Introduction:

Creativity is a force that drives us to explore uncharted territories, break boundaries, and bring forth unique ideas. As designers, we constantly seek ways to expand our creative horizons and push ourselves beyond the limits of our imagination. In pursuit of this endeavor, I embarked on an exhilarating journey known as the 100 Days Design Challenge.

Over the course of 100 days, I immersed myself in this design challenge, where each day presented an opportunity to hone my skills, experiment with new techniques, and explore diverse design concepts. It was a commitment to consistency, discipline, and growth, with each passing day serving as a stepping stone towards personal and professional development.

In this article, I aim to share my experiences, insights, and learnings from undertaking the 100 Days Design Challenge. From the initial apprehension to the jubilant sense of accomplishment, this journey was a testament to the power of perseverance and the transformative impact of embracing creativity.

Join me as I recount the highs, lows, and invaluable lessons learned throughout this remarkable adventure. Whether you are a seasoned designer seeking inspiration or a budding creative soul looking to embark on your own design challenge, this article aims to provide guidance, motivation, and a glimpse into the incredible potential that lies within the realm of creative exploration.

So, let's dive in and explore the fascinating world of the 100 Days Design Challenge, where passion, dedication, and creativity converge to shape remarkable outcomes.

The Motivation

Toward the end of 2022, I told myself that I was going to start a design challenge but I wasn't sure about the duration I wanted. I started creating a list of the things I'll want to design in the course of the challenge.

In 2023 I designed a new years wish flyer and I told myself it was best to start the challenge at once. It's funny how I wanted to do 365 days, how? In my mind, I told myself don't worry it's going to be in 3 phases so you can do it. I later had to reconsider and settled for 100 days, maybe because that was the number trending at that time but one thing I failed to do was to check my schedule and how possible it would be for me to embark on the challenge and complete it, I just went on and started 100 Days Design Challenge.

The Challenge

Taking on this challenge, I had already made a list of random UIs to design but aside from my list I also had a list of design videos from youtube I was going to use.

The Source: In general, I got my inspiration from the list I created, the design challenge from Design Sense youtube channel and random inspiration on the internet.

At the end of the 100 days challenge, I created a total of 100 designs consisting of mobile and desktop UI designs, UI components, landing pages, and prototype interaction.

You can have access to the challenge from the links below:

Portfolio

Challenge Highlight

Lessons Learned

This challenge taught me a lot. Starting with not biting more than I can chew. Here are some of the lessons I learned:

Don't pressure yourself too much on a task you gave yourself, work at your own pace but aim at getting it done.
When doing something for the first time, start small.
If you put your mind on something and follow it gradually but by the grace of God you can complete it.
Don't do anything because others are doing it because in no time you'll lose interest.
Most importantly, get an accountability partner, one who understands you and is willing to be committed to checking in on you daily to know your progress and encourage you when you want to give up.

This challenge taught me a lot but the above are the ones I believe will be beneficial to you too.

The Hindrances

The fact that I gave myself a challenge that was impossible based on the fact that it was my first major design challenge, I'm proud of myself. I was meant to take it slow because of a lot of hindrances surrounding my productivity and commitment to the challenge. Electricity was one thing that was a big hindrance but it didn't stop me. Let's not even get started on some family event that you can't exclude yourself from, this was the one that left me frustrated and almost giving up on the challenge but I didn't, I remember why I started in the first place and my accountability partner did a good job of supporting and encouraging me.

Moving Foward

If I embark on another design challenge, I'm taking it slow this time, and won't pressure myself, I will go with a duration that regardless of anything i will faithfully meet up with it. In order to enjoy the process, ill add rewards for completing certain days and with this ill have something to look forward to for a challenge well done.

My Advice

The best advice I can give to anyone with the mindset of embarking on a challenge for several days that is most likely resulting in more productivity on your end is to know your strength, schedule and limit, and work with them. Don't embark on it because everyone is doing it but rather because you want to learn from it and improve yourself. Start small, you can start with a week(7 days), or a month (30 days) but do something you can be faithful with and if for any reason beyond your control you miss a day or two you can easily make up for it.

Finally, enjoy the process because no one will reward you but yourself.

Taking up a growth challenge in the course of your career in life is one way to improve yourself and at the same time check if you are improving in the part of your career or life your choose.

Thank you for reading. Do well to Follow, Like, and leave a comment if you enjoyed reading.

Embracing Creativity: A Journey through the 100 Days Design Challenge.