Practice practice practice

How context shapes our perception of messages in our design journeys.

I am usually one of those people who search for specific podcasts or articles to improve in areas where I have questions, want to get better, read some more ideas about something… or just curiosity.

The other day, I listened to an interview on the Dive Club Podcast with Alex Cornell about how to present design work and get buy-in for your ideas. Alex gives here a great overview of his journey creating the startup Cocoon, his time at Linear, and his recent transition to Meta, where he works on generative AI. Additionally, he talks a lot about the mental models he uses to construct compelling narratives and how his obsession with language and precision has influenced his work and the way he presents his ideas from another POV.

When the interview ended, I had the feeling that years go by, and I continue to hear about 'storytelling' or stories from others on how to improve presenting ideas.
Today, I want to share my thoughts on how my perception of these type of messages has changed over time. As I navigate through different stages in my career as a product designer over the past few years, information helps in different ways as gradually I grow. Hopefully, this exploration will help you navigate yours. ;)

Navigating uncertainty

7 years ago, I started consuming a lot of talks, conferences, and articles about this topic. At that time, I wasn't just learning the key parts of creating a good story but also gaining confidence to open up and express myself.

About 3 years ago, I was consuming this kind of information to help me organize my thoughts. I had a lot in my head and struggled to articulate my ideas clearly. I even took public speaking courses with Gabriela Feijoo at the University of Economic Sciences in Buenos Aires. Sometimes, I would get so tangled up in my thoughts that I couldn't find a way out. But all these tools help me to start being at least better from when I was before.

Last year, I attended a Norman Nielsen Storytelling class for UX work to continue learning about it, looking for more tools and structures.
Today, I still consume these kinds of stories but from a different perspective. Now, I’m looking for daily tools to gain clarity and aim to create impact in my proposals by considering all aspects.

Working on the mindset

In my day-to-day work, I realize that improving in this area involves a powerful combination of having A real problem to solve, have a good story to tell, well-executed work and genuinely caring about the outcome. This last point drives me to keep improving and striving to do better each time. If you listen to this podcast that I mentioned before, is different from others because Alex’s perspective on how the voice and format can help us to communicate an idea. Maybe a presentation pre-work requires too many times to repeat something over, over and over again to truly get what you want. No secrets.

Over time, I think that we will improve in what we practice daily, even on those days when we feel unsure or scared. Forgive yourself for all you didn’t know: you had to learned about it… and after all, it's what has brought you to where you are today!

Conclusion

In the context of the 2024 Olympic Games, I love watching the artistic gymnasts because it combines artistic, precision, strength, effort, and passion in just a few minutes of performance.

I think about how valuable our own journey is, something that no one can take away from you. It’s what makes each person unique, with different experiences, mistakes, successes, and decisions… but ultimately shapes each person's career. So once you look back 3, 4 or 10 years back, you realize how far you’ve gone.

Each person builds their personal <> professional path with the time we have, and it’s great that as we grow, even if we’ve heard the theory a thousand times, the context is different, the people we deal with are different, and even we change. So it’s important to be open to new perspectives and allow them to transform into what they need to be with work, dedication, and… passion! :)

Links:

I recommend putting on your headphones and listening to this interview to start the upcoming week:

And if you haven’t seen the incredible strength of Simone Biles in her Olympic floor performance, check it out Here. She is Amazing. 🤩

Have a great week!
Romi 🌸