UNLOCKING CREATIVITY

If there’s one thing our attachment to perfectionism will cause, without question, is a backlog of creative work we’ll never ship. Perfectionism convinces us of a narrative that we can’t put our work out there until it’s “just right”. Unfortunately, perfectionism is always hungry and we’re notoriously good at keeping food on perfectionism’s plate.

When we give perfectionism what it wants, which is typically a heaping pile of junk food, it strips us of the vital nutrients we need to get our work out to the world. The press of the “Publish” button is halted by thoughts such as, “no one will read this.” We never post that helpful content video because we say to ourselves, “I look stupid on camera.” …

If you could place your current creativity level on a scale from “in the dumps” to “exhilarating”, where would you put it? How excited are you about your craft? Often when we’re trying to break out of a creative slump, we’re either battling the fear of what others will think or we’re truly searching for inspiration to get us going.

If it’s the latter for you, you might try looking into your past at the experiences that got you excited about design in the first place.

It was 1997 and I signed up for my first graphic design class in high school. It was in that class where I remember feeling the exhilaration and insatiable drive to be creative that would go on to fuel my future design career. And it all happened when I took a plain white t-shirt, created a design, and printed it on the shirt. …

UX RESEARCH

I find that even though I’m quite familiar with and comfortable conducting research during the UX process, I still draw a blank somedays. This is a list (and definitely not a complete one) of questions I’ve asked participants in the past. These go a little beyond the “yes” or “no” questions, although there’s a time and place for those too when gathering data.

I’ve created this list first to serve as a reference to all of you, and second for when my mind goes blank and I need a refresher! 🤣

Closed-ended questions

Closed-ended questions can be a good, objective place to start when gathering information from a participant. Because these types of questions are typically easier and quicker to answer, it can help commit the participant to the survey. But, they can be sprinkled throughout the research as well. If none of your options in a closed-ended question reflect a participant’s opinion, make sure you account for that. …

MANAGEMENT 101

In a world of self-help listicles and how-to life manuals, very few touch on how we can effectively & systematically cripple our direct reports at an emotional level. If you’re a manager who’d like to sap creativity from your employees and dismantle their self-esteem, welcome aboard.

while there is satire in this story, it is not my intention to encourage the practice of domoralizing employees and destorying their self-esteem. This story does, however, contain real-life experiences as told to me by my colleagues. …

December 7, 1941 — what an extraordinary day in history. My dad was seven when the U.S. Pacific military fleet was decimated by a surprise Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor. On that Sunday morning, thousands of lives were lost. Not long after these events, the United States formally entered World War II.

Before his passing in 2017, I recall many occasions when my dad would share the events and feelings that came over him when he learned of the tragedy at Pearl Harbor. My dad, even at that young age, was an expert at looking up into the sky and being able to identify the U.S. fighter planes soaring overhead. He knew their sounds, where they were heading, and at the tender age of seven, was fully engulfed in this World War from his little town. My dad later went on to serve in the U.S. …

SELF-IMPROVEMENT

In the early morning hours today, I awoke with a clear and distinct message running through my head. Almost as if I was already dreaming it, the unmistakable words, “Just get in the line already” kept surfacing in my thoughts. As I pieced together this jumbled and obscure phrase, a unique meaning emerged and it seemed appropriate to share with you all.

I’m a creative by career and in life, but I often struggle to keep the passion for it. I’m not consistent in my writing. I’m mediocre at best when it comes to advancing my career. I don’t spend a lot of time learning new design techniques. …

THE YOU EXPERIENCE

What should you improve in 2021?

Work on the UX of you. Work on applying the UX skills you have in your tool belt to the way other people experience you. Rather than chasing the next piece of software or a fancy new way to design a drop shadow on a button, focus on the experience others have when they interact with you.

How do others experience you? Is it a good experience? Do you care? Is arrogance getting in the way and you’re certain there’s nothing you need to change? It’s them, right? And there’s nothing you need to work on?

If you can embrace these questions and work on the answers you uncover, the experience others have of you will be what sets you apart. I’m not saying don’t be comfortable in your own skin, we need that, but your ability to be socially and emotionally present no matter the interaction is a superpower. …

MENTORING ADVICE

Fear.

Fear tends to accompany almost every life decision I make. It’s because of fear that I stuck it out at the same job for nearly 16 years. On many occasions over those nearly two decades, coworkers, out of kindness and curiosity, would approach me and ask,

“Why are you still working here, Mike?

You’re way smart, Mike…what are you still doing here?”

Even my own wife couldn’t convince me to leave and pursue something greater for myself.

I’d hear their words, but I lacked the courage and belief within myself that I was actually capable of more. I was terrified that I would fail at the next thing. I couldn’t see my talents nor the experience I had as something that I could use to go on and do more with my life. …