TITLE: Get Attached to Solving Problems for People
AUTHOR: Eugene Wallingford
DATE: July 17, 2018  2:32 PM
DESC: 
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BODY:
In
<A HREF="http://mrmrs.cc/writing/2015/10/08/getting-critiqued/">
   Getting Critiqued</A>,
 Adam Morse reflects on his evolution from art student to web
 designer, and how that changed his relationship with users and
 critiques.  Artists create things in which they are, at some
 level, invested.  Their process matters.  As a result, critiques,
 however well-intentioned, feel personal.  The work isn't about
 a user; it's about you.  But...

<BLOCKQUOTE><EM>
 ... design is different.  As a designer, I don't matter.
 My work doesn't matter.  Nothing I make matters in the
 context of my process.  It's all about the people you
 are building for.  You're just trying to solve problems
 for people.  Once you realize this, it's the most
 liberating thing.
</EM></BLOCKQUOTE>

 Now, criticism isn't really about you as artist.  It's about how
 well the design meets the needs of the user.  With that in mind,
 the artist can put some distance between himself or herself and
 think about the users.  That's probably what the users are paying
 for anyway.

 I've never been a designer, but I was fortunate to learn how
 better to separate myself from my work by participating in
<A HREF="http://www.hillside.net/">
   the software patterns community</A>
 and
<A HREF="https://www.cse.wustl.edu/~schmidt/writersworkshop.html">
   its writers' workshop format</A>.
 From the workshops, I came to appreciate the value of providing
 positive and constructive feedback in a supportive way.  But I
 also learned to let critiques from others be about my writing and
 not about me.  The ethos of writers' workshops is one of shared
 commitment to growth and so creates as supportive framework as
 possible in which to deliver suggestions.  Now, even when I'm not
 in such an conspicuously supportive environment, I am better able
 to detach myself from my work.  It's never easy, but it's easier.
 This mindset can wear off a bit over time, so I find an occasional
 inoculation via PLoP or another supportive setting to be useful.

 Morse offers another source of reminder: the designs we create
 for the web -- and for most software, too-- are not likely to
 last forever.  So...

<BLOCKQUOTE><EM>
 Don't fall in love with borders, gradients, a shade of
 blue, text on blurred photos, fancy animations, a
 certain typeface, flash, or music that autoplays.  Just
 get attached to solving problems for people.
</EM></BLOCKQUOTE>

 That last sentence is pretty good advice for programmers and
 designers alike.  If we detach ourselves from our specific work
 output a bit and instead attach ourselves to solving problems
 for other people, we'll be able to handle their critiques more
 calmly.  As a result, we are also likely to do better work.
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