Do you do personal design projects?
I know personally I have learned a lot from the personal design projects I have done in the past. It seems to help keep design work fresh. When you are working regularly for a lot of the same clients you can find you are not stretching yourself. You use the same programs, same fonts (sticking with the corporate style you have set up) same sort of images and logos. By setting yourself personal projects you can safely (ie no-one else necessarily has to see it) learn new programs and experiment with different techniques.
I have always dabbled in different ideas, character design and product designs/inventions as my personal projects. I first got to grips with Strata 3D a basic 3D program because I wanted to be able to create 3 dimensional looking products and characters. Although nothing has come of these product ideas so far, what I can now do is produce packaging and simple POS stand visuals using the same 3D package for my clients.
More recently some of you will know I have been trying to learn CSS and HTML and although my skills are still very basic, by adapting a wordpress template for my character designs (another personal project) I have managed to create myself a simple web site and at the same time learn more about CSS and HTML on the way. Blogging on this blog (another personal project 
) has helped with this too, and I am not so afraid to get my hands dirty and tweak the HTML and CSS (although it doesn’t always go plan).
My more recent personal project has been to create a toy based on some of my character designs which I will be pitching at a toy inventors day at a UK toy company tomorrow (yikes). A few of you may remember I was looking for a new 3D program to supplement Strata 3D and I mentioned I had found Cheetah 3D for mac. By producing the visuals for the toy in Cheetah 3D, a program I had not used before I now feel I have got to grips with the basics of what looks to be a very promising program for organic modelling. The use of Cheetah 3D I am sure will develop into my live/client work.
I know many designers take part in design competitions to stretch themselves and allow more creativity. Personally I think it is vital to set yourself personal projects, it is so much easier to learn something when you have a project goal rather than just following a set tutorial.
So whether its creating your new range of designer t-shirts, designing an image for a friends band, experimental product design/inventions, character design, or web design, set yourself a project you’ll be amazed how much you learn.
What are your personal design related projects?
This post is from Graphic Design Blog
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12 Comments
I couldn’t agree more with this. I think it is really important to keep active & keep learning. I do a lot of work for the same sort of clients day in day out so I try to always have at least one ‘personal’ project on the go at a time. This might be just re-skining my website, a new piece of artwork for around the house. Any thing I can sink my teeth into & do something a bit different with.
Me & a few friends are about to start a BIG new project for our selves. We don’t know if it will go any where, but just the act of doing it will keep ideas flowing, & hopefully get us thinking a bit differently.
Oh by the way, if your serious about learning HTML & CSS, you can’t go wrong getting these books:
HTML Mastery
CSS Mastery
I got them both when I wanted to stop ‘playing about on the web’ (ie letting dreamweaver do all the work) and get serious about making proper websites. They changed my life.
Also, (sorry to go on) how are you getting on with the 3D modelers? It’s some thing I keep meaning to have a go at, but never know what program to start learning with.
Hi Rick
I have the CSS Mastery Book though thanks for the suggestion.
For 3D I am loving Cheetah 3D though its only for mac. I also use Strata but I find its not great at organic modeling but good for packaging, exhibitions – more geometric stuff. I have tried soem of the heavy weight packages I bought Lightwave a few years ago but found it over complex and it kept crashing. Cheetah 3D is quick to pick up and has a small but friendly forum (and its cheap!)
It’s a really good book, I read it cover to cover in 3 days.
I’m on a Mac as well so I might have to have a go with Cheetah. It looks quite cool.
I thin I wanted to have my own design shop of crafts:) I love designing ornaments of different variety.
I couldn’t argee more, if you need to increase your portfolio, then design some work for yourself or a club that you maybe involved with. I am a student of aikido, so the created a website, I needed some more sites for my portfolio and I want to work in SEO now. Here is the aikido site for general interest Aikido Instruction
Excellent blogpost
Very cool, Tara! Glad to hear things are still going with the Weather Pops!
As for personal projects, I’m working on my blog redesign these days. I’m really enjoying experimenting with different looks and picking up some good Photoshop techniques along the way.
I also like doing the PS tutorials from PSDtuts, not just reading them. I pick up on how or why they do certain things and that allows me to apply them in other situations.
hi…I have the CSS Mastery Book though thanks for the suggestion.
I have php for dummies book and it taught me lots about the more complex php problems.
Nice Article. Anyway, we have to learn from the experience and look for new technologies. I used to test designs even that is not for commercial in my spare times. So, I can get experience from that.
Author said ” I think it is vital to set yourself personal projects,”. I whole hartedly agree. Unless you make a committment to your self to finish a project, working out all the bugs, you’ll never suceed.
I agree
If you want to get better or learn something new in your craft, you have to stretch your limits and try things, things that may be uncomfortable to you at first.
Even in screwing something up, there is always learning involved that can be applied in some other fashion