As I am about to venture into the field of design criticism, I decided to seek advice from established design writers. I was very fortunate to be in touch with Alissa Walker, who kindly spent the time to answer some of my questions.

Alissa is an LA-based freelance writer for GOOD, Fast Company, Dwell, Sunset, Print, The Architect’s Newspaper, LA Weekly, Metropolis, Wired, Design Observer, Core77, Coudal,ReadyMade, I.D., Eye, HOW, and STEP Inside Design. She is also the associate producer for the radio show, DnA: Design and Architecture. She also loves gelato, which makes me admire her even more! I first came across Alissa’s writing on GOOD, and soon became more aware of her work over the Internet, so I am very glad I have the opportunity to learn and share Alissa’s experiences here as I figure out my own.

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As a design writer, why do you feel design matters and why is it important to write about it?
My feelings about why design matters has actually shifted since I started writing about design. I used to think it was important for me to act like a translator for designers—to educate non-designers about design by explaining things like typefaces and buildings to them in a way that they could understand. In the last few years my eyes have been opened to the very real ways in which designers can improve—and are improving—our lives. Now I need to help get the word out about exciting projects, and open up a discussion with my audience about whether or not they work.

What is it like writing for so many different publications, and how does your voice or the material change for each of these?
These are such good questions! I try very hard to keep my writing fun and approachable but I definitely have to shift my voice a bit when writing for different publications. Not only between publications, but also if I’m writing for the web compared to print. I tend to use a lot of exclamation points! And random punctuation. You can’t do that as much in a magazine, which still has a certain formality to it.

Photo by Jorge Menes

What sort of things influence and inform your work?
Most of my inspiration, either directly or indirectly, comes from walking around the streets of Los Angeles and taking lots of pictures.

How did you begin writing and speaking about design?
I began my illustrious writing career as a copywriter, trying desperately to get hired after the dot-com bubble burst. When I didn’t get the full-time job of my dreams, I took a job at a production company, and tried to write on the side, which we all know doesn’t really work. When I finally decided to get serious about the writing, I just started pitching the stories I was interested in, which were basically what was all around me—talented designers, smart ad campaigns, cool animation, beautiful buildings. I started by reaching out to people at publications I knew, and a year later I got a job as editor of the design blog UnBeige—after I was there for a few months, editors started reaching out to me. I also went to every single design conference I could afford and made a lot of friends. I think that was probably the single most important investment in my career!

What are the perks and peeves of being a freelance writer?
There have, of course, been some very scary moments, most of them at the beginning, where I definitely wasn’t making enough money, and I worried all the time. But after the fourth year—I swear, it only takes four!—I had regular gigs and I didn’t have to worry about money anymore (or, shall I say, as much!). Now I think the hard part is making all the choices about what’s right for my career. Choosing which jobs to take and which articles to write is stressful, and I always worry that I’m not making the right decisions. Or taking jobs just for the money that I’m supposedly not worried about.

Most people probably will say that working alone sucks but I am so, so thankful to be able to work at home, by myself, on my schedule. If I ever go to work in an office I spend the whole day wondering how anyone gets anything done at an office. Plus with things like Campfire, IM, and Twitter, it’s not nearly as isolated as it used to be. And besides, if I ever get lonely, I just go out for a walk.

In the emerging field of design criticism, what opportunities or areas would you like to see more writers explore?
I would hope that young writers especially can help strip away the jargon-heavy, self-important pretense around design writing. Write about real life and real people. Using real words. Write about yourself and your own opinions as much as you can. I used to be terrified to write about architecture because I was worried I’d get all the terminology wrong. It’s not about that at all. It’s how the building serves its users, and connects to the community, and fits into the fabric of the city.

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I was relieved to learn that I was not the only one who feared writing about architecture! Architecture seems so different to graphic design, and knowing so little about it made me really nervous. But knowing that writing is really about understanding the interactions and experiences that take place within the buildings makes me feel much better.

Thank you for your time, Alissa!

It’s a little hard to believe that after wanting to go to grad school for three years now, it will finally all be a reality in a week’s time. It used to be just something I’d tell people I wanted to do, something I saw myself eventually doing but next week I will actually be a masters student, taking on new challenges and starting a new chapter. After what felt like a tedious apartment search which involved many sleepless nights and too many brokers (I’m told this is only the first lesson in New York survival), my roommate secured us a lovely place yesterday in Manhattan which I will move into next week.

Having lived on the East coast for four years already, I don’t think I will have as much culture shock this time, but it will still feel new. YSDN was a joint program, so we commuted between a large university and a technical college. We had the advantage of having two experiences in one, but some of my friends tell me I still don’t know what it is like to attend a real art school, where every student is the visual kind of artist (I’ve always imagined it to be kind of like Art School Confidential). SVA will be that sort of real art school where there will be many opportunities to collaborate creatively.

To be honest, I’m a little scared about going back to school with so little experience, having learnt so much yet not enough about being a junior designer. I’m worried about being the youngest in my class, among others that have had much more working and life experience. My last degree included 2 labour strikes (sadly, one from each school), 3 boyfriends and 9 roommates… I can only wait and see what my masters will bring.

My body has conveniently decided to shut down this week so I am sick in bed while I have an endless list of things to do and people to see. But I think maybe it’s a good thing, to sort of clear my thoughts and slow down a little between work and school so I don’t burn out by the time I arrive.

Everything I’ve anticipated and hoped for is actually going to happen very soon. And I think I’m ready to hit the ground running.

My new article for IDSGN.

The first time I encountered Blissymbols was at the sound and moving image library at my university. My independent studies advisor and mentor, David Scadding, recommended that I borrow Mr. Symbol Man for research. I ended up loving the clicking noise and experience of watching a film reel, and above all was impressed by the enthusiasm of the inventor, Charles K. Bliss.

David never really critiqued my work much when we met for our discussions, but instead taught me things about being a designer – how not to be caught up in marketing or flowery things, to design for the “betterment of the community”. Blissymbols were a good example of designing for the benefit of others, and reminds me of the social impact I can make as a designer. Knowing that becoming a design critic and writer will only reach more people, I want to remember the responsibilities and influence I can have, even if design doesn’t cure cancer.

PS. My last article for IDSGN received over 10K readers! So surprised and flattered!

When given a choice between starchy foods, I will almost always choose pasta or noodles first. Rice comes in as a close second and almost ties when paired with fresh raw fish, but pasta pretty much triumphs in most situations.

The Geometry of Pasta combines 100 authentic recipes of Jacob Kenedy and the design skills of Caz Hildebrand in a beautiful, elegant and playful book.

The Geometry of Pasta from Pan Marketing on Vimeo.

I love that it is full of simple yet dynamic black and white illustrations. I need this book to satisfy both my food and design appetites!

Although I’ve only been at Whitespace for six months, this has been my longest design position and therefore by far the most rewarding. As a designer, I had the opportunity to work on a breadth of projects, fine-tuning my design abilities while developing new communication and organizational skills. I felt like I was constantly learning from the way the senior designers worked, and I saw my own work become more sophisticated too. The amazing thing about being a part of a small studio is the chance to work on so many things, sometimes not strictly design work. The more you’re exposed to and the more you have to do, the steeper the learning curve, which can only be a good thing if you’re up for the challenge. I’d recommend working at a boutique studio to any fresh graduate, because the chance to take responsibility and build relationships in a close knit team definitely lends more satisfaction than working in-house or being a small part of a multinational agency.

I am not exaggerating when I say that everyone here is an expert at what they do. Just from talking with them and seeing their work every day, I’ve learned so many valuable things. My coworkers have excellent knowledge of design and typography, an eagerness to share their design process, great project management and an open mind to understanding different businesses and mediums. Above all, they know how to have a good time together – initiating group movie nights, poker nights, a boat party, snooker, watching World Cup matches, bowling, discovering different restaurants in Sheung Wan/Soho, attending cultural events/openings/festivals and having countless happy hour drinks until we barely remember.

To show my appreciation, I put my amateur leather craft skills to use and made everyone a tiny gift. A heartfelt thank you to all the wonderful people I met at Whitespace: Danielle, Rosalie, Angie, Kenny, Michell, Andrew, Nick, Ping, Emily, Veronique and Dan.

I’m excited for the next chapter: New York in 15 days!

In whatever written form, I have been keeping a record of thoughts and experiences since I was 8. It can be embarassing reading these accounts from the past because they seem childish and trivial, but recently I’ve found that there is also a lot I can learn from a naïve and optimistic self. Stumbling across an archive of writing from 2005 to 2008, I time-travelled and received more insight about some important moments from the past. Because it’s been so long, I’ve forgotten some of the reasons, circumstances and thoughts that lead me to the decision to apply for YSDN or to overcome my first real heartbreak. Rereading these have been refreshing, and made me feel like I was learning from my own past wisdom and clarity.

Khoi Vinh’s explanatory post on why he chose to leave his position as design director of NYTimes.com, was a much needed reminder to me that it’s a good idea to write things down. Keeping a record of ideas doesn’t just justify decisions in writing, but helps us remember the optimistic drive we initially had, when we grow weary and challenged later on. I was so moved by Khoi’s brave love for his daughter and his courage to not ignore “frustrated ambitions”. It’s important to first live and just be, to do all the things we want now before we can inspire younger people with our stories of risk-taking and fulfilment.

Plenty of parents make heroic sacrifices for their children, staying in whatever imperfect jobs are available to them so their children can lead better lives. But to stay in a job simply for stability when I knew I had the skill and more importantly the opportunity to try something different seemed like cowardice. I just couldn’t square the idea of the uninhibited woman that I wanted Thuy to grow up to be with the daily lesson I’d be giving her in suppressing one’s dreams. And I just didn’t think I’d be able to hide any of those feelings from her, no matter how brave a face I could put on.

So I’m going to start a new category here, Notes to Self, to remind future Cheryl of why I do the things I do, the goals I’ve set out for myself and to make sure those visions are always in check. Hopefully this will document my growth but also help me remember when I’m caught up in the routine of life, to keep my eyes on the prize.

Moving all my books with me across the ocean later this month will be a hassle, but I won’t be able to leave them behind. I like reading, but I also love picture books. One of my favourites include I Like You by Sandal Stoddard Warburg, as it was a beloved gift. The tiny square book is filled with silly verses that are brilliant and capture the simple essence of friendship.

No More Friends by Avery Monsen and Jory John is also one that I need to add to my collection once I get to New York.

If you’re a dinosaur, all of your friends are dead. If you’re a pirate, all of your friends have scurvy. If you’re a tree, all of your friends are end tables. Each page of this book illustrates the downside of being everything from a clown to a cassette tape to a zombie, letting you laugh at the inevitable while exploring each character’s unique grievances and predicaments, from the sock whose only friends have gone missing to the houseplant whose friends are being slowly killed by irresponsible plant owners. Here are little matters of life and death, illustrated for your amusement!

This book looks hilarious, putting a smile on my face just with the sneak peak. I especially love that the cover has a big green brontosaurus (even though I learnt this week that they actually never existed).

And this illustrated book by Dallas Clayton is truly awesome. I’ve read the entire book here again and again, and passed it along to so many friends, but I’d still like to have a hard copy of my own. I just love that the author donates books to inspire children to dream. It also reminds young adults like myself not to forget or stop chasing the dreams I had.

PS. An early hint to my secret santa: incase it’s not obvious enough – I want these! And I also wouldn’t mind owning this.

When you do what you love, you easily meet others that love the same things you do. And sometimes you fall in love with them too.

This week, I have enjoyed reading IDSGN‘s new series, Design Love, featuring interviews with five different couples from around the world. I mentioned before how much I liked the Creative Couple Interviews from The Strange Attractor and am so happy to read more examples from IDSGN.

Charles and Ray Eames were the epitome of a wonderful partnership as they created, learned and grew old together. To be able to share the things you love with a partner you connect with emotionally and professionally is a wonderful thing. My recent favourite discovery, Fungus Workshop, is also the collaboration between two pairs of creatives, Cowrice and Hoiming. It seems passionate creative people are just drawn to each other, and those are the best kinds of relationships!