Before sketching any ideas, I started to write down my story. I had to find an answer to the crucial questions: "What do I stand for?", "What is important to me in design?", "How can I contribute to teams creating amazing products?".

After over 12 years of creating digital (and sometimes physical!) products, I stood on the verge of the chasm of meaning, wondering how can I create a sign that sums up my whole career as well as my plans for the future.

I started with the highest possible level–the level of values. I consider myself a principled man with solid self-awareness, and yet I struggled with naming my values. I had to take a deep dive into the stories of my past and ambitions for the future. After this exercise, I identified: loyalty, mastery (neverending strive to become better), and self-discipline as my three fundamental values.

Subsequently, I started to think about all the critical moments in my career. What pushed me forward? What empowered me to become better? I consider myself a capable designer (always on the path to becoming better!). However, my career wasn't built entirely on the foundation of my craft. Not at all. I was quickly promoted to leadership, and by being a leader, I made more impact than as a designer. I was able to talk to people when others were silent, form teams from individuals, help people grow, and create a healthy tension that led everyone to great results. I'm a designer, but I exist for the people.

I had to design a sign that represents my simple values and my devotion to people and teams. What an exciting challenge!