There are many ways to become a stronger writer, although an often overlooked tool is by analyzing what you read. While learning to become a better writer, I’ve taken this approach by finding examples of what makes for good writing versus poor writing and examining why. As I advance in my ever-changing design profession, my curiosity for learning more about others’ experiences continues, so I used my interest in this subject for this reading exploration. 

Expect Change in Your Design Career. Choose Growth. by Tim Van Damme is an excellent blog post relating to the advancements in design, the positions, and the people themselves. The author and speaker segues his blog by introducing a “future-proof” way to approach design and career change. He then moves to five elements that have a high potential of evolving, then to four things that should likely remain consistent, all while providing hyperlinks to related text to advance his credibility and research in his writing. In addition to the writing, the blog post supplies a fair amount of white space, original illustrations, and call-to-actions that help keep the audience interested. Overall, the read was pleasing and left me feeling like I received necessary information on the subject.

“As Dr. Daniel Gilbert of Harvard points out, “Your future self will be a different person regardless of effort and intention.” Because change is inevitable and growth is optional, my advice is to design your life and your career wisely.”

– Tim Van Damme in Expect Changes in Your Design Career. Choose Growth.

Another article, written by Sarah S. on Linkedin, “The Evolution of The Fashion Designer,” talks about the changes that she’s experienced over several years in the fashion industry and gives her two-cents on what should improve. The article begins with a strong note that fashion designer positions need to adapt to treat designers better, which pulled me in to read more. However, as my read went on, I quickly realized that the statements appeared opinion-based and didn’t have any links within the text. I often found myself desiring to reference more evidence of what the author was writing about and felt that opinions alone weren’t reliable enough to keep me captivated. In addition to the questioned reliability, the article’s layout left me re-reading sentences with difficulty understanding where the transitions happen. The read conclusively left me less interested in the subject than when I began.

“For those companies who think it’s OK paying a Design Director $75K or an associate $15/hour you should reconsider. You certainly aren’t paying for the talent and experience that these candidates have.”

– Sarah S. in “The Evolution of the Fashion Designer”

While both writings make valid points about the changes in the design field, Van Damme used more reliable research, a layout that was easy and engaging, and helpful suggestions used from both his experience and findings. Sarah S’s article, however issued a few flaws in achieving the presumed goal. The article could use some revision to reach a more meaningful conclusion by using Van Damme’s blog’s similar features. Ultimately, I learned great insight from product design and fashion design experts and helped advance my knowledge of what makes for good writing and writing that needs improvement.