Dream It, Build It, Share It

As 2024 draws to a close, I'm excited to reflect on another remarkable year of running my indie studio, Overlayz Studio. This year has been both challenging and rewarding, filled with unforgettable moments that I'm eager to share. Many of you have reached out with questions about balancing client work with personal projects or wondering about the size of my studio. To answer one of the most common queries - Overlayz is primarily a one-person studio, run entirely by me, with occasional support from interns or my younger brother on specific projects.

While I plan to write deeper into these topics through detailed case studies in the future, today I want to offer a glimpse into what this year has brought. My focus has always been on learning and experimenting - pushing boundaries instead of settling into routine. While client work helps to pay the bills, my true passion lies in exploring new ideas and projects. This mindset has opened doors to incredible opportunities and collaborations, shaping Overlayz's journey in ways I couldn't have imagined.

Creative Partnerships

This year has been especially exciting, with collaborations across diverse industries and challenges. Crafting comprehensive design systems for the e-commerce giant Noon, designing for health innovators like Gabit, redefining design language for brands in the automotive industry, and creating complete visual branding for a film production app brought unique energy and many more. What made these projects truly special wasn't just the work itself but the shared passion and vision, making every step of the journey both inspiring and rewarding. 

Side Projects

As I always say, my focus is more on personal learning and experimenting to solve my own problems than chasing new client work. This year, I've built and updated 15+ tools and resources for design and dev. Some notable projects include 7 Figma plugins like Stippling and My Invoice, among others. You can check them out here: figmaplug.in. I also made updates to older projects like 3dicons.co and uilogos, and started some new projects that I'll be finishing soon. Also It's wonderfull to seeing how many people have tried these tools, shared their feedback, and helped make them successful! You can checkout my timeline to know more at vjy.me.

Celebrating the Journey

This year brought some truly special highlights that I'll never forget. Seeing my work displayed on the giant screens of Times Square as part of Figma's marketing campaign was surreal. Having my work featured in the Keynote at Config 2024 was another incredible milestone that made me pause and appreciate how far this journey has come.

I also had the pleasure of sharing my design career story on Rob Hope's Yo! podcast, an experience that made me reflect on my own path and hopefully inspired others considering a similar journey. Building on this momentum, I ventured into live streaming on YouTube. So far, I've done 6 streams and while the growth is gradual, seeing the community engage and grow with each session has been incredibly rewarding. I'm excited to continue this journey of live sharing and learning together.

yo! podacast

Writing has become an unexpected but rewarding part of my creative expression this year. Starting from someone who barely wrote, to publishing weekly articles and reviving my newsletter — it’s been amazing to connect with the community in new ways, checkout story.vjy.me.

Game Development Journey

It's been two years since I started my game development journey, and I'm proud of the progress I've made with Unreal Engine. I haven't shared much about this part of my work - it can feel a bit overwhelming - but I've been quietly learning and working on my game ideas. For 2025, I plan to balance things out by focusing on my main project while also creating smaller games to gain confidence and experience. I've even started using Godot for these smaller projects. Sometimes, taking on smaller challenges is the best way to keep moving forward.

Studio Evolution

An exciting milestone this year was the launch of Eldryn Studio under Overlayz. This new studio focuses solely on design and development, freeing Overlayz to dive deeper into other creative projects. While I continue to work primarily solo, bringing in support when projects demand it, this structure gives each aspect of my work the dedicated attention it deserves while maintaining the experimental, boundary-pushing spirit that started this journey.

Year in Numbers

The numbers tell their own story of growth and exploration:

• Helped 8+ clients create design systems and projects, including assisting a game studio in building their GUI and helping others develop the first MVP for their dream projects.
• Launched 15+ side projects, including 7 Figma plugins and more than 10 other design and development tools.
• Published 25+ articles (4x more than in the last decade!)
• 200K+ followers accors the various social media platform.
• Earning, I don’t want to brag how much I earn. But it’s enough to let me do what I’ve always dreamed of doing.

Looking Forward

The journey of running Overlayz has been both surprising and inspiring. Every project — whether client work or personal exploration — has played a vital role in my professional growth and creative satisfaction. As we step into 2025, I’m excited to continue pushing boundaries, learning new skills, and sharing my discoveries along the way.

I’m deeply grateful to everyone who has been part of this journey: the clients who trusted my vision, the supporters who embraced my tools and resources, and the fellow creators who inspire me every day. Your support has made this journey meaningful and rewarding.

Looking ahead, my focus remains clear: creating work that matters and sometimes just for the pure joy of creation. Embracing new challenges isn’t just a goal — it’s part of who I am. I’ve always been drawn to the thrill of the unknown, the endless possibilities that each new day brings. Whether it’s sharing insights that help others grow or venturing into unexplored creative territories, I’m ready for whatever adventures lie ahead. Here’s to the magic of creating without limits.

Stay Connected

Thanks for following along! I share regular updates about my work and creative journey on Instagram stories and Twitter. You can also check out my interviews to learn more about my design process and approach. Looking forward to sharing more adventures with you soon.

Catch me on X/Twitter @realvjy or join my exclusive Discord “Design Wizards” for live sessions and direct chats.

Originally published on realvjy.medium.com