Hello!
First of all, thank you for responding to the two surveys I included in my last email. These things really help me, not just because they assist me in producing better content, but perhaps even more so because they motivate me. Writing a newsletter can at times feel very lonely because, let's face it, it's very one-directional. Therefore, receiving feedback really helps me because it tells me that there are at least a couple of you who read my emails and enjoy them. If you haven't answered these five simple questions yet, there's still time.
A quick summary? Sure!
- Most of you found me through social media (56%), which was a bit surprising, but I really didn't know what to expect either.
- No one rated the content as bad or terrible (phew!). 52% think it's good, and a whopping 30% think it's great.
- 3% think the design of the newsletter is bad. If this is you, please hit reply and tell me how I can improve it!
- Many of you mentioned that you appreciate the personal approach that I have to writing and sharing experiences. This makes me feel all kinds of (good) emotions!
- Most of you mentioned that you want more frequent emails, which is nice to hear and something I'll do my best to do. I feel like I'm already making progress!
Lately, I've been thinking more about user research (we're finalizing a couple of new things at Summer Health), and this podcast episode made me write down a couple of thoughts. I'm thinking that going forward, not every blog post needs to be a thoughtfully curated masterpiece. After all, some of the reading I tend to enjoy online the most is similar to Anthony Hobday's.
So without further introduction, here’s something I just wrote on user research, how every design project is a series of decisions, and how all decisions have consequences and compromises.
| Read: Consequences in design |
Many of you also mentioned that you enjoyed the links I share so here are a couple of things I’ve enjoyed online lately.
Things I’ve read
I’d be remiss if I didn’t note that in all of this there is also a cautionary tale for anyone who succeeds at something — which is that the higher you climb, the smaller your world becomes. It’s a strange paradox but the richest and most powerful people are also some of the most isolated.
I found myself frequently looking at Elon and seeing a person who seemed quite alone because his time and energy was so purely devoted to work, which is not the model of a life I want to live.
- 4000 weeks - I loved the book and this site highlights the thinking beautifully.
- Writing as a strategy
- Freelance things
Talk again soon! And hit reply if you want to ask me anything!
Anton