Read more books, dear designer.
I have never been a fan of reading books. I prefer to watch a movie or series than read a book. I always had the defense that I was more of an audio-visual learner. While this may be true, I discovered that many secrets are hidden in books that can help you upscale in any career. This article will briefly explore how reading can improve your lifestyle as a designer.
Reading books help you gain valuable knowledge that is rarely diluted. In what sense do I mean? Most online courses or industry videos are edited to fit into a duration of an hour or two to prevent information overload. This means that you are getting only a slice of the cake by watching those videos or taking those courses alone. These courses should help you provide a better perspective on your already gained knowledge.
You become a better problem solver by reading books. As designers, our designs must solve users' pain points in line with the outlined business outcome. By reading, you are exercising the brain and making exploring unique solutions to problems easier. You can also analyze your ideas critically and provide more creative outputs because you have a wide range of perspectives.
Reading increases your confidence and communication skills. Because of your broad knowledge, you can have quality and relatable conversations with people. You would be able to speak confidently in a room of design folks because you know your stuff and can navigate different perspectives. You would also be able to communicate your design decisions clearer and document your journey and learnings more easily.
Increase your focus and concentration by reading. This is where I advocated for reading physical books. These days, we have distractions everywhere. We say we want to complete a particular task but immediately pick up our phones and scroll through Twitter. Time flies, and the day is over. Cultivating a reading habit helps you concentrate better on your tasks, reflecting on other areas of your life.
Book recommendations, thanks to The Design Creek - https://twitter.com/TheDesigncreek?s=20&t=5F1BI9RYEMHP1H4wLfqGPQ include:-
✨ Show your work by Austin Kleon: This book prioritizes showing your design process and mastering the art of storytelling. This helps provide support to someone new and find people (business and other creatives) who have an interest in your field.
✨ Just enough research by Erika Hall: This provides more context on the importance of integrating research in building an enjoyable user experience. It prevents a designer from creating poor designs and the business from losing investments.
What are the books you are currently reading?
