When I was younger, I went with my family to see a local production of the Sound of Music. Before the actors started to sing “How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria” they walked across the stage asking each other “Where’s Maria? Where’s Maria?” Being young I thought that they were talking about me, I stood up in my chair and yelled “Here I am! Here I am!” This song has been a part of my life since then.
Design is about understanding the issues and pain points of the project and researching to understand it and then implementing the research and insights into the solution. This is why I chose the phrase “Nobody Solves a Problem Like Maria” as my personal branding. It represents my belief that every project should use a human-centered approach and design-thinking strategies.
I understand if you haven't seen the Sound of Music, it was released back in 1965 so it's not super relevant. But there are many examples of the movie intertwining itself into our culture.
To give you a brief history, Sound of Music is based off of the memoir of Maria von Trapp, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers. Set in Austria in 1938, the musical tells the story of Maria, who takes a job as governess to a large family while she decides whether or not to become a nun. She becomes very close to the family and then eventually marries the widowed father, Captain von Trapp. He is ordered to accept a commission in the German navy, but he opposes the Nazis. He and Maria decide to flee Austria with the children.
Although this story doesn't relate to design, it has been a part of my life by getting serenaded by people when they learn my name. Altering that into Nobody Solves a Problem Like Maria for my personal branding perfectly represents how I view my work. It is easy to consider a designer as a person that just makes something look pretty but is much more than that.