Skip the story if you like, and watch the video above. Though, you should really read the whole thing.
Story
I had the pleasure of meeting Theo Rossi at a Wizard World Comic Con in Portland, Oregon about a year and a half ago I think. I wasn’t aware of his work outside of Luke Cage so when I had my turn I approached enthusiastically and said, “SHAAADES, what’s up man!” Having been to quite a few cons at this point, I learned that the best kind of interaction you can have is a real one. Not the overly excited and semi-psychotic kind of engagement.
Per the norm at these kinds of events, we chatted for a minute and then I went my separate way. The reason why I did this thing, is because 1) I work my ass off 2) Theo, from what I could gather, just seemed like a super cool dude and there’s a deep kindness in his eyes. I discovered the Go Get It Life brand when I noticed his wristband and took note.
Fast forward, a little bit…I tweeted Theo and said something along the lines of “Hey, I’m going to redesign the Go Get It life site.” No expectations. No hidden “ask”….and so I began….THEN I QUIT.
This past year has challenged me in new ways and I’ve learned some valuable lessons along the way. Cheif of those is the importance of committing and constantly staying in check with the good old concept of “do what you say you’re going to do.” With a renewed fire up my ass, I reached out just a few weeks ago by Tweeting once again, that I was going to get this thing done.
To be clear, I’m not commissioned on this project, I’m not paid, I’m not giving with expectation. This was something I was excited about doing for the challenge, the fun and the possibility that someone out there in the world will appreciate it.
It’s likely I won’t get much of a response and that’s not the point. I’m excited to complete this piece of the project. For me, it’s all about the journey and loving the process.
Design Thinking
Real quick, the intention was to create something that was energizing, sporty and friendly at the same time. I focused on creating something in-your-face and progressive. I definitely broke several best practices along the way, but that’s how you take your work and the world to the next level.
Each page, if designed, would have it’s own unique feel and experience. My goal is to draw users into the content on every single page of the website.
After 1+ years of thinking about this, about 12 hours of hands-on work and 8 or so hours of real planning and sketching, I couldn’t be more proud of this work. If I go back, I’d apply about 4 more hours of tweaking which would include spacing and object placement adjustments.
…and keep in mind, I didn’t have access to any raw files or assets 🙂
Thanks for reading.
