The Journal

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The best piece of design I saw today

...was this detail from the Africa exhibit at the Chicago Field Museum. To clarify what's going on here, I'll zoom out a bit. The power of this design isn't in the actual typography or layout or even art... its the …
18 April 2024
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Website as home, maybe

Bit by bit, the website is coming together. I subscribe heavily to the mantra I found on designer Nico Chilla's website, "My website as a home." This idea came from a beautiful 90's/early 2000's style website by one John Whitehouse. …
17 April 2024
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Taking opportunities to be alone

Not wanting to brave the sudden rainstorm that appeared today, I spent the day inside, chipping away at my new portfolio home page (sneak peek) and enjoying the solitude. Normally, I would be at the library the whole morning. While …
12 April 2024
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What I learned from a semi-failed digital declutter flowchart

For the rest of April, I will be continuing my digital declutter process, lifted right from the pages of Cal Newport's Digital Minimalism. Among other things, this means for me freedom from any sort of social media (other than maybe …
11 April 2024
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Custom icons aren’t my thing. Here’s me trying anyways.

A wonderful organization I've had the privilege of working for in my short time freelancing is Reach Hurting Kids Institute, a team who provides trauma-informed children's ministry resources. As a previous youth leader and coordinator myself, I've found their work …
5 April 2024
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Scheduling breaks from focus, not from distraction

I just finished Cal Newport's Deep Work today—my third Cal Newport book this year! (Preemptive apologies to my girlfriend for how much I talk and will be talking about his books). The first idea from the book I wanted to …
4 April 2024
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Six designers I’m really into right now

As I wrap up a business card project and start working on a client’s album cover and another brochure, I’ve been scouring these six designers’ portfolios for inspiration. Although it has its own time-sucking risks, I love jumping from link …
4 April 2024
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I needed a manifesto

Someone in Honors 300 called Karl Marx's pamphlet the "Mommunist Manifesto," and that was funny enough to end up in my journal that night. For about a year now, I’ve been wanting to get some momentum behind a public-facing journal …
18 March 2024

> Join the Journal: Coming Soon

Currently collecting emails for a weekly newsletter summarizing my findings from the Journal. Contents include inspiration for design, tools for digital minimalism, and the journey of a fresh design graduate.

© 2024 Caedon Spilman — Design & Creative Direction
hello@caedonspilman.com

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