Let's Try This Again
I haven’t written anything for myself in over a year. So this is a re-introduction.
Hi, I’m Zach.
I’m a designer, facilitator, and strategist. I love design sprints and sticky-note-covered whiteboards. There’s just something about the colors and controlled chaos that lights me up every time I’m running a workshop. I love asking questions and guiding people through a problem space. I studied art and design in school. A lot of folks I grew up with gravitated toward the technology behind the design work. I started loving the human side of design. I care way more about what we make for people and why. I figured other people would care about the how, at least more than I do. I’ve used design to work on brands, UX projects, products, and services. I’m trying to care a lot less about titles and labels. It’s all design to me, and I love working on it all.
I say love a lot because I truly love this design stuff. I love design thinking. I think design is magic. I love design workshops and research. I love finding out what people need, and I love collaborating with people to make something people need. I’m not in Figma (for me it was Sketch and Photoshop) as much as most designers, but I still love being a designer and seeing myself as one. I really care about design process and how design can influence products and services beyond aesthetics and craft. Yet I still nerd out on awesome typography, layouts, and illustrations. Despite all the terrible shit design is responsible for (thinking of the FAANG design decisions), I still think design can and is a positive force for good in the world.
I’ve avoided posting or publishing for a while because I didn’t think I was good enough to share my experiences. I still struggle with impostor syndrome, but I need to get over it. Also, the design world is in a heap of trouble right now from what I see online (more on that in a sec). Designers are burned out. Jobs are scarce. AI is everywhere. Tech companies are using design to really screw things up for people. UX is dead. Design thinking is dead. It’s all dead.
And those online conversations about design? They kind of mostly suck right now.
We have influencers, gatekeepers, charlatans, snobs and to be straightforward, a lot of jerks in the space. They’re all either arguing with each other about a bunch of stuff that doesn’t matter or complaining about a bunch of stuff that does matter but not really offering to do anything about it.
I don’t really want to contribute to the noise. So here’s what I’m thinking about as I relaunch this writing experiment:
🥳 I want to bring fun back to design & collaboration
The reason I got into this work wasn’t to optimize engagement, argue about the value of the double diamond, or geek out over the latest Figma feature. It was because creative problem-solving is just plain fun to me, and it’s even better when we do it together. If I can use my little corner of the internet to inject a little fun into the aforementioned cesspool that is today’s design commentary, then I’ll be happy.
⚡️Workshops, prototypes, and research, oh my!
The design sprint is probably 100,000 years old when you count in tech years (trust me, I did the math), but the book and the method were life changers for me. I want to talk about the things I love about the design sprint:
Workshopping with really smart people that know way more than I do
Creating a messy prototype in a day or two
Sharing that prototype with people who could potentially use it
So basically, you should ignore me and unsubscribe if you are looking for Figma tips, thoughts on UX and information architecture, or the latest branding trends. There are tons of people who are really smart and care a lot about these things, and I will do my best to share what they’re saying when it makes sense to do so. But stick around if you’re interested in workshops, prototypes, and design research.
🛑 I’m not here to out-expert anyone
Remember when I said I have impostor syndrome? I wasn’t kidding. It’s a problem. I’ve literally hired some folks to help me manage it.
So with that being said, I’m not a guru, a ninja, a rockstar, a super IC, or whatever we’re saying these days to describe experts. I don’t have all the answers. I’ll probably be wrong about some (or a lot of) things. But I care. I listen. And I want to learn. If you’re on that journey too, I’d love to meet you there.
✍️ I’m writing because I want to connect with people again
There’s no content calendar. No agenda. I don’t want to be a thought leader.
I just want to connect with people again.
Zoom is great. Miro is awesome. But I miss being around other designers, creative product managers, really smart engineers, and talented brand strategists. I miss being around creative folks. If what I write leads me to meeting more people like this, then again, it’ll be worth it.
🗺️ Let’s See Where This Goes
This is my way of saying: I’m back.
But also, I’m beginning again.
Thanks for being here. I don’t take your attention for granted.
And if anything I share resonates, feel free to reach out.
I’d love to learn from you too.
— Zach