Creating With Intent
There was a time when I drifted… through work, through routines, through days. I didn’t realise it at first, but the slow erosion of clarity and energy eventually led me to a place I hadn’t expected: depression. What emerged from that difficult season wasn’t a new tactic or productivity hack, it was a set of values that now shape the way I live and work. They became the foundation of my creative practice and the heartbeat of Mission52.
When you know what matters, you move differently. That’s what working with intent means to me.
Beyond the Brief: What Intent Really Means
“Intent” might sound like a vague concept, but in practice, it’s anything but. It’s the difference between drifting through a project and waking up excited to work on it. It’s not about hours billed or tasks ticked off. It’s about building genuine relationships, uncovering purpose, and using design to communicate that purpose clearly and creatively.
For me, working with intent requires three key ingredients:
Connection with the client.
I do my best work when I like the people I work with. When there’s mutual respect, passion, and an understanding of what good branding and design can do. I’m a people person, and I gravitate toward clients who are smart, nice, and driven by something more than vanity metrics.
Clarity of purpose.
Every project needs a “why”. Not a sales objective or a top-down directive, but a real understanding of who this will help and how. If a client isn’t sure, I help them uncover it through questions and collaboration. That discovery phase is a shared journey, not a download.
Creative communication.
Once we’re aligned on purpose, I bring it to life with design and language that speak clearly, consistently, and with creativity. This is the fun part, but only when the foundations are strong.
When Intent Shapes the Work
Intent changes everything. Not just the output, but the process. I no longer rush to design straight away. I hold back the instinct to create, and instead focus on refining the brief. When creativity gets messy (as it often does), the clarity we’ve built gives us something to return to… a compass that re-centres the work.
This way of working also changes who I work with. I’ve walked away from projects where the alignment wasn’t there. Maybe the industry felt off, or the commissioner didn’t value people the way I do. I trust my gut more now. When it’s not a ‘hell yeah’, it’s a no.
On the flip side, when I find alignment with a client who also works with intent, something special happens. We challenge each other without ego. We make better decisions. We’re not afraid of being wrong, because we’re focused on getting it right. Not for the sake of polish, but because we care about the outcome.
Living It, Not Just Saying It
Mission52 has helped me bring this mindset into my everyday life. Through journaling, I check in with myself each morning, a quiet act of attention that keeps me aligned with what matters: relationships, nature, meaningful work, and showing up fully. I used to drift. Now I move through life with energy and purpose. It’s not about being perfect. It’s about being present and working from a place of awareness.
A Final Word on “Fluffy” Words
If you think “intent” is fluffy, I invite you to look more closely. It was only when I started paying attention to what I truly value that everything changed. This isn’t abstraction. It’s design with direction. It’s how I help people make meaningful work resonate.
In a world saturated with noise and surface-level design, we need more truth. More clarity. More people who give a sh*t about what they’re building, and who it’s really for.
That’s who I want to work with.
That’s why I work this way.