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Art directors and design directors do not like personal projects in portfolios—at least in my experience.
However, personal projects have helped me grow more as a designer than any other type of project.
Why?
They allowed me to experiment: no deadlines, no limitations—just the freedom to work with the software that made me the designer I am today.
Blender was always my therapy, as it placed no limits on my creativity or how I approached the development of visual language systems.
It allowed me to experiment with shapes, materials, forms, light, atmosphere, structure—you name it.
That inspired me to create a skincare brand.
Again, why?
The modeling process was easy. It didn't require me to learn modeling from the beginning; simple shapes were enough. The hard part was making the bottles look realistic.
This is where I learned how transparency and different materials react to light passing through them, how thickness affects light, how edge bevels reflect light differently, and how combining materials can bring a product to life as a single cohesive unit.
Rubber can make a product feel playful, while plastic can make it feel cheap. Ecological materials can make it feel healthy and organic. This is all part of the process when designing a product from scratch.
This is how this personal project was made: through a careful study of branding and 3D materials.
Full case study here: https://www.lazarstanisic.com/projects/rivera
🙌
The network for creativity
Join 1.25M professional creatives like you
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Creatives on Contra have earned over $150M and we are just getting started
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A playful sparkling fruit drink built around bold flavour, bright colours, and a personality that refuses to take itself too seriously. Every element is designed to feel energetic, juicy, and instantly recognizable.
If I walk into a store I will definitely make a buying decision before even checking the content of this drink. The color and branding is eye catching
✨ New here on Contra — and it happens to be my birthday! 🎂
I thought there was no better day to introduce myself.
Hi Contra Family👋 I’m a Logo & Branding Designer, Graphic Designer, and Web/UI Designer with years of experience helping businesses turn ideas into brands that look professional, memorable, and ready to grow.
Over the years, I’ve worked on everything from:
🎨 Logo & Brand Identity
📦 Packaging & Product Design
📱 Social Media & Marketing Graphics
💻 Website & UI/UX Design
🖥️ WordPress Websites
✨ AI-powered Visual Content
I’ve had the opportunity to work with 500+ happy clients, collaborate with teams, manage projects, and help businesses bring their ideas from a rough concept to a polished final product.
But today, I’m not here to talk too much about work.
Today is also a little personal. ❤️
I’m celebrating another year of life, growth, lessons, and new beginnings — and joining Contra feels like part of that new chapter.
So, hello all! 👋
If you’re a designer, founder, creative, marketer, or business owner, I’d love to connect.
Tell me what you do in the comments; let’s get to know each other. 🤝
And if you’re celebrating something today too, let me know! 🎉
You’re welcome here, Moona
Nice to meet you
A few logo directions I designed for The Candid Crow.
I’m sharing four different concepts, each with its own personality and approach to the brand.
Curious which one stands out most to you.
If you had to choose just one, are you going with 1, 2, 3, or 4?
4 for me, that wide script lockup with the hat illustration feels the most editorial, almost like a magazine masthead. 2 and 3 read more like a badge for a barbershop or a whiskey label. What's the client actually leaning toward so far?