A little more of, a little less of: five designers share their goals for work and life in 2024

New year resolutions have always been divisive. You either ace them, or want nothing to do with them. To temper their sense of finality (and hence, the resulting doom of failure if you don’t meet your own should-have-done-this-by-now expectations) we took a softer approach, and asked five designers we admire what they’d like to do a little more of and a little less of in 2024. All prepped for a fresh start, they got candid, and shared some soft goals, if you will, from finding more time to practice piano to reducing their workload to embrace the joys of parenthood.

Verònica Fuerte, Founder & Creative Directress at Hey Studio

A little less of 

When it comes to doing a little less of something in 2024, I’d like to dial down on endlessly scrolling on social media. Sometimes, it feels like we’re drowning in a sea of curated perfection, and I’d love to reclaim some of that time for more meaningful pursuits.

A little more of

Venturing into uncharted creative territory, like a Hey restaurant pop-up in 2024; it’s a splendid endeavour. The fusion of design, gastronomy, and storytelling.

Sun Xiaoxi and Wang Lang, Founders of PAY2PLAY

A little less of

Inertial/habitual thinking when designing. Try new things. Less complaints and struggling. Less fear and anxiety. Less simply chasing the trends.

A little more of

Branding projects!! Not only from a financial perspective, but we also wish to bring our exploration from culture to commercial works. We’re in this transition now.

Work with more international clients. In 2022/2023, we already started to work with clients worldwide, and this gives us broader experiences.

To get into more accidents and unexpected surprises when designing. We love mistakes!

Create more experimental and innovative work. We hate repeating ourselves. It’s always our goal to make better proposals and bring the best out of us.

Work with more talented people and collaborators, from interns, motion designers, freelancers to illustrators. More teamwork is the key to success.

More self-care in spare time! Health is important.

More relaxed. This is tooooo hard. Sometimes you don’t know how to start a project, sometimes you're unsatisfied with your design, sometimes the deadline is approaching. but good design always comes when you're relaxed enough.

More time to travel, to read, to practice piano and to take more photos.

Khyati Trehan, Designer

A little less of

I’d like to make my life less about work. A pretty large portion of my friends happen to also be designers which make this a hard task. I’ve had to be intentional about NOT talking about design while we’re hanging out. I give so much of my time and energy to work that I kind of lost track of how wrapped up my identity and what I do (and love to do) for a living have become. It would be nice to parse those two out by making time to forget I’m in the business of image-making once in a while.

A little more of

I’d like to move a little more – walk when I can take the train, go to dance classes even if the weather’s shitty, get up from my desk to drink water more often, go down to the grocery store instead of ordering online. The sedentary nature of being a designer is finally catching up to me. I’m hoping slipping in micro-movements will add up.

In the context of work, I’d like to give myself permission to take my time in 2024. I tend to be restless and live and work with a sense of urgency, making to-do lists and racing to tick boxes off. It sure has helped move my career forward, but at the cost of the opportunity to make work that can only be made with patience and time.

Tawfik Dawi, Founder of Hey Porter!

A little less of

In the coming year, with the anticipation of welcoming our first baby, my wife and I have been contemplating some adjustments to our lifestyle, and one aspect I find particularly appealing is the prospect of reducing my workload. As someone who tends to immerse myself in work, I believe that a slight reduction in the number of hours and deadlines I commit to would greatly contribute to a more balanced and less stressful life. Given my proclivity for being a workaholic, I envision this change as not only beneficial for my own well-being but also as a means of ensuring that I can fully embrace and cherish the joys and responsibilities that come with impending parenthood.

A little more of

I want to have more family/quality times, remove some video games and movies from my to play/watch list, and create a more fulfilling lifestyle.

Bruno Borges, Brand Design Director at Spotify

A little less of

I have not been using Twitter for over a decade, and in 2023, I deleted my personal Instagram account, keeping only a portfolio profile. While social media can be a useful tool, I found that staying off the grip of algorithms does wonders for your mental clarity. It’s a luxury to have the time and energy to focus on more tangible things.

A little more of

Last year, we all felt the breath of artificial intelligence on the back of our necks, and we’re still unsure if it’s an ally or an opp. Both, maybe? I’ll try to watch it closely, if possible, and see what good it can do to my practice without making it do the work for me. I may eat more greens in the meantime :)