Finding My Voice Between the Lines

For a long time, I thought design was about following the rules.

There were grids to respect, color harmonies to honor, and typography choices that came with unspoken boundaries. And I loved that. I still do. There’s beauty in structure, in the quiet discipline of making things work.

But somewhere along the way, I started feeling the pull of something else—something less technical and more intuitive. I found myself breaking rules that didn’t serve the message. Pushing against templates when they didn’t feel like they fit. Listening more to instinct than instruction.

That shift didn’t happen overnight. It came through small moments. A headline I rewrote to sound more human. A layout I tilted ever so slightly to invite more movement. A brand voice I helped refine not by mimicking trends, but by listening for what was already there.

I started to realize that my job wasn’t just to make things make sense. It was to help them feel true. That meant bringing more of myself into the process, my curiosity, my empathy, my point of view. Not to overpower the work, but to meet it halfway.

Now, I see design as a conversation. Between brand and audience. Between message and medium. And yes, between me and the page. My voice lives not in the spotlight, but in the subtle choices, the ones that help something feel seen, understood, remembered.

That’s the kind of work I want to keep doing. Not just polished or clever but honest. And human.