Too often, we leave writing about our work to the "experts"—big, accomplished names with miles of publishing and speaking behind them. But being able to communicate verbally—even if you work visually—is important at every stage of your career, and can play a major role in moving that career forward. Lisa Maria Martin is a former designer and current strategist and editor at A List Apart, here to share why writing matters—to you, to your job, and to your industry.
8. I write because "
I don’t know what I think "
until I read what I say.
Flannery O’Connor
9. Only by writing my thoughts and
speaking publicly do I actually
understand what I’m thinking; "
only by sharing those verbalized
thoughts with others can I begin to see
their broader implications.
Jeffrey Zeldman
http://alistapart.com/column/the-love-you-make
11. It examines all the “whys” of "
the job, turning entrenched habits
into intentional actions. It equips
you with the communication skills
to sell yourself and your work "
to bosses and clients.
Sally Kerrigan
http://alistapart.com/article/writing-is-thinking
12. By daring to…write, you will become
better at selling your ideas to "
tough clients, better at evangelizing
methodologies or causes to your peers,
better at thinking and therefore at doing,
and better at those all-important "
job interviews.
Jeffrey Zeldman
http://alistapart.com/column/the-love-you-make
14. When you write about your
work, it makes all of us "
smarter for the effort.
Sally Kerrigan
http://alistapart.com/article/writing-is-thinking
15. It forces you to go beyond the "
polite cocktail-party line you use "
to describe what you do and "
really think about the impact "
your work has…
Sally Kerrigan
http://alistapart.com/article/writing-is-thinking
16. …Done well, it means "
you’re contributing signal, "
instead of noise.
Sally Kerrigan
http://alistapart.com/article/writing-is-thinking
18. Writing comes from a place of
not knowing—a place of
exploration, seeking clarity, and
wanting to communicate.
Nicole Fenton
http://www.nicolefenton.com/writing-for-beginners/
24. Put your words out there.
I don’t know, I’m not the boss of words.
But I think you should.
I think you should do it.
25. “You have a role to play. "
Please play it."
Ben Callahan
https://the-pastry-box-project.net/ben-callahan/2015-March-22
26. Thank you.
Now go write.
Lisa Maria Martin
@redsesame
Web Design Day 2015
Editor's Notes
Thank you for bringing me back to this lovely city where I get to eat french fries on my sandwiches. And Pamela’s. Oh my god Pamela’s. I’m actually a CMU grad so PGH holds a special place in my heart. My degree is in design, but I ended up going into teaching, content strategy, and IA, and I’ve always been an editor and writer.
Design is thinking.
Writing is thinking.
They are, on some level, the same process.