Have you ever skated a ramp at a skate park? At first, you go in, push your skateboard up the ramp, and at the right moment, you revert it back downwards. This is a simplified version of how to skate a ramp. But how do you truly master this? What unfolds during the process? How does this relate to design?

It’s a unique experience where precision and timing become paramount. You begin by guiding your skateboard toward the ramp, gently propelling yourself with your foot. The push must be measured—not too strong and not overpowering—just enough to glide towards the ramp. As you ascend, the speed must be carefully balanced; if you move too slowly, you risk losing momentum that’s critical for surfacing the ramp. Too quickly, and the experience becomes overwhelming—you’ll miss the pleasure of the ride, making it difficult to react as you need to, particularly when it comes to skating back down.

The secret lies in that moment of ascension when you’ve found the perfect speed and angle. Your foot placement must be precise, as you prepare to transition back down. Then, in that instant, you hover—suspended briefly in space—and it’s here that the magic occurs. You’re neither moving up nor down; you’re flying. The next step involves pivoting, pressing your front foot down, and descending the ramp smoothly.

Now, you might wonder how this relates to design. The connection lies in problem-solving. Seasoned creatives understand that the process holds more significance than the end result. If you visit a skatepark and simply replicate the outcome, you confine yourself to past experiences, never truly grasping the thrill of the ride. Embracing the process—despite its unpredictability—can lead you to exhilarating places you didn’t anticipate.

In design, moments may not always follow a linear path, but they culminate in instances where everything aligns perfectly—the solution mingles harmoniously with the creative brief. Rather than merely appreciating a design’s aesthetic appeal with a simple “That looks great!” you come to a deeper realization: “Ah, of course, it had to look like this!” This is the essence of both skateboarding and design—where mastery is measured not only by the destination but by the exhilarating journey that gets you there.

For instance: The "First Things First" manifesto and skateboarding both emphasize the importance of prioritizing creativity, individuality, and a genuine connection to one's craft. At its core, the manifesto advocates for designers and artists to focus on meaningful work that enhances human experience rather than succumbing to commercial pressures. Similarly, skateboarding embodies a culture of self-expression and authenticity, where skaters prioritize passion and personal style over mainstream validation. The parallels lie in the commitment to both communities to challenge conventional norms, celebrate personal journeys, and create spaces where creativity can thrive without the constraints of commercialization. This synergy fosters not only artistic innovation but also a sense of belonging and purpose in an ever-evolving cultural landscape.

The reason why design and art has lost touch with its audience, specially in video-games and hollywood, is because we design things for mainstream, and not for the niche, skate thrives in authenticity, design in the opposite realm, but both work the same way, and the most authentic and genuine gets rewarded more often and in bigger piles of money.

“Black Myth: Wukong” has sold 18 million copies in two weeks while “Helldivers 2” Is PlayStation's Fastest-Selling Game of All Time With Over 12 Million Sold in 12 Weeks. These headlines make it even more shocking because we’re at a phase in this entertainment industry where it has become a literal house on fire, layoff wave after layoff wave, post-covid crisis and market shrinking, wars rising inflation and studio costs world-wide, and yet, people find a way to make it work, by not reinventing the wheel, not catering to the lowest common denominator and not giving up on themselves to chase market’s validation.

The market also has a way to reinforce success, which means, “good” work, resist it. The good is the enemy of the great, the good is a known quantity, it is what we all already agree on, as long as you stick to good, you’ll never have real growth.

The industry needs to grow.

Stay inspired and keep pushing the boundaries of creativity.
– Miguel Nogueira, Concept Artist working in the Video-Games and Entertainment industry.
— More of my blog posts can be found at the rest of my blog, and my courses on my marketplace.