Let me tell you about the time I was tasked with designing THE poster. Not just any poster—this was the kind of poster that would be seen by thousands of people, judged by millions (okay, maybe just hundreds, but it felt like millions at the time), and it had to be perfect. No pressure, right?
Day 1: The Concept Phase (A.K.A. Staring into the Void)
It all started with an innocent brief: “We need something that’s bold, eye-catching, and pops! Oh, and can you make it modern, but classic, with a futuristic twist? We want it to feel timeless but also trendy.”
Sure, let me just invent a time machine and visit every era of design history.
After several hours of staring at a blank screen, followed by Googling “what even is a poster?” I sketched out about 14 ideas, all of which were rejected faster than you can say “Comic Sans.” My confidence? Nonexistent. My snack supply? Running dangerously low.
Day 3: Photoshop Meltdown
After surviving two more days of revisions that went nowhere, I finally booted up Photoshop. That’s when things started getting really interesting. You know how people say “Photoshop is your friend”? Well, let me tell you, Photoshop is the kind of friend who makes you laugh right before pulling a prank that ruins your entire weekend.
The layers. THE LAYERS. What started as a clean, simple design turned into a mess of layers so tangled, even the FBI couldn’t unravel them. I was naming things like “Layer 37_Final_FINAL_Version7_2_NoReally_ThisIsIt” and praying it wouldn’t crash. Spoiler alert: It did.
Day 5: Client Feedback (Send Help)
Feeling somewhat optimistic, I sent off the best draft so far. And then I got the email. You know the one:
“We love it! But can you just change everything?”
Sure thing, just let me crawl under my desk and cry real quick.
Apparently, they wanted more “pop,” less “flair,” but also more flair? At this point, I was convinced they were just hitting random words on a keyboard.
Day 7: The Breakthrough (AKA Giving In to Chaos)
Desperate times call for desperate measures. I threw every design rule out the window and just went for it. I layered dark colors like I was channeling the “The Adams Family”, I threw in random elements like paper tears, etc because—why not? I went full “Ctrl+Z” on my past life as a sane designer.
I presented it to the client, fully prepared for rejection, and then… they loved it. The poster was approved! Turns out, they wanted something “bold and unexpected” the whole time. Who knew?
Day 8: The Aftermath
The poster went live, people loved it, and all the sleepless nights were worth it. I survived! I now know the secret to great design: panic, snacks, and an episode of ‘The Adams Family”
Moral of the story? Sometimes, the hardest designs turn out to be the best. And when in doubt, just keep adding layers. Lots and lots of layers. So you tell me how I did…
