Okay, so I wanted to share a bit about what I worked on recently, kinda inspired by Jess Orozco’s approach I saw somewhere. It wasn’t about copying, more like trying to understand the thinking behind it.
Getting Into It
I first just spent some time really looking at the examples of their work I could find. Didn’t dive deep into theory, just used my eyes. What stood out? Simplicity. Everything seemed to have a purpose, no extra fluff hanging around.
So, I decided to try applying that feeling to a small personal project I had sitting around. It was a mess, honestly. Too many ideas crammed into one space. My first step was brutal: cutting things out. I literally made a list of features or elements and started crossing them off. If I hesitated, it got crossed off. Tough, but necessary.
Next, I focused on the basic structure. I just used simple tools, nothing fancy. Paper and pencil first, actually. Drew out the main blocks, trying to get the flow feeling right. It’s funny how arranging simple boxes can be so challenging. Moved things around a lot.
The Trying Part
Then I tried translating that simple sketch into a digital format. This is where I usually get bogged down, adding details too early. I consciously forced myself not to. Stick to the basics. Use placeholder elements. Focus on layout and breathing room.
Here’s kinda what I went through:
- Stripped down the core idea. What’s the absolute minimum needed?
- Sketched basic layouts on paper. Focused on flow, not looks.
- Blocked it out digitally using simple shapes. Resisted adding detail.
- Picked a very limited color scheme. Like, maybe three colors max.
- Focused hard on spacing and alignment. Made sure things lined up and had room.
It felt weirdly slow and maybe even a bit boring compared to jumping into the flashy stuff. But I stuck with it. I kept looking back at the clean feel I saw in Orozco’s work as a reminder: keep it simple, make it functional.
Figuring Things Out
What did I end up with? Well, it wasn’t a masterpiece or anything. And it doesn’t look exactly like Jess Orozco’s style. But the project felt… lighter. Easier to understand. It actually worked better because the core function wasn’t buried under clutter anymore.
The main thing I took away was the discipline it takes to be simple. It’s not about being lazy; it’s about making hard choices and sticking to them. It’s about focusing on the core purpose first and letting everything else support that, quietly.
So yeah, that was my little experiment. Definitely changed how I look at starting new things now. Force yourself to simplify upfront. It pays off later, trust me.
