Developing Intellectual Curiosity as a Designer
How getting curious again brought me back to the world
Writers Note:
I’m evolving and diversifying my content strategy. I’ll be using this newsletter as a tool to explore the more personal side of my design journey while I will be using Medium for more general design-related topics and discussions. I invite you to follow and support my Medium content.
Now on with the show!
2023 has been a transformative year for me. There are several reasons for this, some not so great, but a few rooted in positive sources, one of which is becoming more intentional about my curiosity.
For some background, up until 2019, curiosity was a major driver in my career development. It led me to UX design and eventually to mastering the design sprint process. Design sprints and workshop facilitation became my go-to design methods, the first tools I introduced in a new role I started in 2020.
Shortly after starting my new job, the pandemic hit. Subconsciously, I used it as an excuse to stop being curious and solely rely on the tools and processes I felt most comfortable using. As a result, I wasn't growing as a design professional.
Returning to 2023, part of emerging from the daze and depression of the lockdown was to rekindle my curiosity. Additionally, I desired to be more intentionally curious.
This intention is based on reigniting the fire to become a better design professional, to attempt to grow a Service/CX design practice within my organization, and pursue new academic achievements. With this intent, a clear path opened for me to be insatiably curious again.
It hasn't been easy, but it's been getting if anything, clearer. I'd like to share some ways I've developed my intellectual curiosity in the past year to enhance my skills as a designer. Some tips might be obvious, while others may not, but I hope they inspire your drive to become more curious.
Asking more questions: There was a significant period in my current position where I was too scared to ask challenging questions. I didn't want to 'rock the boat' and felt that my job involved 'knowing all the answers.' However, I realized my intellectual curiosity suffered when the questions stopped. Now, I find myself asking more questions about the people, processes, and products I work with. It's helping me learn new things about the business I serve, inspiring me to discover and create new ways to be of service.
Reading and writing: Not only have I read more books this year than in previous years (I can't wait to do that cliché end-of-year book list post!), but how I read and, more importantly, how I share what I read has been instrumental in developing my curiosity. Writing my take on articles and books is vital in developing new ideas and concepts to be curious about. Writing a weekly newsletter plays a role in feeding my curiosity through learning and sharing with like-minded people.
Talking to people: During the lockdown, I, like many, hunkered down and lost touch with friends, family, and communities. As a result, my curiosity greatly suffered because I wasn't learning and living with other people. I couldn't find the desire to learn and grow in general. I still have a long way to go in this department, but again, writing this weekly newsletter is a start, being more active on LinkedIn is a start, and, most importantly, reaching out to friends and communities I isolated from has made a monumental difference in my desire to learn more about the world I am trying to make better through design.
Exploring topics outside of design: Like many design practitioners, I often find myself obsessed with developing and mastering my design practice. The mistake I have made (and sometimes still do) is letting that obsession confine me to learning only about the world of design. This year, I've made an effort to feed my curiosity by learning more about the world around me outside of design. I've started small by watching more documentaries and reading articles and books unrelated to design.
These are the methods or ideas that have been working for me in bringing me back to a level where I'm excited to learn more about the world we live in and to be more curious about my profession. I feel I still have a long way to go to grow my intellectual curiosity, but using these techniques has provided the start I need to develop the mindset required to be curious about design and the areas design is trying to serve.
My Favorite Things from Last Week
I’ve long admired Jon Kolko’s approach to design and strategy and this article in particular does a fantastic job of outlining the thinking that goes behind good strategy work. I appreciate in particular the section dedicated to integrative synthesis. This idea makes me think about the concept of remixing several existing ideas into a new idea which happens all the time in art and design.
Lou Downe recently shared slides from her recent talk at the Service Design Network Conference in Berlin and needless to say, there was a lot of amazing content to be found in these slides. This one in particular resonated with me because it perfectly captures the idea that service design is happening almost everywhere and almost all the time whether that service is being designed well and with intention is another story but a good first step is to recognize that service design shows up in a lot of places we don’t always think about.
The Smart Bear blog recently posted an alternative approach to creating an MVP by creating an SLC or something that is simple, lovable, and most importantly in this context, complete. In a way I feel the article calls out the fact that many product and service organizations use the MVP mindset as an excuse to launch crappy unfinished experiences.
Kate Wilson wrote a great article on observing and trying to solve the “papering over the cracks” that can happen in a lot of service organizations. She points out the fact that most stakeholders are expecting only a digital solution to a service problem where digital can (and usually is) only a component of the larger problem to be solved. I love how Wilson approaches the need for user research and how she tries to apply it within her practice.
Finally, if you find yourself working with a lot of teams or you’re in a team yourself, I leave you with something to think about from Greg McKeown to help you think about and navigate your team dynamics.