Here is your freshly squeezed design inspiration for the week of September 11th, 2023.
SOMETHING GORGEOUS: Crustaceous Ceramics by Araceli Adams
PORTFOLIO OF THE WEEK: This Portfolio Website Trend is Gaining Traction
CREATIVE FINDS:
MGA Identity by Santiago & Nicolas
Miro Rebrand by AKQA
Le Rub Sunscreen
One Gram:
The Motion by the Ocean, Des Tandankles
Without Chaos, There Can Be No Magic
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Resource of the Week
Pair Up
Pair Up is a platform for creatives to connect with each other for the purpose of sharing, learning, and problem-solving. It allows you to pair up with hundreds of industry professionals from around the world to discuss projects, get second opinions, or share your passions.
I haven't used it just yet but love the idea and the simplicity of it's presentation. Definitely worth checking out. You never know who you might meet and what you can create by collaborating on a platform like this.
Get Started with Pair Up Today
Something Gorgeous
Crustaceous Ceramics by Araceli Adams
Araceli Adams, working under the studio name Casa Adams, creates porcelain platters inspired by marine life, featuring vivid patterns of crustaceans, mollusks, and fish. Based in Sydney, Adams aims to celebrate biological diversity, even including the species name on the back of each plate to spark conversations about biodiversity.
I may not have a permanent home at this current moment but if I did, you could absolutely bet that I would have a full set dedicated to the ocean by Casa Adams. Araceli's illustration quality and marine life selection to fill the plates is gorgeous and has me looking forward to one day making my dinner area just as colorful and playful.
Portfolio Of The Week
This Portfolio Website Trend is Gaining Traction
Richard Sison, a Sydney-based product designer, has a portfolio website that's caught my eye. What sets it apart is its streamlined one-page layout, a design choice I've seen gaining traction among creative professionals.
This one-page approach isn't new, but it's being revived in a compelling way. Many designers are now opting to feature not just their work, but also writings, career milestones, and bios all on a single homepage. I appreciate this format because it offers visitors a comprehensive snapshot of one's skills and experience in the creative industry. Kudos to Richard for going a step further by incorporating examples of his writings and speaking engagements alongside his work history.
That said, I do find myself wishing for case study pages on Richard's site. While his portfolio thumbnails and brief descriptions offer a taste of his capabilities, case studies could provide a deeper dive into his design process. Understanding how creatives tackle problems adds another layer of context that thumbnails and resumes alone can't capture.
7.4/10
View This Portfolio Website Trend is Gaining Traction's portfolio here.
Creative Finds
MGA Identity by Santiago & Nicolas
I love me a dynamic identity system, especially when they serve as the central element, like the one created for the architectural firm Martín Gómez by Santiago & Nicolas.
Miro Rebrand by AKQA
A rather interesting rebrand of Miro completed by AKQA. Although I've used Miro in the past and enjoyed it, I've transitioned to Figjam due to my frequent use of Figma. Typically, a rebrand for a product in such a competitive market signals one of two scenarios: either the company is thriving or struggling. I hope it's not the latter.
Le Rub Sunscreen
Summer may be behind us, but I recently stumbled upon this design-forward sunscreen brand and I'm quite impressed by its visuals. Although it's challenging to find such niche brands while traveling, this one stands out. What sets it apart is not just its aesthetic, but also its commitment to using sustainable packaging for its products.
One Gram
The Motion by the Ocean, Des Tandankles
While the work I do for my clients may not cross into the realm of motion design often, I have really enjoyed catching these shorts by Des Tandankles and the team at Cub Studio. The content is always interesting and I do enjoy the crude banter.
One Lesson
Without Chaos, There Can Be No Magic
For three years, I've been a wanderering graphic designer, going from city to city. I remember Medellín, Colombia—a chaotic symphony of life. It wasn't perfect; perhaps even a little unsafe. But the people I met, the friendships I cultivated—they were like oxygen to my soul.
Fast forward to Bali, my current home. The term "infrastructure" here is more of a suggestion than a rule. But is it not, in its own way, magical? Like Medellín, it’s pulsing with life—filled with individuals who are enthusiastic and ambitious about their ideas. I wake up every day here with a sense of energized purpose, a magic born from the imperfect conditions.
Recently, I visited Singapore. Pristine streets, exacting order, a clockwork city. And yet, I felt creatively paralyzed. The absence of chaos, it seemed, extinguished the spark of magic within me. It was like reading a book with all the adjectives removed; efficient, but lifeless.
That's when it hit me. Chaos isn't a roadblock to creativity; it actually fuels it. It's the messiness and unpredictability of life that give us room to think outside the box and get creative.
In a world fixated on tidying up every irregular edge, there's a lesson to be found in these cities. Without a bit of chaos, you can't really see the magic that's been there all along. So, I've learned to embrace not just the beauty in chaos, but also its necessity. Chaos creates the room where creativity thrives, letting us use our imagination freely.
And so, without chaos, there can be no magic. And without magic, what's the point of it all?
PS. You may have noticed this past week there was no Creative Juice. Sorry about that! I underestimated my travel plans and the lack of wifi.
PPS. I want to make sure I am improving Creative Juice every chance I get. Would you mind taking 2 minutes to provide me some feedback here 🙏
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