Woke up to these messages today 🤩

Never really thought my first features on Contra would feel this reassuring. Seeing both Direct Design and Nexterra get picked by the Contra team honestly means a lot.

There’s always that little doubt when you put your work out there, wondering if it’s good enough, if the right people are seeing it or if you’re moving in the right direction.

So this was a really nice reminder to keep going and keep making things I believe in.

Thank you to the Contra team for noticing the work and for the little bit of encouragement I didn’t know I needed. 🫶

More to come. 🌠

Congrats Vijay! Quality work will get its credit🚀

I just joined Contra and I’m still figuring out how things work around here, so I thought I’d introduce myself instead of quietly lurking.

I’m Mariya, founder, strategist and lead designer behind Mariya Design. I’ve worked internationally since 2015, and today I run a boutique branding studio focused on brand identity systems for premium and luxury-led brands.

Most of my work sits somewhere between identity, packaging and the wider system around them. I’m particularly interested in what happens after the logo: how typography, color, packaging, digital applications and brand rules actually hold together as the business grows.

One project I’ve been revisiting recently is SAE-REN, a premium beauty and wellness identity system. I’m currently rebuilding some of my case-study presentation system, so it felt like a good one to share here first.

And since I’m genuinely new to Contra, I’d love to hear from people who have been active here for a while:

What actually helped you become part of the community here?

Was it sharing work regularly, joining conversations, applying to opportunities, or something else entirely?

Any early mistakes worth avoiding are welcome too.

great designs..