Too much. Not enough. That I prefer Instagram. Anyway, I wrote a long piece over on Medium that I’ve just “published.” It’s really long but I think it offers a valuable perspective on America from flyover country. It channels my inner Klosterman and Sedaris. It’s about the Midwest, small towns, political correctness, white privilege, and the culture wars. Not about design but not everything has to be.
Monteiro: A Designer’s Code of Ethics
From the great Mike Monteiro and his advice to designers everywhere. He wrote it way better than I could’ve and it’s so good I’m posting the high level points here. Now get over there and read the full post:
- A designer is first and foremost a human being.
- A designer is responsible for the work they put into the world.
- A designer values impact over form.
- A designer owes the people who hire them not just their labor, but their counsel.
- A designer welcomes criticism.
- A designer strives to know their audience.
- A designer does not believe in edge cases.
- A designer is part of a professional community.
- A designer welcomes a diverse and competitive field.
- A designer takes time for self-reflection.
How unfortunate Neil Diamond
I was young. Tiny. Maybe 5 years old. A town kid spending the day on the farm with my grandpa, the farmer. I was riding around with him in his small pickup as he drove around the sprawling farm doing various chores. Checking the corn, collecting the eggs, herding the cows. There was just one last stop before going in for lunch. We had to feed the pigs.
On Creativity
Where do you find yourself wandering in the pitch black? Where do you go when confronted with a blank white whatever? Where is that place you reach into and summon something you can call a brilliant magnificent new way of being? What keeps you up in the still night? What makes you uncomfortable enough to keep looking? What is the thing that you just can’t let go of? Why is there a pang in your chest when you’re sitting still? Agitated? Yes. Jittery? Yes. Unsettled? Yes. Why must you insist on pushing through when you clearly do not have to? [ ... ]
Young Response
Part of my response to a question about war from a 2007 interview for a design job:
A movement whose voice resonates so loudly that the unpopularity of the war cycle will simply fade away into memory — a way we used to live, a way that we will courageously push out of our will — as we realize there are far better things to do with our wisdom, understanding and resources.
Post-Election Design
To design now is to design to make people care. We’ve had plenty of design to make people buy. If we’re always selling, we can’t be surprised when we get sold. Our design problem is apathy, cynicism, and division. We do have fewer resources, and the deadline has been moved up, but our course of action is clear.
Stellar party playlist
A list of tips about making amazing playlists via Tiperosity.
This isn’t a mixtape. This is a party playlist. The control freaks out there might try to orchestrate the vibe or steer the ship. In my opinion, that would be wrong. I pack my playlists full of goodness and then I leave it to chance. Read: push Shuffle.
