Make it count!
Sofia is a happy girl who loves to dance. Her mother was throwing her a party for her 6th birthday at a dance academy where she and her friends would learn a choreography.
Her mother, a good friend of mine, asked me to design some t-shirts for the occasion and to help her make of that party a memorable moment for her daughter and her little friends.
A few days before the party, I went to her house to bring her the t-shirt and the framed drawing. I was very happy to see the spontaneous and funny reaction she shad. She immediately put on her t-shirt and ran to the shelf to swap the photo of her parents for the one of the lollipop. How grateful!
Creating the t-shirt, I wanted to feature Sofia dancing at the center. To bring in colors, I picked a large and colorful lollipop as a stage for the little dancer. Yet, I felt something was still missing. It was Sofia’s party and I wanted to have more of her in the design. I wanted her to become part of the process. So, I asked her to come up with a slogan for her party and write it on a sheet of paper. “Dance show” was it. I took her handwriting and integrated it into the drawing.
I like integrating people into the design process as it builds a stronger sense of ownership and pride. Sure enough, people not only complimented Sofia for her handwriting, but she proudly shared that we created the t-shirt together. And right she is. I couldn’t have created a more fitting slogan and typography myself!
When you create the next memorable moment: do the extra effort to put something of yourself into it!
So, when you have to make the next birthday present: Don’t feel bad about buying this perfume (or even socks) at the department store. But then take the time to write some meaningful lines on the accompanying card — or even design the card yourself.
