Building Something New
Several weeks of preparation, of conceptualization and layout work, have led up to the launch of my personal website. This is a home for my work in architectural design, graphic design, as well as art and it's all viewable under open invitation to see: my friends, family, prospective clients, collaborators, and the like - anyone with an interest for what I do, and what I have to offer.
www.carlollanto.com
This is a place I want to build up, not just as a portfolio, but as a place where I can share my thoughts and ideas, as they relate to my work and the industry. A platform like that is a powerful thing in this connected era: a personal brand with a voice - I don't think people give that enough thought. I've always been interested in marketing, & branding, and I'm lucky enough to know a thing or two about a lot of design software. It was important that I get to show who I am, and share my ideas. I think I'm taking inspiration from people who I've met that know how to speak their mind and advocacy: people from the academe, my professors, and the media - people who could rally people with their words for architectural heritage conservation, sustainable cities, and good design.
In the end, I decided that yes: I will be doing things a bit differently and follow through with building up my voice as a confident professional and a passionate creative. I'll take what I already know, and know I can develop and here's the key word: integrate it into what I do.
Feel free to scan that QR code to see if it works (takes you to my LinkedIn)
I enjoyed the challenge of familiarizing myself with the Wix visual design interface (it turned out to be the right one for my needs, since I do a lot of graphic design and layouting); domain registry; and site SEO. I have a newfound appreciation for web developers now, and taking on this project meant learning new things that I could use in the future to get myself out there. Plus I was able to learn about a whole new field of design - it's not my main discipline by any means, but I think it's a great perk to be able to relate to people who are creative in a whole different way. I've written a draft of this blog post on Evernote (check it out, it's a good platform for your notes) before getting into the rhythm of making content for my site in a regular productive day.
I think I'm in it for the long run, and investing time, money, and effort in this site, my personal brand, is only the beginning of this new, exciting chapter of my career. I've quite a way until I become an independent licensed professional, but the present is always a good time to start. There are bound to be a lot of ups and downs along the way, but at the very least, I hope that you, reader, can join me, and learn with me as I do so.
To my peers, and those entering the work force, I hope this helps you realize your potential in today's interconnected world where creativity and the ability to integrate it is an asset. To those older than me, possibly my bosses (hi po), who come across this, I hope you see, and understand the value in what I do, and maybe even a bit of yourself in what I'm doing. And to the average web reader out there who still stuck with reading this post (wow, thank you): I hope I somehow convinced you to consider making a similar move to empower your personal brand and creativity.
Well, that's the inaugural blog post! Keep posted for the next.
