how to design ugly (against template slop)

This week I read brenda’s writing about template slop: text on image, text on image. As a graphic designer, in a previous life, I am interested in Text (read: Typography) and Image (read: visuals).

As a content creator in my current life I am interested in Text (read: Typography) and Image (read: visuals). I’m also interested in how it will be read, understood, and how it will capture the attention of the masses. And be popular.

Because whoever gets the most attention — wins! right?! Even if it’s just for a few days, the attention can spur more than red hearts and a buzz. Better, and more the goal for me personally: it can spur opportunities.

One day a couple of months ago I let my ego search my name inside various platforms (Are.na and Sublime). I found what might be the greatest compliment ever given to me by a stranger. (Is this even a compliment?) it might just be an observation but I’ll take it. I feel understood.

I want to break it down. Keep in mind at the time I was cheekily referring to myself as a “taste consultant,” riding the wave of the greater conversation on taste and tech bro culture.

Here it is. I can’t find the source anymore — he might have deleted his account — but I had saved it to my channel:

Taste consultant was a joke. He took it straight but his observations sharp. I think that’s why I like it so much, he really understood what I was doing. “He saw me.”

I’m calling this style — designing with my left hand or non-dom design.

Aka, your non dominant hand.

I actually want to design like shit. I want to destroy the rules (immature) and just go for pure visceral movement of type on image. Because what is my taste? It’s not bland. It’s not rule following. It’s unpopular.

I do have a template of my own making. It’s how I got Doechii to read my newsletter. (kinda)