26/02/2025
Lessons from pottery that shaped my design practice 🫶🏼
1. Good design, like a well-thrown pot, takes time. Rushing weakens the foundation. Whether it’s clay or branding, the best results come from patience, refinement, and trusting the process.
2. It’s just clay! You can always start over. :) Nothing is truly wasted. If a piece collapses or a concept doesn’t work, you learn, refine, and try again. Each iteration gets you closer.
3. Get the basics right first! Focus on techniques and design principles. Once those feel natural, your signature style will develop through repetition, experimentation, and confidence in what you create.
4. Cracked pots can be repurposed. A broken piece can become a planter, be used for kintsugi, or crushed into grog for new clay. In design, ideas that don’t make the final cut often lead to something better!
5. Details matter. A slightly off-center pot feels unbalanced, just like a brand with misaligned messaging. Small adjustments in form, color, or positioning make all the difference.
6. Never stop learning. 🫶🏼 No matter how much experience you have, there’s always more to explore. A new clay body, glaze technique, or design challenge keeps you growing.
I love how working with clay has made me a better designer, and vice versa. 💫
What’s something unexpected that’s influenced the way you work?
