What Keeps You From Blogging?
I found symmetry in the kick-off and closure of the Information Architecture (IA) Summit 2009. I asked Indi Young, author of Mental Models: Aligning Design Strategy with Human Behavior, for advice for UX Designers tending their careers. Young suggested:
- Be a strong persuader
- Be able to form and articulate opinions quickly, and believe in those opinions
- Write
On the final afternoon of the conference, Young’s encouragement to nurture confidence was echoed by Whitney Hess’ inspirational presentation, Evangelizing All of Us: You Can’t Change the World if No One Knows Your Name. Hess challenged the non-bloggers in the room to talk with her about why they are not publishing their writing.
I imagined that discussion, and realized that it’s not that I don’t have anything new and useful to say, but rather that I’m out of the habit of critical thought. How dismal. I put a premium on completing tasks, including reading a great deal, but not on taking time to develop my responses to the things I encounter.
