Issue 10: Leaving on a Jet Plane
On exploration, vulnerability, and letting go.
🛫 Head in the Clouds
Happy Monday, everyone! I’m writing to you 36 hours from my first proper vacation since starting Aura Creative. I’m planning to spend the next two weeks in Japan with my family, getting inspired, eating everything in sight, and properly turning off my brain for the first time in a long time.
I’ve been lucky to travel a lot in my life, and I don’t think anything has had more impact on my creative process—not only because it’s a source of direct inspiration and expands my perception of what is possible, but because of the process itself. Like the creative process, travel is easy to romanticize, since in both cases, the end result truly is incredible. It’s easy to look at influencer photos and imagine the experience as effortless, but the truth is that travel is a vulnerable experience. Any time you go somewhere new, you will naturally be lost and out of your comfort zone. You have to be open to the fact that things will go wrong—or be different from what you expect—to open yourself to what can, and will, go right. You can plan all you want, and still you have to give up control and let a new place tell you how things are going to go. You have to show up humble, with an open mind, to experience the true essence of wherever you are, just as you have to remove your ego from the creative process to end up with a transformative final result.
Letting go of control is one of the hardest things we can do, but the best results come when you balance planning what you can, and letting go where you must. That’s why this week, we’re looking at design through the lens of travel. What does the process really look like, and what does it teach us about creativity Read on to find out!
The Aura Creative Substack will be on a 2-week hiatus, returning Monday, July 22nd. I will miss you all, and I look forward to returning then, with virtual souvenirs for all!
✨ Moodboard of the week
The Leaving on a Jet Plane moodboard is an ode to the first steps out the door. Sometimes it glows, sometimes it’s neat and tidy, sometimes it’s mundane, and sometimes it rains. Individually, many of these moments are nothing special, but collectively, they take you somewhere unexpected and transformative. Check out the full moodboard on Pinterest!
🔍 Question of the week
“How do you design a logo from scratch?”
Of all the things I design, logos are by far the most challenging—and, by extension, one of the most rewarding. Because logos have to say so much with so little, there is no room for error. While I have a standard systematized design process, not every project type needs (or wants) every step. In logo design, on the other hand, every step is critical. It requires absolutely everything out of your listening skills, your communication skills, and your design skills. In many types of design, it’s best to have a clear idea of what the end result will look like. In contrast, logo design depends on your ability to remove your ego from the creative process and be open to literally any possibility that may present itself as a final result.
For this reason, logos are the best possible project type to get insight into how the design process works. Today, we’re going to look at a brief overview of my process as a whole. But on my return, we’re going to kick off a series diving into each step from both a designer’s and a client’s perspective. The design process is a mystery to so many people, and while everyone’s process is different, this series will give you insight into what goes on behind the scenes, and how you get from nothing to everything.
Series Teaser: Overview
Values and Communication Priorities
The first step is always pinning down values and communication priorities, since logos are always a representation of the brand or person behind them. In other words, who are we, and what do we want to say? There’s a lot of talking and writing in this process, and very little visual design.Visual Guidance
The next thing we want to do is gather visual inspiration. This will often include moodboarding, or gathering content my client finds inspiring. At the end of this stage, we have a solid—though generally flexible—sense of what we’re aiming for.Concepts and Brainstorming
This is where pen meets paper. While the end result of this process is visual concepts, ready for presentation, it often involves a lot of verbal brainstorming and association, in order to dig into what symbols and visual techniques will best communicate the message and look good doing it. This is the hardest, scariest, and most exciting part of the process since, for the first time, we’re truly creating something from nothing.Presentation
Once visual concepts are solidified, it’s time to show them to the client. I generally present these as simply as possible, without color or typography (unless the concept is type-dependent) so we can compare symbols objectively. While I love to get it right the first time, there can be some back-and-forth between steps 3 and 4 if needed to arrive at the perfect concept.Feedback and Selection
At this stage, we narrow the options down to one or two selections. Often a concept is almost right but needs to be edited or pushed further, so at this stage, I incorporate any feedback needed to make the symbol perfect.Elaboration and Refinement
Once the symbol itself is set, we add typography, color, stylization, and any other factors necessary to bring it to life. Since typography and colors are design elements in themselves, there are generally feedback rounds here too. This is also where I add those nearly imperceptible, but extremely important, touches that make a logo look professional and refined.Blowout, Launch, and Implementation
Once everything looks perfect, I create all the layouts and permutations a client will need to use the logo, send over all the files, and train them on how to use it, both from a visual perspective and a logistical one. When we’re ready, we’ll plan a launch (quiet or celebratory, depending on what suits them) and get started implementing the final result in real designs!
Overarching all of this is thorough planning, hours of brainstorming and concept work, a myriad of tools and techniques, and constant practice in letting go and staying open to the possibilities. Sometimes the right answer is to plan and push. Sometimes the right answer is to take a day off and let the right idea arrive. This process is one of my favorite things to discuss, and one of the most exciting parts of design, especially since you never know where it will take you. I can’t wait to share insight and perspective on each of these steps with you when I return!
Submit your burning design questions by sending me a message below. Questions can relate to design itself, entrepreneurship, workflow, or anything you think I may be able to answer. There are no limits.
🎧 Soundtrack of the week
This week’s soundtrack speaks for itself.
🎨 My Favorite Things
Tim Singleton is a designer and illustrator who posts stunningly designed queer statements and illustrations on Instagram year-round. I appreciate that his messages are not designed to make viewers comfortable but they’re always infused with hope, both in direct messaging and in his choice of bright colors and bold typography. To me, his designs perfectly sum up the inseparability of the fight for queer justice and the need to elevate queer joy. Here are a few recent favorites but I highly recommend checking out his Instagram for much more where these came from!
Images sourced from @timpsingleton on Instagram. Give him a follow!
🌱 Touching Grass
📖 What I’m reading: I’m getting in the mood for the trip by reading The Kamagawa Food Detectives, a lovely Japanese novel about a father-daughter duo who work together to replicate clients’ lost favorite foods. After that, my top priority for the next few weeks is finishing Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn series.
🎧 What I’m listening to: As a lifelong bluegrass fan (fun fact about me, I used to play in a bluegrass band!)(I know, I’m full of surprises), I’m absolutely obsessed with Sierra Farrell’s recent cover of the Osborne Brother’s Lonesome Feeling.
📺 What I’m watching: I’m downloading about 5 Miyazaki movies and a season of Terrace House to watch on the plane.
🍱 What I’m eating: Everything in sight.