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24 THINGS I LEARNED AT 24 | Brand Designer Edition
Turning 24 felt like a good moment to look back at the lessons that have shaped the way I work, think and run my studio today.
Some came from projects that went exactly as planned. Others came from learning the hard way.
But the biggest shift has been realising that good design is rarely just about making something look good. It’s about clarity, positioning, systems, process and knowing what actually serves the brand behind it.
These 24 lessons have shaped how I approach every project now: with more intention, stronger boundaries and a much bigger focus on building brands that work beyond the moodboard.
A small snapshot of what 24 looks like from behind the studio.
Loved that you share these, very valuable!! 💯
This is excellent advice. Thank you May and a very happy birthday!
Thank you so much! I’m really glad it resonated, and thank you for the birthday wishes 🤍
The consistency point is the one I keep running into. Once the brand rules are settled, every new page or campaign starts with fewer decisions.
Exactly, that’s such a big part of it. Once the system is clear, you’re not reinventing the brand every time something new needs to be made. It gives you a much stronger starting point and keeps everything feeling connected.
Thanks for sharing! ❤️
That shift from just making things look good to thinking about the bigger brand is huge. A lot of those lessons probably only come from doing the work and learning the hard way.
Definitely. A lot of the biggest lessons only really clicked once I’d experienced them in actual projects. It’s one thing to understand something in theory, but completely different once you see how it affects the work, the process and the client relationship.
24 at 24 is a fun format
Thank you! I actually do these every year, so next year it’ll be 25 at 25 😂 It’s become a really fun way to look back at how much has changed in just one year.
These are very valueable lessons
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A beautiful brand can still be forgettable.
Because good branding is not just about choosing the right colors, creating a clean logo, or picking a beautiful font.
It is about making people understand who you are, what you stand for, and why they should trust you.
Think about it.
Two businesses can offer the same service, at the same price, to the same audience. Yet one feels more trustworthy before the customer even makes contact.
That is the power of intentional brand design.
Every visual choice should have a reason behind it. The colors, typography, messaging, and overall identity should work together to shape how people perceive the business.
The question is not just, “Does my brand look good?”
It is, “Does my brand communicate the right value to the right people?”
I'd love to hear your thoughts: What makes you trust a brand before you have even bought from it?
slightly exhausting personality trait: I need every new project to be the best thing I've ever designed.
14 years of doing this and somehow the obsession is only getting worse.
constantly learning, getting better, changing my mind, finding new things I want to try.
god I love design.
Returning to foundational assets is always a valuable exercise in brand scalability. Currently, I am preparing and structuring the master delivery files for a new sub-brand—built upon a visual identity system I originally designed a couple of years ago. Designing adaptable brand frameworks from day one is what allows a business to expand seamlessly over time while maintaining complete visual coherence. Looking forward to sharing the final execution soon.
