Dock Scott
I’m already building something and want to take it further
Honesty, I had to sit with this question, it made me reflect on the last few months and years. I have built design systems, apps, websites, etc. but the thing I am most proud to have made is…a shirt. Let me explain. I am a UX designer by trade, and most of my work exists digitally. Lately, I have desired a more tactile experience to creating and I took a moment to observe things that inspire me. The thing at the forefront of this exploration was fashion. I have always loved clothes, especially the feeling of wearing something crafted with care. I thought to myself “I want to learn how to use my hands to create something.” Months later I found myself with a sewing machine, some fabric, and an audacious amount of confidence. At the time I had never sewn anything at all, much less a shirt, but I was obsessed with the idea of learning something new. I did not start small. I decided to jump head first into making an item of clothing I wear often; a button up shirt from the first stitch to the very last detail. I was inspired by the level of dedication and craft that tailors put into their work and the level of dedication that goes into making a bespoke garment. I cut each piece by hand, meticulously sewed, ripped, and resewed over and over until I was satisfied. I was able to dive deep into a state of focus while working on the shirt, forcing myself to slow down. Speed was not the goal, instead it was craftsmanship. The process became extremely intimate, rewarding, and most of all, humbling. After many broken stitches, a few pin pricked fingers, and a lot of self doubt, I finished the shirt. I even went as far as to hand finish details such as buttons and hems. I poured so much of myself into this garment. In the end, was the button up shirt good? No. But it was perfect because I made it. I bet on myself to do something I have never done before, and I did it. So in the end, even with wobbly lines and imperfect details, I am still proud of my humble shirt.
The Responsible Adult/ a place.
Coming off of week 1, I did not have a very good idea of what my "toy" would be. I spent this week taking some time to sit down and understand what it is I wanted to build. At first, I did keep the idea of "making something that was possible in 8 weeks" and honestly...that was not working. So I pivoted to the idea of what I wanted this to look like if there were no limitations. That is how I came about the idea of a place. I started to research and write about places and what they mean. I have always wanted a design studio/agency of my own but I didn't want that to be *all* it was. I knew I wanted my studio to be apart of the community that built me. So, I built a few small toys (and still building them realistically), but I was able to create a plan that made sense. I decided to start building my agency while also creating the world that would live inside it. The strategy so far, is to start digital with the ultimate goal of becoming physical. I've posted my first substack on the topic, I created the socials for the brand, and started to update my website. I have not totally figured out what I am doing but it has been such a major evolution from where I started.
The Responsible Adult/a place: creating a new cultural and communal currency through design and stewardship.
Marketing was a fun one for me because I really enjoy building brand identities and assets. I have obviously learned that I am probably my own worst client haha. I really spent this week diving deep into what and how I wanted to communicate to my audience. So I built out the brand from the logos, to the colors, tone of voice, etc. Locked that down and posted it.
TRA/a place: Building a new cultural currency through design, places, and community.
My launch was wild late. I just did not feel ready at all. But I hated falling behind even more. So I just did it. I finally posted my on my instagram, I posted on my linkedin, and I posted on substack. It was frightening to say the least but I am happy I did it. Not only did I launch online I blasted my network.
TRA/ a place: creating a new cultural currency through design, anthropology, and community.
I really enjoyed this aspect because I got to get personal with my audience. I had them read my piece about places and then we had a conversation about why places were a foundational element to me and my work. It was really cool to see the spark that lit up inside them. We have such an epidemic of lack of third spaces and it is harder than ever to make connections. Seeing them imagine what this place could be, the work we could do, and how excited they were really made me feel more confident in my approach. I did not know we had to post about this but I am up to 11 followers on instagram!
TRA/ a place: building a new cultural currency through design, anthropology, and community.
It was really cool to start seeing the numbers tick up. Going from 0 to at least a few eyes on the work and my thinking. It feels like I am getting the infrastructure of production in a better spot and that makes me feel like I can keep going. On the other hand, it is also really stressful sometimes because its like...now that I have started I have to keep going in a sense. Like I don't want to see the red line indicating that I am not growing but in a sense I am also not a content creator. So now I am realizing that I have to find my balance. While creating content is cool, I am also realizing that these things do not exactly convert to sales and clients. Again didn't realize we had to to post haha.
TRA/a place: building a new cultural currency through design, anthropology, and community.
Welp, I made a video. It was rough but also kinda fun. I think I may continue trying to do so. This entire time, I have really flexed my muscle across so many different channels. I think that I have (semi) gotten over my perfectionism, at least to a point to push it out and move on and try to do it again better.