Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ

In our post-pandemic, "AI all the things!" world, it's never been clearer that to design something � anything at all � is political This, of course, poses a difficult problem for aspiring designers: in addition to focusing on whatever it is we want/need to design, we must also consider the context in which we're designing (cue the Eliel Saarinen quote) and the people whose trust will help us realize our vision.

In Why Design is Hard, Scott Berkun and Bryan Zug offer a humorous, candid, insightful take on the myths to which design and designers ourselves fall prey. For example, the myths that (1) good ideas speak for themselves, (2) the majority of leaders will have knowledge that only designers have, (3) our job titles actually help people understand what we do, or (4) we shouldn't show low-fidelity work. In each case, Berkun and Zug explore how we might proactively engage with these myths using the tools of power, influence, and acceptance.

Why Design is Hard is similar in spirit to books like Mike Monteiro's "Design is a Job", Dan Hill's "Dark Matter and Trojan Horses", and Dan Brown's "Designing Together." What's different, however, is the authors' perspective: this isn't written from the perspective of independent consultants, or the owners of a small design studio; it draws on the wisdom of people who have led or contributed to teams inside of existing organizations. For this reason above all, I heartily recommend Why Design Is Hard to designers who are new to the politics of design.