On London, Race and Seeking Inner Change
Intergalactico Digest is a multi-part series of articles about the conversations I have with the people of Intergalactico and about what they are reading.
This series is my attempt at breaking out of self-isolation by proactively reaching out to the people I work with. It is about creating the space to chat about the things that keep us informed and inspired.
Join me in conversation with Antti Salo, UX Designer & Developer based in London.
On London
To those of us who live outside London, the very mention of the place triggers many images. Among them are clock towers, palaces, double-decker busses, bridges, and manicured parks that feature fountains and some of the Queen’s property waddling around them. We all get the sense that a city as large and populated as London would have many things to offer its residents.
After reading about Antti’s move to London I was curious to know more about how such a city has changed his life, his choice of books and his perspective as a designer.
Antti recollects that it was indeed the expectation of how much London had to offer that got him thinking about moving there in the first place. Having lived there for over two years now, he says that “London has a huge quantity of things I can dig into whenever I want.” But he warns me that there are two sides to this coin. Being bombarded with so many options all the time “stops me from pursuing things actively” he says.
Antti observes that a kind of fatigue sets in from such an experience (especially having moved from a smaller city like Helsinki), and that the art of enjoying such a place is in finding that cozy balance between doing things and creating moments of quiet for oneself.
Living in London also exposes one to different kinds of people and leads to more diversity in everyday conversation. Antti says that “having lived in London,” in such a multi-cultural space, “conversations about race started fascinating me.”
The Book
Antti reflects on his experience of reading Why I’m no longer talking to white people about race by Reni Eddo-Lodge.
Initially published as a blog and later extended as a book, Reni explores “issues from eradicated black history to the political purpose of white dominance, whitewashed feminism to the inextricable link between class and race.” As the synopsis also suggests, the book “offers a timely and essential new framework for how to see, acknowledge and counter racism.”
Having chosen the book mostly by its cover, Antti let it remain untouched for a while. Recently, however, he noticed an increase in the number of conversations about race in his immediate surroundings. This is what prompted him to give the book a read. “When people talk about such things around me I can’t just assume things. I have to do at least a bit of research of my own” he says.
I was impressed by the length he goes to keep himself informed. He says that reading about race in general helps him understand a bit more about his responsibilities in the world. When asked why he thinks other designers should read this book, Antti reminds me that designers are human beings first.
“I find it hard to connect with the world in the role of a designer” he says. “I consider myself a human being with responsibilities first. And hence like to approach any topic from this perspective.”
On Seeking Inner Change
Antti’s inclination to look at things from a human point of view comes from his interest in self-improvement — seeking inner change and perspective shifts about his own behaviour. “Critical thinking about your own habit patterns is important,” he says. It was fascinating to speak with him about the importance of digging deeper into one’s own prejudices, biases and patterns of thinking.
The flip side of being on the path of self improvement, however, is the sudden realisation of how little other people care about changing their attitudes in general. “This is a pitfall I try to stay clear of,” Antti tells me. Towards the end of our conversation we discussed that staying interested in many topics, reading widely, and actively looking to break out of your own bubble, are antidotes to this problem.
Speaking to Antti was a gentle reminder to look for ways to improve how we think and act as human beings. And that a good approach to becoming a better designer is to first become a better human being.
