Designer posts recent logo design process. Audience concludes he just got lucky

Is it even worth it? Graphic designer Ethan Brooks, 29, has reportedly vowed never to share his creative process again after a behind-the-scenes Instagram Reel intended to showcase his strategic thinking instead convinced thousands of viewers that he had simply “fucked around on Illustrator until something looked alright."

The ninety-second video documented Brooks' journey from client brief to finished logo, revealing pages of early sketches, discarded concepts, typography exploration and iterative refinements before arriving at the final identity.

After a fair sum of engagement, many in the comments section had reached an entirely different conclusion.

"So... you just kept trying random stuff until one worked?" wrote one follower.

Brooks said the purpose of the video was to demonstrate that good design is rarely the result of a single brilliant idea, but rather a methodical process of testing, evaluating and refining concepts.

Instead, viewers interpreted the twenty-seven rejected logos as evidence the final design had been selected through what one commenter described as "professional trial and error."

Creative Director Olivia Grant, 45, said the reaction reflects a growing misunderstanding of expertise. "People expect professionals to arrive at the perfect solution immediately," she said. "When they see iterations, they don't see exploration. They see indecision."

The Reel has since amassed more than 180,000 views, prompting Brooks to delete a follow-up video explaining the rationale behind the typography after early comments accused him of "making up reasons afterwards."

“You’ve gotta love social media influencers out there telling you to share your process, not just the end result”, Brooks said, while at his whits end with social media.

At the time of publication, Brooks had returned to posting polished logo reveals without any process, allowing his followers to believe he’s either a genius or that he simply pulls logos out of his arse.

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