Designed by a Virgo

I’m a Virgo. And, whether you believe in star signs or not, I have to admit that quite a few of the typical Virgo traits feel rather familiar.

Attention to detail? Absolutely. A tendency to analyse everything? Definitely. Organised, practical and conscientious? I’d like to think so. And then there’s the famous Virgo pursuit of perfection; perhaps not always the easiest trait to live with, but a fairly useful one when you’ve chosen a career in design.

I’ve always cared about the details. The spacing that’s almost right. The colour that needs the tiniest adjustment. The alignment nobody else may consciously notice, but I know makes a difference. I find it difficult to settle for something being simply ‘good enough’ when I know it could be better.

But seeking perfection in design isn’t really about making everything perfect. It’s about caring enough to keep looking, questioning and refining until something feels right.

That same attention extends beyond the visual side of a project. I genuinely want the design I create to work for the business behind it.

Sometimes that means recommending a different approach from the one initially discussed. Occasionally it means questioning whether something is really necessary at all. I’m not interested in encouraging a client to spend money simply because it creates another piece of design for me to work on. If I make a recommendation, it comes from the best possible place, with the goals of the business, its audience and its budget in mind.

Perhaps that’s another Virgo trait coming through: practicality.

After more than twenty years as a designer, I’ve learnt that being honest with clients is an important part of building good relationships. That doesn’t mean being blunt or dismissive. Kindness and honesty can (and should) sit comfortably together.

If I think something could be stronger, I’ll say so. If there’s a better way to approach something, I’ll suggest it. And if I think an idea is brilliant, I’ll be equally enthusiastic about getting behind it.

Many of the clients I work with stay with me for years, and I think trust has a lot to do with that. Getting to know a business properly means understanding what it needs rather than simply delivering what has been asked for.

So perhaps being a Virgo and being a designer aren't such unlikely companions after all. Detail obsessed, endlessly refining, quietly seeking perfection and always wanting to do the best possible job for the people who put their trust in me.

And yes, I will probably notice if something is 1mm out.