For the past decade, each year has begun with a single word — a quiet promise to grow in a certain direction.
These keywords became anchors and signposts, marking how I changed and what I reached for.
Over time, they turned into moving reflections, woven together through typography and motion,
capturing the story of who I have been becoming.
Keyword is a deeply personal series made up of ten kinetic typography animations created in After Effects. Since turning eighteen, I have chosen one word for each year — a theme that holds the qualities I hoped to embody, the feelings I wanted to understand, or the parts of myself I wished to strengthen. This ritual became a way to pause and look inward, giving shape to thoughts that can’t always be spoken.
Each piece became both an emotional snapshot and a space for technical exploration. This project pushed me to experiment with different motion principles, typographic treatments and design techniques, while giving each word its own tone and spirit. Some keywords called for bold, restless energy; others asked for softness, restraint or play.
Together, these ten pieces form a quiet timeline of how I have grown — as a designer and as a person learning to listen, change and keep moving forward.
2016 – Composure
At eighteen, I wished for steadiness, hoping to stand calm and unshakeable. But composure does not come overnight, it arrives quietly with time and the weight of living.
2017 – Grace
I thought elegance might be found on the surface — that by appearing polished, I could feel graceful within, softening the edges of who I was.
2018 – Creativity
I tried to see more, draw more, and notice the beauty in small things. This was a year of pushing through walls and training my eyes to stay open.
2019 – Balance
I learnt to juggle the parts of life, balancing study, work and demanding days while trying to hold my own centre without tipping too far in any direction.
2020 – Freedom
When the world stayed indoors, I found my escape inside a screen. Learning 3D gave me space to roam freely when the real world felt locked away.
2021 – Passion
My love became my work, and my work kept my heart awake. This was a year of burning bright and trusting the warmth to last.
2022 – Courage
I asked myself to step beyond what I knew — to try, to risk, to meet new edges without flinching. A year for testing my own walls.
2023 – Breakthrough
Routine made it harder to change. I turned to new hobbies, let my hands find new shapes, reminding myself that growth lives just beyond the familiar.
2024 – Wellness
I gave myself permission to pause, to soften, to listen inwardly and care for what had been strained too long. Rest became a gentle way back to myself.
2025 – Discovery
I am opening doors to the unfamiliar, seeking fresh sparks that might become new roots. This year is about looking further and finding wonder where I have not yet looked.
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