Object Matter

Let's take time to make some introductions.

Starting with this year, I'm working under a new moniker, Object & Subject, for my personal workspace. It's a home for my portfolio, a few little side projects, collaborations, and a bit of bad writing. For about 3 years now I've managed a handful of freelance gigs on the side, under my own name (J. C. Jr. Design). I've worked with some great people, on a garden variety of projects and ideas, and hope to continue to do so.

The Site

The purpose behind this website, is that I wanted a new challenge. I had also grown unhappy with the limitation that pre-made template services offered. CSS injection is dull, and I wanted to start at a more grassroots level. All of this was unexplored territory. I knew that I would need to learn some basic front-end development, take a deeper plunge into HTML/CSS, and do some research on RWD and grids. Having come out the other side, I do so with a great deal of reflection, and humility. One of the greatest take-aways, is the realization that when I design for the web, I stand on the back of giants. I read a lot from folks like Trent Walton, Jessica Hische, Noah Stokes, Jonnie Hallman, Skylar Challand, and Oak Studios^1 (who created Siteleaf^2). Each of these people have helped shape how I see, and design for the web.

The Name

This studio is a dedication to my personal obsession with the words object and subject. For me, these are two of the most ripe words that I've ever come across. I know, I know, that's a big claim. But, each word carries with it, many differing synonyms/meanings. One can hold an object; object to an idea; seek objectivity; and have an objective (a physical thing; an opposition; a definition; a goal). One can also explore a subject; be subjected to something; embrace subjectivity; and be subject to certain ideas (a topic; a constraint, an instinct, and a proclivity). I hope you can see how nuts these words are.

Put together, they represent the paradox between a person's capacity to be both a thinking, and feeling being. I obsess over these connections, because of it's meaning, for how to live my vocation; design is both a science and an art. It's my true north. I want to design systems, but I also want to make aesthetic artifacts.

This is all to say, that I want to step fully into my vocation. In the coming years, I want to get to know the people that I find inspiring; hopefully even some of the folks I listed above. Most of all, I want to live a meaningful and balanced life. I'll end with a quote, thanks for reading.

"I want to make beautiful things, even if nobody cares." — Saul Bass