This week brought various creative challenges, from designing social media graphics to coding HTML websites. Still, the assignment that truly resonated with me was creating my user manual in Affinity Photo. Out of all the projects we tackled, this one felt the most personal and meaningful—it forced me to think deeply about how I work, communicate, and connect with others.
What Made This Project Special
What I loved most about the user manual assignment was its combination of introspection and design skills. The concept itself was brilliant—treating yourself as a resource that others need to understand how to work with effectively. It made me step back and think about my communication style, what motivates me, and how I can be most helpful to teammates and collaborators.
The three components we had to include—building rapport, communication channels, and values alignment—created this perfect framework for self-reflection. For the “Building Rapport” section, I had to identify something that would humanize me to others. I ended up sharing that I’m obsessed with houseplants and have killed more succulents than I care to admit, which felt honest and relatable. It was interesting to think about what aspects of my personality would help others connect with me on a human level.
Working within the 8.5″ x 5.5″ print format at 300 DPI was also satisfying differently than digital design. There’s something tangible about creating something meant to be printed and handed to someone—it feels more permanent and intentional than a social media graphic that might be scrolled past in seconds.
The design process itself was incredibly engaging. I experimented with different layouts, trying to balance professionalism with personality. The constraint of fitting all this vital information into a relatively small space forced me to be strategic about typography, spacing, and visual hierarchy.
The Challenge That Made Me Grow
The most challenging aspect was the vulnerability required to create something this personal. It’s one thing to design a magazine cover or social media graphic for a fictional brand—it’s entirely different to create marketing material for yourself. I had to dig deep and be honest about how I work best, not how I think I should work or how others might want me to work.
Figuring out how to articulate my communication preferences was complicated. I had to consider concrete examples: Do I prefer email or Slack messages? How do I like to receive feedback? What’s my preferred meeting style? I realized I hadn’t intentionally communicated these preferences to colleagues and classmates in the past, which probably led to some missed connections or misunderstandings.
The design challenge was equally complex. How do you visually represent your personality and working style without it looking like a resume or feeling too casual? I went through several iterations, experimenting with color schemes that felt authentically “me” while still looking professional. I wanted someone to look at my user manual and understand who I am and how we could work together effectively.
Balancing the three required sections within the limited space was like solving a puzzle. Each section needed enough room to be meaningful, but I also wanted the overall design to feel cohesive and not cluttered. I probably spent more time on the layout than any other assignment this week.
How to Create Your Own User Manual
If you’re interested in creating your own User Manual, here’s the approach I’d recommend:
Step 1: Self-Reflection Before Design Before opening any design software, spend time journaling or brainstorming about the three core areas. For Building Rapport, think about hobbies, quirks, or experiences that make you relatable. For Communication Channels, consider when you do your best work and how you prefer to collaborate. For Values Alignment, identify what genuinely motivates you – not what you think should motivate you.
Step 2: Set Up Your Canvas Open Affinity Photo and create a new document with dimensions of 8.5″ x 5.5″ at 300 DPI. This print resolution is crucial for a professional-looking final product. Think of this as creating something that could actually be handed out in a workplace setting.
Step 3: Establish Visual Hierarchy Decide which information is most important and should be seen first. Your name should probably be prominent, but after that, consider what you most want people to know about working with you. Use font size, color, and positioning to guide the reader’s eye through your content logically.
Step 4: Choose Your Design Elements Select colors and fonts that reflect your personality while maintaining professionalism. I chose a color palette that felt calm and approachable – blues and greens that matched my plant obsession – but still looked serious enough for a work environment. For fonts, stick to two or three maximum to keep it clean and readable.
Step 5: Draft Your Content Write out each section clearly and concisely. Remember, this isn’t your life story – it’s a practical guide for how others can work with you most effectively. Be specific rather than generic. Instead of “I like to communicate regularly,” try “I prefer quick daily check-ins over long weekly meetings.”
Step 6: Iterate and Refine Create several versions and get feedback from friends or classmates. Ask them: Does this give you a clear sense of who I am? Would this help you know how to work with me? Is anything confusing or unclear? The goal is creating something that actually serves its purpose as a communication tool.
Step 7: Test the Print Quality Since this is designed for print, make sure to view your design at actual size and consider printing a test copy. Colors and text that look great on screen don’t always translate perfectly to paper.
The User Manual project taught me that good design isn’t just about making things look beautiful – it’s about communicating effectively and serving a real purpose. Creating this forced me to be more intentional about how I show up in collaborative spaces, and I’m already thinking about how I can apply these insights to my work as a front-end developer. Understanding how to present myself and work with others is just as important as technical skills in building a successful career.