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A short story about attention.
Told through the lens of a designer.
A thread.
Told through the lens of a designer.
A thread.
As a designer you used to be able to just put your work online and people followed you and liked it.
You built a following. It was easy.
You simply repeated the pattern week after week and the people flocked.
Everybody laughed and had a good time.
Then things changed.
You built a following. It was easy.
You simply repeated the pattern week after week and the people flocked.
Everybody laughed and had a good time.
Then things changed.
The evil attention monster wasn’t happy with just a few designers posting their work and becoming popular.
It wanted more.
More designers started to post their good work online.
Suddenly there was too much work and not enough people.
There was a problem.
It wanted more.
More designers started to post their good work online.
Suddenly there was too much work and not enough people.
There was a problem.
We’d pleased the attention monster. But now there was too much STUFF to pay attention to.
The value of attention dropped through the floor.
No matter how good your work was, the attention monster had gotten too big.
It was gobbling up everybody’s attention.
The value of attention dropped through the floor.
No matter how good your work was, the attention monster had gotten too big.
It was gobbling up everybody’s attention.
The old way had stopped working.
Designers now had to fight the attention monster for every OUNCE of attention. Showing their work wasn’t enough any more.
People didn’t have time.
Not even time for blog posts.
NOT EVEN TIME FOR DRIBBBLE.
Something had to change.
Designers now had to fight the attention monster for every OUNCE of attention. Showing their work wasn’t enough any more.
People didn’t have time.
Not even time for blog posts.
NOT EVEN TIME FOR DRIBBBLE.
Something had to change.
Designers looked to their god, Steve Jobs. He boomed a simple message
T H I N K. D I F F E R E N T.
What did it mean?
Designers started to think about Steve Jobs. What did he really DO? Nobody knew. He was just that guy who stood up at Apple keynotes. But everybody loved him.
T H I N K. D I F F E R E N T.
What did it mean?
Designers started to think about Steve Jobs. What did he really DO? Nobody knew. He was just that guy who stood up at Apple keynotes. But everybody loved him.
Designers wondered.
“What if we could be more like Steve Jobs?”
Not wearing polo necks, but with the way we promote ourselves.
Jobs built a cult of personality. He promoted his way of thinking as hard as his products.
“What if we could be more like Steve Jobs?”
Not wearing polo necks, but with the way we promote ourselves.
Jobs built a cult of personality. He promoted his way of thinking as hard as his products.
He gave interviews. Spoke at keynotes. Invested in other businesses and read widely. He also wasn’t afraid to talk about things other than Apple products.
Jobs built a personality, then infused that personality into Apple products. They—and he—were opinionated.
Jobs built a personality, then infused that personality into Apple products. They—and he—were opinionated.
Yes, designers said. This is the way forward.
We shall focus on talking widely on topics. On promoting ourselves as well as our work.
We shall build a personality as well as showing our work. People will follow us because of who we are.
We shall focus on talking widely on topics. On promoting ourselves as well as our work.
We shall build a personality as well as showing our work. People will follow us because of who we are.
In the best possible way, we shall be more Steve Jobs. The horrible jeans and polo necks we’ll leave in the wardrobe, but we have a lot to learn.
We shall share more than just acrid design opinions. We will become fully rounded human beings.
We shall share more than just acrid design opinions. We will become fully rounded human beings.
And so it was.
A new generation of designers were born.
They shuffled back to their Macs, looked at their Apple Watch at the time, docked their iPhone and put on their AirPods. They nodded sagely at their Steve Jobs effigy.
It was time to T H I N K D I F F E R E N T.
A new generation of designers were born.
They shuffled back to their Macs, looked at their Apple Watch at the time, docked their iPhone and put on their AirPods. They nodded sagely at their Steve Jobs effigy.
It was time to T H I N K D I F F E R E N T.
TL/DR
As designers we need to do much more than just talk about our work. Make a podcast. A YouTube channel. Have a blog about other stuff you’re interested in.
You’re a designer, but not just a designer.
Show more of yourself.
No, not like that.
As designers we need to do much more than just talk about our work. Make a podcast. A YouTube channel. Have a blog about other stuff you’re interested in.
You’re a designer, but not just a designer.
Show more of yourself.
No, not like that.
