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Design blogs are a dime-a-dozen, but despite the “popularity contest” nature of some of the bigger ones, the value of the written word has never been higher in helping designers learn, grow and discover.’
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What is the point of writing for a blog? Is it to gain as many visitors and followers as possible? Or is it to develop positive habits and relevant knowledge, and to progress as a designer, as a communicator and as a business person? The two approaches rarely coexist, and unfortunately, the popularity angle often wins out. Spend any time on Twitter or Digg and you’ll discover that these sites are littered with list posts of recycled and borrowed Top Tens, each boasting “the most amazing design examples ever.” There is a reason these posts are popular: they’re quick and easy, both to create and consume. It seems that, as a community, we are feeding off pretty pictures with very few words, creating a daily "show" of work with very little "tell" to accompany it. In the process, we are all missing a great opportunity.
Comments
mavenisms June 28, 2010 10:55 AM I would agree, I think its the fear criticism perhaps. I am a "lurker" on many sites, not too confident in the public value of my comments/opinion. Your post has inspired me to be jump into the conversation and make thoughtful posts , starting with this one! I appreciate how you have broken it down making it simple to digest. This also made me think of the question why is it that those with awful comments, of little or no value have more confidence (and pride) in their nasty posts? We need to shift that - I am confident the valuable thoughts would far outweigh the invaluable ones - we just need to get hands on keyboards and then hit "submit".
June 28, 2010 12:38 PM Steve, I wholeheartedly agree with you —designers should take the time to write as a form of personal and professional development. I think time and motivation can be two of the biggest catalysts influencing the act of writing. When you consider the pervasiveness of 'listicle' blog posts, you could say this form of writing is perhaps fueled by a genuine lack of time and motivation among both reader and author. I tend to think the Web is structured (and has evolved) in such a way to perpetuate this type reading/writing behaviour —for all of us. Online, the tendency is to skim articles rather than read start to finish; it's also very easy to copy/paste and re-purpose content from one site to another —quite another task to articulate original thoughts. Great post. Thanks.
Speider June 28, 2010 03:14 PM Well written and right to the point. It's the value of the informations that makes a site. Popularity for fluff fades and the good hard facts and tips for better design and being a better designer in business will win out. Certainly your sites are an example of what to do and filled with great original material. Keep up the good work!
Russel Hawley June 28, 2010 07:56 PM By it's nature, the web can me massively engaging for some, but the masses remain generally silent, content to "absorb" rather than share. There is so much to learn from each other - hopefully this post inspires the quiet ones to engage. Popularity is not the yardstick by which value and quality is measured!
June 29, 2010 10:34 AM
Mavenisms, Thanks for being the first one to comment — never nice to see that blank comment field below a post. True, I would imagine a lot of us hold back on commenting for fear of having nothing to add although I think it is rarely true. Everyone has an opinion and so there is usually something you can add. If you feel its all been said, you may want to try to further the conversation by asking a question related to the post. Great to hear it got you to commit to hitting "submit". Darryl, I also skim articles online and through RSS feeds, and use Instapaper or Read It Later to save posts to read when I have spare time at night or first thing in the morning. (the iPad is a fantastic tool for this). There is so much information tossed at me each day that I find I need a method to sift through it. Commenting on posts certainly isn't at the top of anyone’s priority list—but way down after more pressing tasks like deadlines and family. It does come down to motivation. To encourage conversation, I will sometimes approach people directly, asking them to get involved. If there is someone that I believe has something to add, I ask. In turn, they call upon me to comment on their posts where appropriate. Having more than one opinion can create a debate and foster more input from other readers. Thanks very much for the comment, and I am glad I discovered your site through it. (http://www.darryljonckheere.com/blog/) I will be sure to come back when I have some time and comment. :) Speider, Thanks for the compliment—of course, some of that content you refer to is your own! Do you think the popularity contest nature of these sites and our consumption of them will change over time? Will fluff fade?
June 30, 2010 11:26 AM Steve, I think you've hit the nail right on the head. Our blog (http://www.hexanine.com/zeroside/) has been a place for me to think through what I believe about design and where it's going, and a place to challenge others with those thoughts. My respect for a designer drops a notch (at least) when he or she tells me "I don't know how to write," or "I don't read." Writing is a crucial way to dig deep, communicate with clients, organize thoughts, and to frame the problems we need to solve. You made these points more eloquently above. I keep coming back to this truism from Edward Tufte: Clear writing mirrors clear thinking. And thanks for the great post, Steve.
July 02, 2010 01:18 PM Russel and Tim, Thanks for taking the time to comment, and for providing more to the conversation. For those interested, you can find more information about Edward Tufte here: http://www.edwardtufte.com/tufte/index and in particular, some of his amazing books here: http://www.edwardtufte.com/tufte/books_vdqi
David Ramirez July 05, 2010 11:35 PM Steve, this article is very well written indeed. Your point on "Learning to Argue" is very well put. I would also say that it opens our understanding to get our views in written word, that we might also grasp our inductive and deductive reasoning. Within critical thinking, also promoted through writing, one can stimulate the comprehension of syllogistic views that can be applied to one's design process. When viewing this philosophically we can further our thought process and move from a generalized idea to a more narrow, detailed and single thought. Applying critical thinking skills to writing will help improve mind-mapping and/or brainstorming as well. I would also encourage a thoroughly written piece per each design project as I believe it enables designers to go back and view their process per project and recall major points of interest to the designer or client. Rather than moving along making mental notes, it is beneficial to have something in writing to look back upon for further study and research in why decisions were made in designing for a certain client or for ourselves. You have undoubtedly listed myriad thoughts of why and how writing helps us over simply looking at "pictures" and I commend you for a thought provoking literary angle you've expounded. I would also encourage that while there are many points on why writing helps the visual design process, it also helps us to have self and internal revelation of our capacity as designers to communicate ideas literary as well as visually.
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