Vijay Verma

V2 #2 - Social Media Effect 📱⚡️

V2 #2 • JUN 18, 2024 Social Media Effect As a freelance or independent designer, social media platforms are essential for promoting one's work, engaging with clients, and establishing a personal brand. Social media design involves creating visually appealing content to increase user engagement and brand awareness.The benefits of social media design include generating leads for projects, networking with other professionals, and building a community. However, it also has drawbacks, such as the...

10 months ago • 2 min read

#33 - Modern Life is a Beautiful Cage 💡

ISSUE #33 • APR 18, 2025 Modern Life is a Beautiful Cage We’re all familiar with the cycle: work long hours, rush through meals, sleep less, and wait for weekends or retirement to truly live. I used to follow this rhythm too, but eventually, I started questioning if this is how life should be. It felt like survival, not living. In my latest post, I share how I began noticing this trap and how stepping away from it allowed me to build a life I’m truly proud of. Today, I work from my own indie...

8 days ago • 1 min read

#32 - Knowing How to Draw a Rectangle Is Easy—Knowing When Is the Challenge 💡

ISSUE #32 • FEB 28, 2025 Knowing How to Draw a Rectangle Is Easy—Knowing When Is the Challenge A few years ago, I thought mastery was all about learning skills—practicing techniques, following tutorials, and perfecting execution. But when I faced a challenge where my usual methods didn’t work, I realized knowing how to do something wasn’t enough. True expertise comes from understanding when and why to use a skill. This applies to every field. A designer who knows software tools but lacks...

about 2 months ago • 1 min read

#31 - My X/Twitter Account Was Hacked – Here’s What I Learned 🤔

ISSUE #31 • Feb 14, 2025 My X/Twitter Account Was Hacked – Here’s What I Learned I wanted to share something important that happened last week. My social media account was hacked, and it was a wake-up call for me to tighten up my online security. I’m sharing this not to alarm anyone, but to help you stay vigilant and avoid falling into the same trap. It all started when I noticed a strange post on my profile—something about “coin” that I never wrote. My bio had changed, and a few of my posts...

2 months ago • 2 min read

#30 - How Thoughtful Motion Design Transforms Digital Interactions ✨

ISSUE #30 • FEB 7, 2024 How Thoughtful Motion Design Transforms Digital Interactions As designers, we don’t just explore apps because we need them—we do it because we’re fascinated by how they look, feel, and move. I remember our team once getting completely caught up in a discussion about an app called "How We Feel". Someone said, “The way it uses animations to guide you through logging your emotions—it’s so intuitive and calming!” And they were right. Apps like this don’t just stand out...

3 months ago • 2 min read

#29 - Balancing AI with Human Creativity 🎨

ISSUE #29 • JAN 31, 2025 Balancing AI with Human Creativity AI is everywhere—streamlining tasks, generating ideas, and even creating art. But is this what we truly needed? While AI’s growth in design, development, and art brings efficiency, it raises questions about human creativity. Are we trading depth and emotion for speed? Tools like GPT-4 and MidJourney excel at repetitive tasks but often miss the unique touch humans bring, like a culturally meaningful logo or code written with deeper...

3 months ago • 2 min read

#28 - AI Takes Center Stage at CES 2025 ✨

ISSUE #28 • Jan 17, 2024 AI Takes Center Stage at CES 2025 Last week was CES 2025, and it was packed with exciting tech and futuristic ideas! The event brought together cutting-edge gadgets and innovations, drawing a record-breaking 141,000 attendees—over 5% more than in 2024. AI was the star of the show, evolving into a game-changing technology. Nvidia stole the spotlight with its Cosmos AI model, which won the Best of CES award for its ability to help robots and cars understand the physical...

3 months ago • 2 min read

#27 - New Year, New Horizons

ISSUE #27 • Jan 9, 2025 New Year, New Horizons Welcome to the first designletter edition of 2025! This marks nearly a decade of sharing my journey on the internet and almost four years of writing this weekly newsletter. I’m thrilled to have you here. If you’re new, welcome! For those who've been around for a while, thank you for sticking with me. Let me start with my little introduction - I'm Vijay Verma (or realvjy on the internet). I'm from a small town in North India, and I'm basically a...

4 months ago • 2 min read

#26 - Dream It, Build It, Share It 🚀

ISSUE #26 • DEC 27, 2024 Dream It, Build It, Share It Nearly 3.5 years ago, I left the 9-5 grind to start my indie studio, Overlayz Studio. It’s been the best decision I’ve ever made—filled with learning, experimentation, and growth. As the year ends, I reflect on the journey: From Times Square billboards to being featured in the Config 2024 Keynote and the Yo! Podcast, this year has brought significant recognition. I’ve collaborated with global industry leaders, pushing creative boundaries...

4 months ago • 1 min read

#25 - How Emojis 😂❤️🎉 Became the Universal Language of Emotion

ISSUE #25 • 28 Nov, 2024 How Emojis 😂❤️🎉 Became the Universal Language of Emotion You’ve used them in texts, tweets, and Instagram comments – those little emojis that say so much without a single word. Whether it’s rolling on the floor laughing 🤣, sending love ❤️, or celebrating 🎉, emojis have become the digital equivalent of body language. Ever wonder how these tiny icons took over our conversations? It all started in 1999 when phones were basic, and texts felt flat and boring. In Japan,...

5 months ago • 2 min read

#24 - Reimagined: Escaping the Corporate Design Trap 🚀

ISSUE #24 • Nov 21, 2024 Reimagined: Escaping the Corporate Design Trap Elena, a corporate designer for five years, felt her creativity suffocated by rigid schedules and committee-driven projects. Her breaking point came during a rebranding project, where her vision was reduced to a bland logo. In a moment of frustration, she reached out to Maya, a freelance designer, who simply said, "Then don't." Inspired by those words, Elena took a two-month break to travel and reconnect with her...

5 months ago • 2 min read