What I learned from Ian Spalter
the current Head of Design at Instagram
I read an article by Fast Company recently…
Instagram’s Head of Design likes paper to-do lists, and draws to clear his mind | Ian Spalter, the man who keeps you scrolling through your Instagram feed, takes our career questionnaire | published March 11, 2019
This article was SUPER interesting and relevant because it reminded me a lot of the research team SKAR is conducting for our final RE project concerning burnout, loneliness, work productivity, all of it.
Here’s some of the Fast Company article with notes from me —
“Fast Company: What’s your best habit, and what’s your worst one?
Ian Spalter: My best habit is that I start Monday mornings by putting pen to paper and writing a to-do list — a brain dump of work and home stuff I need to get done. I do this before opening my laptop or reviewing any notifications on my phone. I flag the three most important things that need to happen and get a lot of satisfaction from crossing them off.
My worst habit is that I self-censor. I tend to think too carefully, even when I’m setting goals. I try to have some mechanism in place for self-reflection — like journaling — so that I can better reflect on my past mind-sets when I’m looking ahead.”
Allison Spiegel (me): Solid first question, Fast Company. Coming in hot!
It’s fascinating that Ian uses a pen and paper before any electronics each morning. This helps confirm some of team SKAR’s assumptions about annoying phone notifications and using products you can actually touch and hold instead of clicking or tapping a button on a digital screen.
I tend to over think things too Ian. I think we all do. That’s a part of being human in my eyes. “Work hard. Play hard,” has been my self-motto these days. Over thinking my work is definitely a part of that, but without over thinking I don’t think I’d be as productive. I strive for perfection. Looking ahead is important as well. That’s the “play” goal. I want to make good work and enjoy my off time too.
“FC: When I’m creatively stuck, I…
IS: Walk, then do the simplest version of the task. Write nonsense, sketch random patterns — anything to start a flow.”
ME: This reminded me of some of the activities I did when team SKAR was testing “time-breaking” a few weeks back. We’d have different mechanisms and times and things to break up a work flow so we didn’t get too burnt out/to test burn out. Walking really helped me as well. Even if you feel like you’re totally swamped, taking a small break helps immensely and gets you back on track. It “starts a flow” as Ian says.
I dig “write nonsense.” That’s a good suggestion and a great way to brainstorm. No idea is a bad idea. Write it down even if you think it’s dumb. Flushing out ideas that way will help you come up with ALL the possibilities.
“FC: What was your career fork in the road?
IS: Moving my family from New York to California to take a role at YouTube in 2013. Being at the heart of Silicon Valley, you have the opportunity to work on massive platforms that are used by millions of people all over the world.”
ME: It’s always cool to hear about how people got to where they are career-wise. It helps me humanize humans. “You work for Instagram? You work for Youtube? You work for Google? You’re a rockstar! And also a human with a family and normal life things,” says me. It’s cool and humbling.
“FC: What’s always in your bag or pocket?
IS: A Pilot Fineliner. I buy them in bulk because I find them satisfying to write or sketch with.”
ME: I love when people find a specific thing they love to work with. My favorites include:
- My planner
Specifically keeping track of deadlines and physically writing things down. I’m a writer on paper like Ian. I love making lists. I always have scrap pieces of paper everywhere. I also think it’s super satisfying to actually cross things off. Sometimes I write the same to-do list twice, just to keep track of things a little extra, in my mind. - My laptop, of course
My MacBook Air. I love you Apple; you make good stuff. This is where all my digital magic happens. And I can take it on the go. Which is what I’m doing constantly; always moving, always thinking. - My writing utensils
1) Papermate Sharpwriter Mechanical Pencil, HB, 0.7 mm, Yellow Barrel. I feel bad about the plastic sometimes, but it’s nice to be able to have a pencil that’s good on the go; sharpening pencils is a little messy. And for some strange reason I find it satisfying to twist the top instead of clicking the bottom where the eraser lives. It makes it different from the others. And it kind of looks like a “real” pencil, cute!
2) Any kind of pen that’s close by for when I need to frivolously make a note to myself, but I’ll always have a special love for microns and sharpie pens.
3) A sharpie highlighter. For some reason I’m drawn to the orange ones. It’s just my thing I guess. I think the neon yellow is a little abrasive. I like to use a highlighter to cross off things in my planner that I’ve completed. That way, I know I’m done, but I can look back on it and see the task still if needed later on.
“FC: What’s your favorite object in your office?
IS: My Heath mug. I drink a lot of tea. Heath ceramics are designed well and made with care.”
ME: This was captivating because team SKAR has been talking about what’s on a person’s desk. And “in the office” is a close comparison. What’s a human’s favorite desk knick-knack? Ian’s favorite — a physical object that he cherishes because it probably helps him relax/energizes him when needed (the tea) and he admires the fact that it’s made well and with care.
Another and/or full version of this article appeared in the March/April 2019 issue of Fast Company magazine.
