Hello world
I am a designer. I used to be a writer. Kind of. I wrote for a few design blogs. I started my own design blog at one point, however that was more pictures than words. I wrote a couple of travel articles. I once wrote a feature piece after interviewing one of London’s most interesting creatives working at the intersection between art and design.
I took a journalism course once. Writing a piece about a colleague and friend whose wife saved his life by donating her kidney to him.
I’m considering signing up for a travel writing course.
However I have written very little about service design. I’ve written for Snook, a handful of times. Mainly trying to cover up that it’s me actually writing. Why?
I’d say two main reasons:
- I don’t want to be famous or known. I didn’t get into design for the notoriety and it makes me uncomfortable thinking there will be a spotlight on me. I’m aware this is not why a lot of designers write. I read a lot of writing by other designers every day and I’m sure this is absolutely not the driver for most. So why do I feel this way?
- I have a bad case of imposter syndrome especially amoungst my peers. Will what I say be ‘right’? Will it be interesting? Will people read it? What will they think? Will I use the wrong words or say the wrong thing? Will I accidentally exclude someone or offend someone?
All of this aside, I’d like to start writing more. And I’d also like to start speaking more (but that’s another story). I enjoy writing and I’d like to contribute to the dialogue that sits around the industry I love working in. But I’d like to do so in an honest and natural way that feels right for me.
This is my start.
And this is me. Honest and natural in another life. Photo credit: David St George.
