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Dan Mall’s 10 Principles for a Worthy Design Career | Figma Blog
One of the biggest hurdles to working is how boring it is, but there’s a lot of value in doing manual and mundane work. It’s rote, but embracing the mundane is more than just getting work done; it’s about being the solution rather than finding one.
Dan Mall • Dan Mall’s 10 Principles for a Worthy Design Career | Figma Blog
Rule #6: Embrace the mundane
Journalist Sebastian Junger reframed the idea of being blocked: “It’s not that I’m blocked. It’s that I don’t have enough research to write with power and knowledge about that topic.”
Dan Mall • Dan Mall’s 10 Principles for a Worthy Design Career | Figma Blog
A creative block isn’t a wall at the dead-end of an alley. It’s a bridge under construction, that needs to be built to move forward.
To build the bridge you need the right materials and the tools. Look forthe materials by diving into research, gather the tools - mental models, physical ones, change your technique.
As you prepare and work, you find that the bridge appears before you like it was always there.
Understanding why you undertake certain projects or tasks is just as important as knowing how. Whether it’s because you have to or because you want to, find the purpose in your work. One of the most important lessons I’ve learned over my career is that I can find a worthy bet anywhere. It might not be obvious and I might have to dig for it, but it’... See more
Dan Mall • Dan Mall’s 10 Principles for a Worthy Design Career | Figma Blog
Rule #8: Keep asking why
If I believe in something, it means I know a certain amount about it. This gives me confidence to make decision, take action, do things that would have been harder to do before finding that belief. The belief that comes from finding purpose in what you’re doing.
Our decisions are always bets. We routinely decide among alternatives, put resources at risk, assess the likelihood of different outcomes, and consider what it is that we value. Every decision commits us to some course of action that, by definition, eliminates acting on other alternatives. Not playing a bet on something is, itself, a bet...There is... See more
Dan Mall • Dan Mall’s 10 Principles for a Worthy Design Career | Figma Blog
From Annie Duke’s book “Thinking in Bets”.
Every decision is a bet. To increase your odds of winning, place bets where you have an unfair advantage. Whether it’s your expertise, network, resources, or a unique insight, leveraging these advantages can make all the difference. When starting my agency, I had years of agency experience, a good reputation, and an existing steady stream of client... See more
Dan Mall • Dan Mall’s 10 Principles for a Worthy Design Career | Figma Blog
Rule #2: Place bets on unfair advantage
Because of the pre-work I’ve done before starting—back to physics—I’m already moving by the time I “start” working, and objects in motion tend to stay in motion. The bad news is that my work will almost always be acted upon by an unbalanced force. It’s called life. Counteract this force by building momentum. Start all pieces of work a bit earlier, ... See more
Dan Mall • Dan Mall’s 10 Principles for a Worthy Design Career | Figma Blog
Rule #7: Keep moving
A few years back, I came across a piece of advice that made me rethink how I approach my life and work. The idea was to view each day as a chapter in a story. If a day ends on a sour note, it doesn’t mean the story is ruined. Instead, it’s merely a plot twist. You can always add a fresh chapter the next day, changing the course of the narrative. Yo... See more
Dan Mall • Dan Mall’s 10 Principles for a Worthy Design Career | Figma Blog
Rule #10: Alway be ready for the next worthy bet
After ten years, nine months, and six days of running my agency Superfriendly, I shut it down. Finishing a project often triggers a sense of loss. When I pursue a worthy bet, I’m working toward an outcome for a set amount of time. And then, one day, I’m not. Even when I finish instead of quitting or giving up—especially when I do in a way that feel... See more
Dan Mall • Dan Mall’s 10 Principles for a Worthy Design Career | Figma Blog
Rule #9: Grieve the end
The work, no matter how worthy, is often a slog. The “before” stage is exciting, full of potential. The “after” gives me resolution, closure, the feeling of a happily ever after. What happens between those moments SUUUUCKS. It’s just me, zoomed into my canvas at 3200%, tweaking a bezier curve on that icon oh-so-slightly. Watching Rocky Balboa lift ... See more
Dan Mall • Dan Mall’s 10 Principles for a Worthy Design Career | Figma Blog
Having a clear, achievable goal in mind is crucial. When I began speaking at conferences, I set my goal on eventually speaking at An Event Apart, a web design conference for UX and front-end experts. It was run by Jeffrey Zeldman and Eric Meyer. Their speakers were people whose blogs I read every day to hone my own craft, and I wanted to be regarde... See more
Dan Mall • Dan Mall’s 10 Principles for a Worthy Design Career | Figma Blog
Rule #3: Begin with the end in mind