Reading Time: 2 min The phrase “do your own research” has exploded in popularity in recent years, as you’ve likely noticed. Here is a chart showing the popularity of the phrase on Google over the last 15 years: At first glance it’s seemingly a good thing, and ultimately it can be. However, there are a few major problems with […]
The State of Louisiana Literacy Test
Reading Time: 2 min If you want to prevent people from voting, there are a variety of ways to do it. Back in the 1960’s, the state of Louisiana had a creative (and awful) way to prevent Black citizens from voting. If they were unsure of your education level (and white people generally got the benefit of the doubt), […]
You need to envy the entire life
Reading Time: < 1 min In a world that is still fixated so much on social media, it’s easy to just see the best of folks. You’ll see your neighbors vacationing in a tropical resort and feel a degree of envy, but it’s important to see the whole picture. We all know deep down that social media is generally just […]
The Sunday Summary: Good design, lack of nuance, and balance that isn’t 50/50
Reading Time: < 1 min In an effort to help me keep up with everything I post each week, here is my latest “Sunday Summary” of my posts from the week. Mon, October 30: Design is how it worksGreat design is much more than how something looks; it’s more about how it actually works. Tue, October 31: Nuance doesn’t lead […]
Warmth and Competence
Reading Time: 2 min If you want someone to trust you, carrying the traits of warmth and competence can go a long way. The book “The Human Brand” talked about this quite a bit, so I thought I’d share some of what they said. First is the overview: A person who demonstrates both warmth and competence inspires feelings of […]
Balance doesn’t mean 50/50
Reading Time: < 1 min Us humans are weird. When given two similar choices, we often assume that the odds of each choice is 50/50. That’s true in a lot of cases, like flipping a coin, but it also causes us to struggle to understand variances like in the Monty Hall problem. When it comes to work/life balance, you don’t […]
When creativity helps the most
Reading Time: < 1 min Creativity can be a double-edged sword. While it’s often a very good thing, if used excessively or carelessly it can lead to trouble. As David Ogilvy has said: “When I write an advertisement, I don’t want you to tell me that you find it ‘creative.’ I want you to find it so interesting that you […]
Knowledge can be power
Reading Time: 2 min While reading the book “The 12 Week Year“, this headline stood out to me: knowledge can be power. I’ll let the authors start by explaining it: You’ve no doubt heard the saying knowledge is power. I disagree. Knowledge is only powerful if you use it, if you act on it. People spend lifetimes acquiring knowledge, […]
Nuance doesn’t lead to attention
Reading Time: 2 min I talk on here quite a bit about understanding the “other side” of disagreements, as it’s a great way to gain both knowledge and empathy. When it comes to taking a stance on an issue, I often fall somewhere in the middle, trying to understand the pros and cons of each side. While I also […]
Design is how it works
Reading Time: < 1 min Good design can be hard to notice. Not because it’s so beautiful or creative, but because of how well it makes things work. A well-designed product is ideally beautiful and creative, but the true design comes from the function of it. In an article in the New York Times 20 years ago, just after the […]