I remember when I was teaching — on the first night I’d always point out that this is a field where you need to know how to research and learn new things constantly. When we’d start working in Photoshop for the first time, I’d mention that it is an “overdetermined” program (meaning it does much, much more than any one person could ever need) and that not even each developer knows everything about the program. So don’t worry or be intimidated – let’s just jump in and learn the basics, and then fill in as needed — each client and project is different after all.
And so it goes. Even learning an easy program like WordPress — it’s still a good reminder for me as to what “beginner’s mind” feels like. It’s a familiar (and humbling) feeling these days as we’re bombarded with information and the pace quickens. I’m getting used to it (although I may not always like it).
When something is unfamiliar, it helps to keep it simple and clear. I appreciate that about WordPress. And it’s a cardinal rule of good design: keep only what is essential. What can we take out and still make our point?
(And oh, by the way – how design is changing, yes? It used to be that a simple website took at least a few weeks to design – no more.)
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