Design everything on the assumption that people are not heartless or stupid but marvelously capable, given the chance.
| — | John Chris Jones, The Internet and Everyone (via fieldstudy) |
If all we do is reward fast first aid in what people do at work, is it any wonder we don’t have enough attention to the strategy and choices that would eliminate the need for all that running around in the first place?
| — | Seth Godin, ‘Emergency Room Doctors’ |
I’d like to be a Designer
“I am not asking for your opinion because we know what we want and what the site needs.”
If/When you’re told that the opionions you have don’t matter then you should be very wary . There is a good chance that they don’t want you to be their designer. They want you to be their producer.
If you can figure out which one you want to be, a designer or a producer, you can save yourself quite a bit of hassle in the future.
I’d like to be a designer.
Either designers will design for their end-users, or third-party apps will remove designers from the transaction.
| — | Jeffrey Zeldman, zeldman.com |
Learn By Doing
You can’t master the art of conversation by reading about it. You speak to people. Nobody can become a musical genius by only listening to classic records. They play instruments.
It’s hard to become good at anything by just reading, listening or observing. You have to DO it. The aforementioned will only get you so far…
Don’t ask for critique if you only want validation. If you want a hug, just ask.
| — | Adam Conner, iA Summit Talk |
Share What You Know
“Don’t be afraid to make mistakes (because that’s how we all improve). It’s absolutely okay for you to not be a complete expert or authority on a topic. Share what you do know because it has the potential to help many other developers and designers out there.”
I’ve had a blog for a long time. Over the years, it’s content has been changing and evolving. Up until recently, I have never really posted my thoughts and experiences on here because I’m so new to world of web & design (and still learning so much) so I felt my voice was not important enough.
I’ve realized though, over time, that the web community that I’m part of is exactly that. A community. A place to share, grow & be part of something bigger than myself. Sure, I’m on a personal mission to perfect my craft and to fine tune my skills, but while doing so is the best time to help others too.
Projects like github, resources like A Book Apart & web blogs like Smashing Magazine constantly sharing what they know has inspired me to share what I know too. Not because I’m an expert. Not because I’m a know-it-all. But because what I have learnt, what I have experienced, what I have done, might help others forward too…
…and isn’t that one of the beauties of the Internet. To be able to share, learn and progress together. So share what you know without arrogance, but confidently, because it’s your experience and it just might help someone.
A designer who wants to achieve good design must not regard himself as an artist who, according to taste and aesthetics, is merely dressing up products with a last-minute garment… Their work is largely rational, meaning that aesthetic decisions are justified by an understanding of the product’s purpose.
| — | Dieter Rams, ‘10 Commandments of Good Design’ |
