My Obsession With Design
Art and design has always been a passion of mine. Creativity brings me joy and I never want to stop. I love the process and learning through each design.
What Got Me Here
I’ve always enjoyed drawing and creating things of all kinds. When I was younger, I liked coloring and doodling. In high school I took as many art classes as I could including:
- Drawing
- Painting
- Ceramics(twice)
- Graphic design
- Photography
I also participated in my school’s art club where we made decorations for events, made a greenhouse for our school’s ecology club, and worked on some of our own projects, like pumpkin sculptures. I enjoyed being able to make my own artwork, but I loved working with a group of other people who were also passionate about art.
I was also close with the head of my high school’s art department. She guided and supported me through my time in high school. I’m grateful to her for cultivating my passion for art.
Why I Am Passionate About Design
I am passionate about design because I like being able to look back and see the progress I have made. I think that learning is a lot of fun, especially in design. I love the moment when something clicks and I understand why a design is good or how it should work. I also love the process behind designing. Each design has a learning process of its own as you experiment and play with it.
Why I Dedicate My Life To Design
I dedicate my life to art because I love creating. Art is my favorite thing to do, but it’s more than a hobby. Art is a way to express myself. I’m not very good with words, so I find that visuals are an easier way for me to communicate.
Future Plans In Design
Game design is one of my passions in design. I love art and I love video games, so I want to make art for video games. I don’t plan to work for a big game company, instead, I want to work for a small to medium sized company. This is because large companies just want to make something that will sell and get them a lot of money, while smaller companies care more about creativity and making something they care about. I want to work for a company where our games, art, and story are fueled by creativity, new perspectives, and good design.
Inspiration
Ari Gibson, a co-director of Team Cherry and art director on their game, Hollow Knight, is a big inspiration for me. I love his use of color and depth in the design of the game. The game takes place underground, however, Gibson doesn’t let this limit his design. Instead of creating stone walls and tunnels like is commonly used to illustrate underground tunnels, Gibson creates expansive caverns with several layers of depth. He also creates underground environments lush with colors. Gibson uses these colors intentionally to communicate something to the player. One area might be monochromatic blue to communicate tranquility and safety, while another will use complementary blue and orange to communicate danger.
I also take inspiration from other indie game developers. Instead of reusing an old design that has been overused by big companies, indie developers create something new and unique. They explore new ideas that haven’t been tried before. I am inspired by the creativity of indie developers.
Design always has been, and always will be a part of my life. I love many different mediums of art and I want to continue to pursue a career in game design. I’ve learned a lot over the years and I can’t wait to see how much more my art will improve.
