This week’s BitBlogger is Jessica Comingore who writes the elegant and restrained Destined to Design. Jessica’s one talented monkey with her hands in interior design, graphic design, and photography projects. Plus her blog, let’s not forget! I’ll let her fill you in on the rest:
Destined to Design just reached a big milestone of turning four! Can you tell us how it all began back in 2007?
It really started the same way for me as I think it did for a lot of people — I wanted one central place to catalog all of the inspiration I was finding on the web. There were only a handful of design blogs out there at the time, but I was following them religiously. I was just beginning design school and trying to find my voice and aesthetic, which I’ve come to find out is a process that is constantly evolving. But blogging has definitely helped me better define it.
You have a wonderful aesthetic that runs through fashion, interiors, furniture, products, photography… How did you develop your aesthetic? What were some early influences?
I think a lot of it is being conscious of your surroundings and being influenced by those who inspire you. I’ve been lucky enough to work for some incredible designers, and they’ve really taught me about refinement and simplicity. I’ve never been a particularly fussy person when it comes to personal style, but I’ve wholeheartedly adopted the mentality of “less is more” and investing in quality over quantity. There is something so beautiful to me about paired down, conscious living.
Blogging means putting part of yourself into the world for others to see and react to. How comfortable are you with being “out there?”
Ha, not very. It’s always made me a bit uncomfortable to talk about myself, which is probably why I love blogging so much — I just get to boast about everyone else! But I think it’s been a great marketing tool to bring awareness to myself as a designer and what I’m capable of.
Do you follow your stats? How are they useful to you?
I do. I’m always curious to see where traffic is coming from versus actual numbers. I’ve found out about some pretty honorable mentions through it that I otherwise would have never known about.
“I think it hit the right note at the right time when a lot of online content is very oversaturated.”
+ The design world is abuzz about the newly launched Collected Magazine (which Jessica cofounded with Krista Schrock). Have the scale and visibility of the project been something you’ve had to adjust to?
Thanks! It was a great project to work on if only to find out how much you’re capable of if you put your mind to it. Neither of us had any idea how well it would be received, and the reaction was overwhelming. It certainly made eight months without a social life worth it. I think the most rewarding part for us was being able to showcase local designers and craftsmen that deserved a little limelight. There’s a lot of talent in Los Angeles that slips under the radar! It was also great to have our overarching theme of “refined living” resonate with so many people. I think it hit the right note at the right time when a lot of online content is very oversaturated.
Your guilty pleasure blog? Go.
The Man Repeller. Whit and style — who can resist?
Do you have a favorite source for awesome content?
Oh man, it’s everywhere. My endless blog roll has introduced me to a number of incredible designers, photographers, chefs, artists and shops. Whenever I find something that strikes a chord with me, I’ll bookmark it to revisit later when putting together my own posts. I like to refer to my blog as a “visual journal” in that it’s like the notebook you carry around on your travels or the bulletin board in your office — it’s snippets of a little bit of everything that make up my lifestyle. I’m a believer that you have to be true to yourself, even if it only resonates with a handful of people, that means more than appealing to the masses.
Your top three favorite posts you’ve ever written?
On Slowing Down — a good reminder that I come back to time and time again
Natural Light — this interior is one of my all-time favorites
Currently Coveting — these posts are my favorite to put together
“Refined living”… the goal that motivates most everything I do. Thanks for sharing more about a blog and designer that I was already a big fan of!
What a great interview. I’ve been following Jessica’s work for a while now and she continues to be an inspiration both in attitude and aesthetics. Thanks for sharing.
i love this girl! she has been a huge inspiration in my life.
awesome interview and peek into her genius mind.
thank you!
j.
[…] inside of my digs, and I thought I’d start you off with this shot I took of my office (for this fun interview on Pitch Design). I feel like my place will ever be “finished” (toughest critic […]