Links tagged "reference"
I've witnessed this issue before - a place that felt they needed to be hyper focused on productivity, not seeing how some allowed time for creativity might alleviate their problems, or lead them in a newer/better direction. Interesting analogy. Moo-y bueno, if I make a bad pun.
A management obsessed with the productivity usually has little patience for the quiet time essential to profound creativity. #
I've been working in Python 2 for a couple years at this point, and due to various issues I continued to come across, repeatedly found myself referenced to this article. I should have read it earlier. If you're a software developer, or a wannabe, or anywhere in between, it's time to buck up, and read this. Don't wait like I did. It's worth your 10 minutes. #
I frustrate my direct supervisor at work, in part because I hate goals, and I verbalize my disapproval of them. My nuanced feelings about goals and the deadlines frequently associated with them can't fit into an entry like this. That said, I agree with a lot of what James Clear has to say about goals. One of those that has bitten our team most recently is this shortcoming of goals:
You can’t predict the future. (I know, shocking.)
But every time we set a goal, we try to do it. We try to plan out where we will be and when we will make it there. We try to predict how quickly we can make progress, even though we have no idea what circumstances or situations will arise along the way.
Really though, you should read the whole article. It's well-written, and I'm curious to read his newsletters going forward. #
My own article about "one of the biggest mistakes I've made in my career" would be different, but I love Andrei's advice. I think it applies to more than just designers debating whether or not they should learn to code. I feel like everybody should learn a specialty, whether or not it becomes the thing you do every day. Additionally, I'm a big proponent of being able to take your ideas to the next level or step. If you can design, figure out how to make your product come alive (through code or prototyping). If you can build wood-only furniture, learn how upholster. If you can cook, learn how to plate. If you can plate, learn how to serve. Maybe it's better summarized as learning how to do the job of the person you hand your "finished" product to. There's a glorious energy, and collaboration point to be found when you're really familiar with the next person in line. Learning to code as a designer is one of those steps. #
I thoroughly enjoyed Beth Dean's thoughts, insights, and suggestions in this fantastic article. If you have anything to do with design, or interacting with other people via a computer, I highly recommend you read it. Here's just a tease of one of my favorite parts (though it was filled with so many awesome elements, I've saved a copy for myself).
People completing seemingly straightforward tasks do so in a variety of contexts and life circumstances. Humanity can be sad, complicated and messy. We don’t stop being human when we go online. Sometimes even when you’re trying to make something with the best intentions, something can go terribly wrong. Sometimes the very tools you create to protect people cause harm. What can we do?
Really. It's so good. #
What an interesting view into Shigeru Miyamoto - a man to whom I owe many thanks for taking my imagination to great places. I've had this sitting on my to-read list for a while, but once I actually started, I felt like I couldn't stop. I'm not sure I could go so far as to read a whole novel about him (yet), but this certainly filled my need for now. #
Wow:
In 11 experiments involving more than 700 people, the majority of participants reported that they found it unpleasant to be alone in a room with their thoughts for just 6 to 15 minutes.
Moreover, in one experiment, 64 percent of men and 15 percent of women began self-administering electric shocks when left alone to think. These same people, by the way, had previously said they would pay money to avoid receiving the painful jolt
What a fascinating set of results. As a personal fan of journaling, and the forced introspection that provides, I find it baffling that people don't value (and take) the time to look inward. A couple more tidbits:
But you can’t solve or let go of problems if you don’t allow yourself time to think about them. It’s an imperative ignored by our culture, which values doing more than thinking and believes answers are in the palm of your hand rather than in your own head.
... Hard as they sometimes are, negative feelings are a part of everyone’s life, arguably more so if you are crazy busy. But it’s those same deep and troubling feelings, and how you deal with them, that make you the person you are. While busyness may stanch welling sadness, it may also limit your ability to be overcome with joy.
Have I mentioned how much I love Day One (iOS/OS X)? Because you should know I love it. #
This was a great, and rather quick read about some of the history of a company that makes some of my favorite products. This is an excerpt of Console Wars, by Blake Harris. I knew Nintendo started as a playing card "company", but didn't know the pieces in between (nor the interesting lawsuit by MCA Universal in regards to King Kong). I'd be curious to know if the book is as good as this one excerpt. (credit to my brother for sending me this article nearly two months ago) #
This is a really simple and fun game, which teaches you geography using Google Maps. Read the clue, identify the place, get points deducted for how far you are from the right answer, and get a small bonus for answering quickly. I've played a handful of times, and will undoubtedly play it more. #
I acknowledge I'm sharing an article that advertises its lack of desire to be shared. At the same time, I feel like it's worth reading and sharing. Slow down. Read. Absorb. Enjoy. Improve. Move on. #