5 ways writing can help designers

For a fair amount of time, I was debating about whether I should actively start writing on the internet or not. There are so many opinions and such varied and in-depth content on every subject available to us at the push of a button; that adding more to it felt unnecessary at best.

It seems like there’s nothing new left to say, nothing left to be communicated that already hasn’t been done in a better, funnier more exquisite way than is ever possible by mere mortals like me. Here’s the thing though: One has to start writing not out of the need to be recognised as a pathbreaker writing the most original kind of content, but because it helps us to formulate a voice of our own. Listed below are the 5 main reasons why I think more designers should start writing more:

1. It increases retention and learning: There’s no denying that we consume large amounts of information everyday, day in day out. The structure of the hyperlinked web is such that it makes us crave the dopamine kick of learning or seeing something new. If we actually sit down to write what we truly felt was valuable in blog or diary, the activity helps us retain and comprehend the knowledge better. It has more chances of being converted into a long term memory, one that contributes to our future endeavors and design practice.
2. It helps us organise our thoughts: The process of writing itself is such that it requires a fair amount of succinct articulation and organisation of information. A well written article is like a perfectly guided interface wizard, where information flows from start to end in a seamless and logical fashion.The messy, chaotic half sentences in our brain are given a chance to be made complete and exist as a part of a narrative. Designers have long been likened to story tellers, and text is a great format to practice that skill. Like Dumbledore’s Pensieve, we get an outside perspective into our own thought and opinions. This sense of closure helps to ultimately de-clutter our mind.
3. There is a chance of discussion and debate that enriches the community: When we share our stories, learnings, trials and travails not only as a professional but also as a individual, we tend to realise that we’re not alone in our struggles. An opportunity to interact with the hitherto unknown people that form our community is also born out of this sharing. Like traveling to distant places or cultures leads to an experience of the vastness of human knowledge, getting to know other people and through their work gives our fresh eyes.
4. It makes us better presenters and advocates of our own designs: All designers have to eventually learn how to pitch their design solutions- whether it is to a client with no prior know-how of design, or to a engineering/product manager whose ideas for the product are more technology or business optimized. Knowing how to make that killer presentation or rationally argue your case in the midst of powerful people comes from a practice of articulating or advocating your thoughts. Writing makes our inner monologue faster and decidedly more precise, a valuable skill to have when required to think on your feet.
5. It’s fun! : Okay, so I’ll be honest and admit that this point might be biased from my end. A lot of fellow designers I know would much rather make something with their hands or sketch on a piece of paper if given the choice between text and visual. Why choose at all though? Being good at communicating visually comes to us naturally after years of D-school training, but knowing how to write well is added skill that can become a key differentiating factor in our career path. How many designers do we know today who don’t write about design or share their thoughts? I’ll let the answer make my point.