I Am (Not) A Designer: Accepting the Designer Label On Your Own Terms (SXSWi 2014)

I Am (Not) A Designer

Accep%ng the “Designer” Label On Your Terms

Morgan Burton | @morgan_kb

#nolabels #notdesign

Eckhart Tolle

Give up defining yourself - to yourself or to others[…]You can only lose something that you have, but you cannot lose something that you are.


[Obligatory Introductions]


Hi! I’m Morgan.

•  Native Texan (Type: Houstonian)

•  Loves bacon, BBQ (esp. beef brisket) and hot sauces •  Slightly obsessed with wearable and ambient tech


Before all this…

Pre-med/biology + Informatics + Social/bio-psychology + Marketing

User Experience [Researcher/Architect]

Interesting and fun; but I HATE GERMS.

Who doesn’t LOVE information?!

Why are people weird?

How do I make these weirdos do what I want?


PRELUDE: A PURPOSEFUL DILEMMA “WHAT do you do again?”


“So, what do you do?”

I work in user experience.


“So, what do you do?”

I work in user experience.


“Oh, you’re a user experience ?”

Photo by Benson Kua (CC license via Flickr)

NO. WAY.

-  graphic, arty people

-  crazy creatives

-  don’t you need an art school degree?

-  I don’t make websites (that often)

I am so NOT a designer.


The truth is…

I am (NOT) a designer.

[And so are(n’t) you]


1. DENIAL “Know Your Labels”

What Is Design, Anyway?

Design is in everything we make, but it’s also between those things.

Erik Adigard


de•sign /də’zīn/

noun: purpose, planning, or intention that exists or is thought to exist behind an action, fact, or material object. verb: to plan and make (something) for a specific use or purpose


plan + make + purpose [ Have a ]

[ something ]

[ on ]


TL;DL (Too Long; Didn’t Listen)

design = plan + make + purpose You can’t deny what you don’t know We plan – make – purpose all the time!


…I could possibly be a designer.


2. ANGER “Breaking The Mold”

I used to worry about the labels others placed on me… until I realized my limitations weren’t coming from their labels, but from my own.

Steve Maraboli



Drawing!

CODING!

BUSINESS!

“@#%=*! I’m not creative!”


[ something ]

[ on ]


Purpose: The Only To-Do That Matters

What do you WANT people to do? -  Inspire

-  Inform -  Alert


[Insert picture of car simulation for car sim alert story]


TL;DL

Know the purpose of your work (whatever it is) Designers do things for a reason


But…WHO said it has to be this way?


3. NEGOTIATION “Something Old + New”


QUESTION EVERYTHING

Look for new perspectives

INNOVATION: see old things with new eyes

CREATIVITY: discover new things with same eyes



[ something ]

[ on ]


The Tension Gap

What I Know

What I Want To Accomplish

shift_me

SYNTHESIS!

Design is the intermediary between information and understanding.

Richard Grefé


[Insert picture for choice arch story here]

#nolabels

Design =/= (only) Visual Arts

-  Planning comes from analysis, which means we must fully understand the problem.

-  Need some background knowledge – which you have (life experience)

- Things we know + new ways = INNOVATION

plan + make + purpose

TL;DL

Use what you know already to accomplish what you want to do

shift_ thinking = shift_you

#nolabels

Checklist: ü Understand design

ü Break social definition

ü Innovate and create w/ shift_Me

…I’m a “designer”!

#nolabels

4. DEPRESSION “Get Lost (In Your Work)”

Research isn’t design!

What do you mean “you don’t code all

the %me”?!

Designers draw…

#foreveralone

The truth is…

Stage 4: Depression

(“Get Lost In Your Work”)

It’s ok (even GOOD) to be different.

The truth is…

Stage 4: Depression

(“Get Lost In Your Work”)

It’s ok (even GOOD) to be different.

Photo : Zoos Victoria (Australia)


[ something ]

[ on ]

What will they remember you for?[…] Invent something, develop a unique skill… — it creates a talking point.

Chris Arnold

[Insert picture for title vs. interest story]

Photo : Morgan Burton

That’s Not My Name!

-  Old me: conforms to social definition -  shift_Me: makes new form from actual definition

“What do we call you?”

Who actuall! cares?!

TL;DL

Focus on what you DO (function over definition) Create your legacy

…because labels don’t matter.

The Prestige-ish Realization

[PLAN + MAKE] I have all these ideas in my head: -  Better process -  Better interfaces -  Better systems -  Better tools

[PURPOSE] AND I’m learning new things!

…wait a second.

5. ACCEPTANCE “I’m (not) a designer. And so are(n’t) you.”

Put it all together

-  Define it

-  Break conventions/boundaries

-  Bring your experience to new ideas/concepts

-  Create your title by what you DO

You are (not) a designer.

ENDOSTORY [KIND OF].

What’s In This For Me?

We need MORE divergent thinkers from EVERY field

-  More differences = different design

-  By creating with purpose, you embody design

-  Innovate + create

shift_ EVERYTHING.

• Mind [PLAN IT]

• Body [MAKE IT]

• Purpose [CHANGE IT]

Accept no one’s definition of life; define yourself.

Harvey Fierstein

The [Actual] End.

Thank You!

Tweet me @morgan_kb Link me /morgan.k.burton On the web morgankb.com [email protected]
