It Starts Here

I’ve been thinking about starting this blog for about a year now. At first, I kept hesitating because I asked myself one simple question: Why? Why am I doing this, and what’s the purpose?

My initial idea was to write about the “technical side” of being a designer, sharing tips, tricks, and insights for businesses. I also thought the blog could bring me new clients, and in my capitalistic mind, more clients meant more money. That loop of thinking quickly spiraled into questions about growth, monetization, and how to stand out in a sea of similar sites.

And then it hit me.

Nobody needs to read this.

I don’t need new clients (I do, but you get the idea) and I definitely can’t predict the future.

In the end, this blog, or rather these notes, are about what I enjoy and love. They are about my work, the work of others, and the connections I see between design, art, and life. The only way I know how to write is by keeping it personal, so that is what this will be.

It is also about having a space of my own, one that is not shaped by algorithms, timelines, or corporate platforms. Here, I decide what stays, what matters, and how it is shared. No ads, no chasing clicks, no fighting with invisible rules. Just a place I control, built on my terms.

About Myself

I was born and raised in Bosnia, and after finishing high school I moved to Austria. Like many others, I chose what felt like the “safe path.” I enrolled in computer science at university. I stayed for four or five years, but eventually dropped out.

Looking back, I was caught in a familiar immigrant story. Study hard, graduate, get a well-paid job, and prove to everyone back home that you have “made it.” On paper, it looked perfect. In reality, I felt the opposite. Unmotivated, unhappy, and stuck in a cycle that was not mine.

If I trace things further back, my real interests were obvious all along. As a kid, I would spend hours building Lego worlds, filming stop-motion clips on my mom’s Sony Ericsson W300i (If I remember correctly), or getting lost in Spyro on the PS1 while spooning Nesquik straight from the bowl. Mine was probably one of the last generations to grow up mostly outside, riding bikes, playing football, before the internet pulled us in. Soon it was Counter-Strike marathons at internet cafés and downloading Need for Speed: Most Wanted off Pirate Bay.

But whatever the medium, games, comics, or music, I was always fascinated by the process. I wanted to know who made things, how they were made, and whether I could try myself. I would copy characters from magazines, sketch my own maps, or open Fruity Loops after hearing a song I liked, just to see if I could recreate the feeling. Most of the time I failed miserably, but it never mattered. The joy was always in the making.

That curiosity eventually pushed me toward programming. The idea of creating anything from scratch was intoxicating. But in university, the spark faded. I realized I could only commit if I genuinely loved what I was doing, and with most courses, I did not.

There was, however, one exception: Human-Computer Interaction. It was the first time I studied because I wanted to, not just to pass. That class opened my eyes to design, the craft of shaping digital products so they are not just functional, but meaningful, engaging, and even fun. And that is where my real story begins.

In hindsight, everything I did, from Lego worlds to Fruity Loops experiments, was just practice for what I am doing now. It was not about the medium, it was about the urge to create, to turn ideas into something you could see, hear, or play.

Design, for me, became the place where it all came together. It has the problem-solving side of programming, the imagination of games and comics, and the personal touch of music or art. It is the one field where I do not have to choose between being “practical” or “creative.” I can be both.

That realization pulled me out of darker places and set me on a path I actually care about. And that is the reason I am writing here, not just to document my work, but to connect it back to the things that made me curious in the first place.

What This Means for You

Honestly, not much at the start. My only wish is that, as a reader, you might find something here that sparks an idea, something that helps you reflect on what you like, your own visions, and your goals in life.

Maybe through these stories, you will find a perspective worth adding to your own little collection of thoughts and inspirations. I am writing this for myself first. But if you find something useful, or not, then that is already more than enough.

Conclusion

Looking back, it feels like everything connects in one way or another. Growing up in Bosnia, moving abroad, dropping out, and discovering design, each step shaped me and brought me closer to the work I actually want to do.

I do not see this as a finished story, but more like a starting point.

From 0 to 1.

A place where I can take all these experiences, thoughts, and inspirations and turn them into something real.

If there is one thing I have learned, it is that the process matters just as much as the outcome. Ideas are fragile in the beginning, but they grow if you give them space. And for me, being part of that growth, whether through design, writing, or building, is where I find meaning.

So this is me setting things in motion. Wherever this path leads, my only goal is simple: keep creating, keep experimenting, and keep making.

Thank you for reading.

Yours truly,

Emir