I’ve been going to a local pottery studio lately with the ultimate goal of replacing all of my store-bought dishes. (Lofty, I know.) Without further ado, here are:

Two ways throwing a pot is like good graphic design—and one way it is not.

Stay Centered

Centering is the hardest part of wheel throwing and it’s all about focus. A lot of people find throwing pots meditative because you have to give the wheel 100% of your attention. This is true for graphic design projects as well. I like to use an app called Llama Life to help me stay on task and give all my focus to your project.

Plan It Out

There are many steps in pottery. You start with wet clay which, after shaped, needs to dry out some—but not too much!—until it is leather hard. Then you can trim it and add things like handles and decoration. Then there is the initial firing, then glazing, then another firing in the kiln. And that’s if you’re keeping things simple! Graphic design projects are no different. I know the steps we need to take (and the order to take them) to most efficiently get your project done. That’s why I always include a timeline when starting a new project. It keeps both of us on track and lets you know what to expect and when.

You Never Know What You’re Gonna Get

In pottery you need to have a go with the flow attitude. Things crack and break. Glazes look completely different from what you expected—or from what happened last time! This is part of the joy of pottery. Wabi sabi, right? Sometimes surprises can be wonderful! But not in graphic design. As a designer, I am all about precision and perfection. There will be no unwanted surprises and you’ll get what you expect (if not more!).

There you have it! I’ll keep you updated as I continue with this pottery journey. As you can see, I’ve made a lot of bowls and small plates so far. Things get a lot harder when you get bigger—luckily that’s not the case with graphic design!