Tiny Tactics
How to Keep Up With the Insane Pace of Design Articles
Another 50 articles were just published while you read this title
When I started my first job out of grad school in 2007, I had just finished reading what felt like every design book ever written. After three months on the job, I felt like I was already starting to get behind as to where the design community was heading. At the time, RSS readers opened up a world of blogs that made me feel like I hadn’t even scratched the surface.
Then came Google Reader. So I read blogs 24/7.
Then came Twitter. So I read Twitter 24/7.
Then came Medium. So I read Medium 24/7.
Over time, I’ve learned how to better deal with the onslaught of information online so I actually spend less time reading online content but feel much more informed about the industry. A part of this is because I’m simply older and more experienced. But I’ve also learned a few tactics that are worth sharing.
Challenges
“I don’t know what content to look for.”
This is typical among new designers and recent graduates. There is a time when you simply don’t know who or what the best sources of content are. I mean, you probably loved those academic papers you had to read, but Paul Dourish isn’t exactly lunch break material.
“I don’t even read much anymore because I’m too busy.”
If you use the phrase “anymore” then that means you were, at one point, someone who did read. And if you’re no longer reading, then it’s simply because you don’t have a system. The pace and volume of content can be overwhelming, which makes reading seem like a large task.
On the other hand, if you are someone who genuinely doesn’t read online content then — well, I’m curious why you’re reading this. But mostly I’d say that reading is an integral part of growth and online content is an important piece because it helps you stay connected with the community and current on trends.
“The industry is moving so fast, I can’t keep up.”
First of all, this is a myth. It does move fast, but don’t confuse motion with progress. Design feels fast simply because today’s technology allows for more experimentation, and more importantly, because it’s fairly flat around the globe. Twenty years ago, front end frameworks were limiting, and you didn’t have any insight to what a 23-year old designer was working on halfway across the globe.
The truth is, in today’s information-inundated world, you have to become more intentional about how you sift through it all. Don’t fall for the trap that learning everything is better.
Tactics
Slow down
This is a general tactic being directed at anyone getting inundated with content. Slow down and realize that there is next to no benefit in being up-to-date on design content on an hourly, daily, or even weekly basis. Yes, if you are a marketer, you need to catch these things in the moment, but in design, you simply don’t.
Another aspect of slowing down is that it helps foster a sense of “designfulness” (design + mindfulness). This is where you acknowledge that growth and learning also comes from doing and resting. Blitzing your brain with content 24/7 is unhealthy and counterproductive.
Time-box and schedule your online reading
I barely read Twitter, DesignerNews, or Medium throughout the day, nor do I read them every day. Instead, I have set times for exploring and I try to keep these exploration sessions time-boxed.
During each session, I probably only spend about 30–60 minutes going through my content sources. For those of you with little time, this is probably the most important tactic. Schedule times throughout the week and relieve yourself of the anxiety of keeping up with the world 24/7.
When you read content as it comes in, you don’t give yourself time to think about whether it’s even worth reading. If you instead collect links (or let someone else do it for you…more on that later), and read during set times, you’ll find yourself reading less. For every 10 articles you think you should read, you’ll probably read 4–6.
Create a running backlog of topics to explore
I’ll start with a personal example. When React came on the scene several years ago, an explosion of articles followed. The ones that caused me the most anxiety were ones written by designers who claimed to have adopted React as a core part of their workflow.
But I, armed with my experience with Flash and Microsoft’s XAML, knew this was nothing to get worried about. Topics flare up and create anxieties in designers, but they don’t keep up the trend for long. Instead, I simply added “React” to my list of topics to learn more about, and kept learning what I was currently learning about the time (design leadership).
Signup for newsletters
This is ironically one of the older means of sharing content online and I believe it’s more valuable today than ever before.
Why?
First, newsletters are curated by someone (or some people) who is doing the sifting for you. Second, they are sent on more realistic cadences. I don’t worry about just-in-time design articles because I know my newsletters will pick them up.
Why is that important? Reading everything as it’s posted can interrupt a productive day or simply deviate from a learning track you’re currently on. If you’re heads down learning blockchain for a few weeks, then don’t worry about all the fuss over what new corporate design system came out. If it’s useful, then someone will still be writing about it three weeks later.
Actively curate your content sources
This is true for social networks, newsletters, blogs, and dribbble designers — any place you get design content should be actively curated. It’s a lot like a cluttered home and you need to make sure you do a little spring cleaning. As you grow, the types of content that help you will change.
Reflect on what skills you want to develop, and what topics you find interesting. Then, comb through your information sources and remove or add as you see fit.
If you become a senior designer and leadership becomes more important than learning Sketch hacks, find some great design leaders to follow and remove a few of your UI tricks newsletters. Or, spend less time on Dribbble and more time in Harvard Business Review.
The tactics here aren’t too different from how you should handle any type of information overload. But they’re worth calling attention to because I think designers often deal with the anxiety that this type of content is vital to their careers and personal growth so but you can never keep up. While it’s true that you can’t keep up, it’s also true that you don’t need to.
Instead, be intentional about how you consume information. You’ll find it easier to shut out the noise, while ensuring your time reading online content is well-spent. Over time, your judgment will improve to the point that tactics you start using in this article become second-nature.
When I’m not helping you read the article I just wrote, I’m working on Sketch design tools at UX Power Tools to make you a better, more efficient designer.
