design books they read (if they read The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin, send them to the electric chair)
What platform their portfolio site is built on (it goes, from most to least valid: Squarespace, Framer, Cargo, Readymag. Any others, block)
🎰 JAMES JUNK JUKEBOX*
Sexy to Someone, Clairo – Okay, wow. I discovered Clairo’s music this month and this new album of hers has a grip on me and it’s not letting up. And I can’t say that I want it to.
Funnel Love, Nikki Lane – I love tunes like this. Feels new and old, dirty and clean at the same time.
Bound and Determined, Nick Shoulders – The lyrics to this go dummy. I love when songs sound good but give some cunty little commentary on the zeitgeist, too.
Beautiful As You, Thomas Rhett – This guy’s having a renaissance—nay, a Rhettaissance—right in front of our eyes and I feel like no one’s taking note. Granted, he’s a white country singer so, like, why would we, but still.
Evil Ways, Santana – A certified bop. Not sure what form my music taste is taking this summer, but do we really have to know?
*Now you can listen with ease! I’ve compiled these into a mixtape on Spotify. I’ll add as we go. 🔗 Here.
🧾 A RECENT NOTE ON MY NOTES APP WITH NO CONTEXT
Bear spray
Bug spray
Water
Veggies
Meat
Towels
Energy drinks
Napkins
Snacks
Alcohol
Pedialyte
Flashlight
Body lotion
Body sunscreen
Audio jack
Wipes
Dated July 15, 2024 at 17:04
👔 LIFE UPDATE IN 300 WORDS OR LESS
Does anyone else feel like culture is back?
For a good chunk of 2024 so far, the culture as it were has been boring. Artists would drop new intensely beautiful albums, but then buzz would peter out after a few weeks. A public figure will make headlines, but
In sum, I feel like 2024 so far has been boring and relatively eventless. And then July came.
In the past month alone, we have had:
An assassination attempt on Donald Trump (I’m into it)
Joe Biden pulling out of the race for November’s election (I’m into it)
Kamala Harris borrowing Charli XCX’s Brat’s brand identity for her election campaign (I’m into it)
Robert Downey Jr. coming back to Marvel as Doom (I’m not into it)
The Paris Games commencing (I’m into it)
But enough about everyone else; THIS IS ABOUT ME!
Again kidding. Here’s what’s new:
I’ve gone blond
I hiked 12,000 ft of elevation to get this disrespectfully stunning view of Glacer National Park
I spent a week in northeast Montana doing nothing but swimming, fishing, hiking, grilling, everything, and I’m fiending to go back
I posted about a zine I created for Rancho West Beer. Have you seen it? Click that thang above if ‘ya haven’t. I’m proud of it.
My summer is summering and it’s not even over yet. I love all the memories I’ve made and all the people I’ve met, things I’ve done, places I’ve been.
I wonder what August has in store. I’ll tell you when I write you again.
🫗 CHAOS FUEL
🧹 Fonts
RYM by SUPERCONTINENTE, Rauschen Max by Out of the Dark, Amiza by Zarma Type Foundry
🛝 Internet Things
Voter Registration Check – Because knowing your voter status is imperative. Don’t be lazy and make sure you’re registered.
The Playlist Finds The Cool Kids – This found me, and now I’m giving it to you.
POV: Why the rush for a new creative social media is leading us nowhere – A really good read on new creative social media apps like Cara that expresses all of my thoughts on the matter
🌐 IN YOUR ORBIT
Twitter / TikTok / Print Shop / OnlyFans / YouTube