Why passion projects are dead to me

I’ve been wanting to get this off my chest for a while now, so hear me out.

I used to love diving into passion projects, experimenting with wild ideas and creating concepts for completely made-up brands, and it felt completely free of pressure. But here’s the thing: I’ve realised I’d much rather practice my pitching skills, and sink my teeth into a real branding proposal for a small, local business.

When I work with an existing business that already has a target audience and a public demographic I can relate to, I can focus on strategy—a super important part of any branding project, that’s overlooked with passion projects. I can get a true understanding who the brand is speaking to, what the real needs are, and how to position them in a way that resonates with their market. Making the proposal a whole new level of exciting!

Plus, here’s the bonus: I can use these proposals as pitching experiences. Not just for myself but for potential clients. It’s like a practice run for when the big opportunities come calling. I can get feedback, tweak my strategy, and bring a business idea to life that’s truly impactful.

And let’s face it, this is so much more exciting than endless design mockups that go nowhere. I’d rather be creating something real, with a measurable outcome, that I can use to elevate my own work, and can potentially sell to an actual business owner.

So, yeah, passion projects are officially dead to me. Give me real businesses, real brands, and real growth. That’s where the magic happens.

If you know a local small business that could use a fresh branding proposal and some strategic thinking, why not hit them up instead of heading to that fake brief?

Peace out design weirdos,

Vic x