文章探讨了设计师如何建立个人设计风格，核心观点是风格并非天生，而是在实践中逐渐形成的。文章指出，设计师初期会模仿他人，通过学习、借鉴，逐渐融入个人思考与选择，最终形成独特的视觉语言。风格是设计师解决问题、思考方式和情感表达的综合体现，而非单纯的视觉呈现。文章鼓励设计师关注自身喜好与经历，通过混合、实验，将趋势转化为创作工具，最终形成服务于作品的设计风格。

🎨 风格是积累而非发现：文章的核心观点认为，设计师的风格并非与生俱来，而是在不断实践、学习和选择的过程中逐渐形成的。它不是一个需要“找到”的内在本质，而是通过日常的设计决策、受到的影响以及解决问题的过程逐渐积累起来的。

💡 风格源于多重因素：设计师的风格受到多种因素的影响，包括个人喜好、文化背景、思维方式等。文章鼓励设计师关注那些让自己产生共鸣的设计作品，并从中汲取灵感。拥抱个人特质和兴趣，并将它们融入到设计中，是形成独特风格的关键。

🔄 混搭与实验的重要性：文章强调了“混搭”的重要性，鼓励设计师将不同的元素和风格进行混合，创造出独具特色的作品。同时，设计师应该积极尝试各种设计趋势，将其作为创作工具，而不是被其定义。通过不断实验，设计师可以找到最适合自己的风格。

🧠 风格关乎思考与解决问题：文章认为，真正成熟的设计风格不仅仅体现在视觉呈现上，更体现在设计师解决问题的方式、思考的深度和情感的表达上。优秀的设计师不仅擅长视觉表达，更擅长思考、倾听和解决问题，他们的设计流程也构成了其独特的设计语言。

Stop Obsessing Over Finding Your Design Style — Here’s a Better Way to Think About It

Let’s be honest: the question “What’s my style?” has probably haunted every designer at some point.

Whether you’re a newbie just getting into Figma, or a creative director with years in the game, the idea of having a “recognizable style” looms large. We imagine it as a secret identity we’re supposed to uncover. Something mystical. Something that defines us.

But what if we’ve been thinking about it all wrong?

What if your style isn’t buried inside you, waiting to be found — but something that grows through doing the work, over time?

This post is a mix of personal reflection, lessons from seasoned designers, and some practical thoughts on how to actually evolve your own design voice — without the existential crisis.

Style Isn’t a Treasure to Find — It’s a Trail You Leave Behind

Here’s the truth no one tells you: your style isn’t some inner essence you need to dig up. It’s the byproduct of your choices, your influences, and the problems you solve every day.

In the beginning, we all copy. That’s not just okay — it’s essential. You start out mimicking people whose work makes your jaw drop. You try on their tricks, steal their color palettes, echo their compositions. It feels a little fake at first.

But as you keep going, things shift. You mix influences. You start making small decisions your own way. One day, someone looks at your work and says, “This looks like something you’d make.” That’s the moment style begins to take root.

The punchline? You don’t “find” your style. You accumulate it.

So… What Is Style, Really?

At its core, style is the consistent set of choices you make — your visual vocabulary. Think colors, fonts, spacing, layout tendencies, tone, rhythm. But it’s also deeper than that.

It’s how you solve problems. How you think. The emotional charge behind your work.

One designer might be known for clean, precise interfaces. Another thrives in messy, expressive, chaotic visuals. Both have style. Neither is “more right.”

Your style isn’t about aesthetics alone — it’s about perspective.

Where Style Actually Comes From (Spoiler: It’s Not Magic)

Let’s break it down.

1. You’re a product of your influences.
Like it or not, everything you’ve ever loved leaves a mark. That vintage poster you saw in a Tokyo subway. The bold color gradients in your favorite mobile app. That janky Tumblr layout you were obsessed with as a teen.

Start paying attention to what pulls at you. When you see a piece that makes you go, “Ugh, I wish I made that,” don’t scroll past. Ask why. That envy is a breadcrumb.

2. You carry your own story.
Your interests, your culture, the way your brain works — it all feeds into your work. Maybe you love organizing things into grids because you find calm in structure. Or maybe you love design that feels loud and messy because life feels too quiet.

When you embrace your own quirks and obsessions, they start showing up in your design. That’s when things start getting interesting.

Forget “Being Original” — Start Remixing

Originality is overrated. What’s more useful? Remix energy.

Instead of chasing some mythical, never-before-seen aesthetic, try mashing up things you love. A little Bauhaus structure + early 2000s web nostalgia + your favorite jazz album. Boom — you’re cooking with gas.

Design history is full of blueprints to learn from. Use them. Copy deliberately. Then twist what you copied until it feels like yours.

Austin Kleon said it best: “Steal like an artist.” But don’t stop there. Steal, then remix, then refine.

Yes, You Should Experiment With Trends — Just Don’t Live There

Trends aren’t evil. They’re like trying on different outfits — you figure out what fits.

Want to play with brutalism, skeuomorphism, Y2K, dark mode, soft gradients? Do it. Just don’t let it define you. Trends are tools, not blueprints for identity.

Try different design personas like exercises. Each time you do, ask: “Did this feel like me?” The answers will surprise you.

Real Style Is How You Think, Not Just How Things Look

The deeper you go in your career, the more you’ll realize: your style shows up in how you solve problems, not just what you make.

Maybe you’re the type who prioritizes clarity and structure. Or maybe you’re the one who tells stories through motion and metaphor. These tendencies become your signature — even before you pick a color.

Great designers aren’t just good at visuals. They’re good at thinking. At listening. At solving. Your process becomes your voice.

Final Thought: Style Should Serve the Work, Not Distract From It

It’s tempting to focus on making things that look cool. But style that gets in the way of clarity isn’t really working. Good design communicates. Great design connects.

Your style should support your message, not overshadow it. When done right, your design feels uniquely yours — but still invites others in.

TL;DR

You don’t “find” your style — you build it.Copy your heroes. Then remix them.Follow envy — it’s a map to what you care about.Style is how you solve problems, not just how you decorate.Don’t chase trends — study them.Stay curious. Stay honest. Keep making stuff.

That’s how you get there.

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Stop Obsessing Over Finding Your Design Style — Here’s a Better Way to Think About It was originally published in UX Planet on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.