Advice for the Young at Heart

Many of us have what are referred to as "passion projects." Passion projects, in general, are things that people get involved in because they love it or believe it is vital and important, rather than because they want to make money. Passion projects can include starting a business, writing a book, or inventing a new product.

 Writing a children's book has always been one of my passion projects, and I've spent the last several years working on one about a monster that appears at a school once it becomes too dirty. The story is based on my experience working as a part-time janitor at an elementary school while attending Utah State University.

 So, what's the reason for telling you this? Because part of the process of creating a book, or doing anything creative, includes having your work critiqued at some point. This may be incredibly difficult, especially if it is something you are extremely passionate about or have spent a significant amount of time on. It's difficult not to take it personally when someone tells you that you need to change, delete, or completely remove this and that because "it didn't make sense”.

 I felt those emotions when I had family and friends read the first drafts of my story. My brother even went so far as to completely rewrite and redo chunks of my story. It was a difficult pill to swallow at first, but after calming my emotions and leaving my ego at the door, I realized that the feedback I received tremendously improved and enhanced my story. The next step is to have the editor I’ve hired review the book and get their feedback. I'meager to hear their opinion, good or bad, because I know it will improve my story and bring me closer to completing one of my passion projects.

 Design is a collaborative effort, and we as creatives need to remember that. We must resist the idea or habit of withdrawing to our corner and working alone to emerge later with a design that we believe would impress everyone. Instead, whether you're the lone designer or part of a larger team, we need to get input and feedback from the team, users and even stake holders at each level of the design process. Always keep in mind that the work we do is not about the designer who made it, but about the user or task for whom it was ultimately designed.

 Here are some tips for providing good feedback fromfilestage.io.

• Start with what you like - Strike a good balance between positive and constructive creative feedback and start by pointing out which parts are working well. This will help to put the designer at ease, making them more receptive to your next feedback points.
• Keep it objective - Take the time to refer back to the brief and point out parts of the design that are slightly(and objectively) off the mark.
• Focus on problems, not solutions -Instead of suggesting specific solutions (like “Make the logo 2x bigger”),point out areas where the design isn’t quite working and explain why.
• Make it exhaustive - Take the time to review the design in detail. This helps to minimize the number of review rounds needed.

Giving design feedback is not always easy. However, thoughtful, and well-considered feedback can aid designers in exploring innovative solutions that lead to better products, all while strengthening healthier (and more efficient) team unity.

This month’s newsletter is titled after the Tears for Fears song "Advice for the Young at Heart", on their 1989 album "TheSeeds of Love".

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