Frank Chimero is a design god. There. I said it. What? He’s taking a hiatus from designing to write this book. (Watch the whole video. Seriously.)
He’s probably written some of the most compelling advice for students I’ve ever read, and in case you haven’t seen it before, we’re going to share some highlights here.
Look people in the eyes when you are talking or listening to them. The best teachers are the ones who treat their classrooms like a workplace, and the worst ones are the ones who treat their classroom like a classroom as we’ve come to expect it. Eat breakfast. Realize that you are learning a trade, so craft matters more than most say. Realize that design is also a liberal art. Quiet is always an option, even if everyone is yelling. Libraries are a good place. The books are free there, and it smells great.
And:
Don’t become dependent on having other people pull it out of you while you’re in school. If you do, you’re hosed once you graduate. Keep two books on your nightstand at all times: one fiction, one non-fiction.
But don’t forget:
Seeking advice is addicting and can become a proxy for action. Giving it can also be addicting in a potentially pretentious, soul-rotting sort of way, and can replace experimenting because you think you know how things work. Be suspicious of lists, advice, and lists of advice.
Read the full post here.
This guy was my teacher back in Portland! He’s an awesome dude. I was once drinking an iced Vietnamese coffee in class and he told me that the beans are consumed and passed through a civet’s intestines, then defecated, and eventually consumed by me, here in America. A distinct flavor is created through this process, disgusting. Who thinks like that?