Staying creative
Everyone is creative. But some stay that way longer. Sooner or later, most people charged with designing, writing, illustrating, and the like find their stores of invention running low. Inspiration pays fewer calls. The well of originality produces only echoes. Ultimately, the very urge to create—the thing that got them into this business when their parents advised them to study dentistry—shrivels and fades.
Or so I have read.
A List Apart illustrator Kevin Cornell is no stranger to the problem of becoming and staying motivated, and in his new ALA article, coincidentally entitled Staying Motivated, he shares his process for doing just that.
Also in Issue 243 of A List Apart, for people who make websites:
We say potato, our client says po-tah-to. Clients and those who serve them come from different backgrounds, possess different skills, and often seem to speak different languages. To work around these differences, many of us use a metaphor- and simile-driven shorthand. The site should work “like Amazon,” with features “like Expedia.” It should be “like Basecamp” and “like Wikipedia.”
This language of comparison can help bridge the knowledge gap, but it can also create false expectations and frustration on both sides of the client/designer relationship. Can you master the metaphor without falling prey to its pitfalls? Jack Zeal thinks you can, and in Design by Metaphor he shares tips on using the technique to keep clients engaged but not unhinged.
Pretty good, right? But there’s more. In Editor’s Choice, from 16 August 2002, we proudly revive 10 Tips on Writing the Living Web by Mark Bernstein—the classic article on updating daily content to grow community and keep readers coming back.
I should reread that one myself.
Tags: alistapart, creativity, inspiration, jackzeal, kevincornell, designbymetaphor, clientservices, ebay
Filed under: A List Apart, Design, Ideas, Publishing, client services, creativity, industry
great article, I love your style. All the best green IT commentary comes out of England.
I came back, if it’s any consolation. And yesterday. You keep us guessing, Mr. Z.
In my opinion, when clients say they want it “like eBay” they mean they either want our website to behave as effective as it or they like some specific features of that website. It’s never a problem for me as long as I ask them what exactly they like about eBay.
a welcome dose of faulty asus motherboard combined with shitty customer service (http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/home/) for a number of weeks every summer always does the trick for me.
i’m now itching to get back to 10hrs of web a day.
‘web standards’ was the book that got me into web jeff - i hope that’s inspiration/motivation enough for you to keep you going a few extra weeks!
props.