Category: Work

Education and Support are Golden

“In this case, our approach worked, and the client’s cumbersome media management time was significantly reduced. The difference between the outcome of the two projects was simply education and support.

…

We should be teaching our clients to use their website, app, content management system, or social media correctly and wisely. The more adept they are at putting our products to use, the better our products perform.”

90% of my day job is education and support. 100% of any glimmer of success I’ve ever had is in properly aligning capabilities in what is being developed and expectations on how that will be used. Things are often built with all sorts of bells-and-whistles – that never get used. Why? Because no one took the time to set expectations, educate, and support the customer. Drew Thomas knows what he’s talking about here folks.

 

 

Clients are not Your Friend and That’s OK

“The first time I presented design to a client I absolutely choked. I put the work in front of them and stood there like an idiot. It was humiliating. The next time was a little easier. And the time after that, well, you get the idea. I have done every one of the things on this list. I’m sharing them with you in the hopes that they’ll spare you a humiliating experience or two. It’ll take time.”

Mike Monterio (again) shares some practical wisdom for anyone who works with clients. You can design the most amazing thing, but if you can’t present it’s no good. I cringed reading this, knowing I too have made some of these mistakes.

Work Life Imbalance by Rian van der Merwe

“See, the time I spend with people is what gives my work meaning. I do what I do for them—for the people in my life, the people I know, and the people I don’t. If we never spend time away from our work, how can we understand the world and the people we make things for?”

Rain’s first column on A List Apart is already one of my favorites. A cliché as it is to say this I will. I could quote the whole damn thing.

Remember, everything your employer or client does is to get more out of you. It’s not nefarious, it’s driven into everyone. From the employee feeling like they have to work hard (and they should ) long (and they shouldn’t) hours to the leaders trying to get the most out of their employees. It’s a vicious circle. Only you as an individual can change that.

 

Paul Ford on Being Polite

“Politeness buys you time. It leaves doors open. I’ve met so many people whom, if I had trusted my first impressions, I would never have wanted to meet again. And yet — many of them are now great friends. I have only very rarely touched their hair.”

I have few detractors and can’t really claim to have any enemies. Perhaps I’m not opinionated enough. Most likely it’s because I’d much rather be the polite person than the person who has to be right. Mr. Ford has a few tips for those who struggle with politeness.

 

 

“Love Your Life, Work Your Job”

“You are not your job. You don’t need to do it out of love or because it’s central to your character anymore than you’d expect any other laborer to, no matter what they do. Love your life, work your job.“

Artist Zac Gorman of Super Time Force and Magical Game Time talks at length about doing what you can & be happy regardless when it comes to work and your identity.