tag:world.hey.com,2005:/tim_brown/feedTim Brown2022-10-30T15:13:10Ztag:world.hey.com,2005:World::Post/235082022-10-14T02:29:08Z2022-10-30T15:03:55ZBreath of the Wild šļø<div class="trix-content">
<div>Earlier this year, I wrote about <a href="https://world.hey.com/tim_brown/freeing-time-c6496949">freeing time</a>. Itās one of the best things Iāve ever done professionally. It both energizes and calms me, and I end up making things Iāll use later. Just this week, in multiple meetings, I shared things I wrote and sketched months ago. They were already there, set aside during freeing time, waiting for the right moments to be useful. And Iām sure they will be repeatedly useful.<br><br>More recently, Iāve gotten into <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Legend_of_Zelda%3A_Breath_of_the_Wild">Zelda: Breath of the Wild</a>. It brings me joy. I know Iām late to the party, but I mostly like my games and media to be aged in oak barrels.<br><br>Anyway, Iām putting these two things together, you see, the freeing time and the Zelda. On my last two freeing days, I gave myself a quest: to reveal a rough map, representing the territory of general design practices (in Breath of the Wild, you reveal the map one piece at a time). So <a href="https://world.hey.com/tim_brown/the-artist-the-architect-and-the-advisor-a82569a7">I started to explore</a>. Also, I started tallying up the days I practice design exercises. Each time I do that, I earn an orb (in Breath of the Wild, you collect orbs to level up in different ways). This is all pretty silly, but itās making things a bit more fun for me and Iāve made no commitments about keeping it up. š</div>
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Tim Browntim_brown@hey.comtag:world.hey.com,2005:World::Post/234812022-10-11T19:51:15Z2022-10-30T15:08:22ZThe Artist, the Architect, and the Advisor ā»ļø<div class="trix-content">
<div>Today, I want to tell you a very short story about three friends ā weāll call them the Artist, the Architect, and the Advisor.<br><br>First, briefly, some context.<br><br>Generative machine learning models are a new kind of creative material, part of <a href="https://nextcreativewave.com">the next wave</a>, and the force of this material is already starting to reshape the landscape of design workflows. But understanding context ā how people <em>move through</em> that landscape ā is the key to making this new material usable, and therefore critical to identifying customer value.<br><br>To succeed, design intelligence features need a framework of common design workflows that cover the circumstances people are in, the jobs they hire design tools to do, and the destinations they seek to reach through their efforts. Iām trying to construct this framework, for my own understanding and to facilitate clearer project communication.<br><br>Hereās that short story:<br><br></div><blockquote>One day, three friends met in the city. Sometimes they are very busy and cannot all meet, but today they could meet. They were very excited to see each other.<br><br>āWhere should we go!?ā the <strong>Artist</strong> wondered, smiling enthusiastically. āHow about the park?ā<br><br>āThe park is great.ā said the <strong>Advisor</strong>. āItās on Maple, we could eat at that new place afterward. Or we could go uptown.ā<br><br>The <strong>Architect</strong> chimed in, āHave you been to that new place? Is it any good?ā<br><br>āI heard people like it. Ali went recently.ā replied the <strong>Advisor</strong>, who, seeing that traffic had changed, started to lead the group toward the park.<br><br>As they followed, the <strong>Artist</strong> turned to the Architect and grinned with satisfaction, āI love this city. Thanks for setting this up. We should do it more often.ā<br><br>āMe too,ā smiled the <strong>Architect</strong>. āWe should.ā</blockquote><div><br></div><div>These friends are a metaphor for general areas of habit in common design workflows, and the way they interact is a metaphor for intelligence opportunities in design tool user experiences.<br><br> <figure class="attachment attachment--preview attachment--lightboxable attachment--png">
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</figure><br><br>The <strong>Artist</strong> is the act of exploration: Trying new things and making decisions based on feeling. The <strong>Architect</strong> is the act of coordination: Specifying direction and tightening up loose ideas. The <strong>Advisor</strong> is the act of observation: Referencing schema and balancing unknowns.<br><br>Between the Artist and Advisor, there is <strong>possibility</strong>. Options to try, feelings to discover, but careful not to overwhelm. Between the Architect and Advisor, there is <strong>prediction</strong>. Patterns to follow, cohorts to consider, efficiencies to unlock. Between the Artist and Architect, there is <strong>procedure</strong>. Steps to automate, systems to define, new and higher gears to shift.<br><br>These are not perfect metaphors, but they are helping me to put context around technological ideas old and new, and helping me to suggest ways forward. They are part of a larger overall framework that is doing the same for me at a higher level, and I hope to share more about that later.</div>
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Tim Browntim_brown@hey.comtag:world.hey.com,2005:World::Post/200102022-04-04T12:29:20Z2022-10-30T15:09:22ZPatience š§<div class="trix-content">
<div>Patience helped. š <br><br>I recently set a quarterly goal to share more on Twitter ā specifically work stuff, from my <a href="https://twitter.com/typesetting">@typesetting</a> account. I thought Iād break the ice by paraphrasing bits of <a href="https://bkaprt.com/ft">Flexible Typesetting</a> as threads, so thatās what I started doing. It felt so good to share! I could see that people were appreciating and saving the information.<br><br>Then a weird thing happened: I started <strong>losing followers</strong>. Each day I would check on the threads, sometimes bumping specific tweets for extra attention, and my follower count would go down by another one or two integers.<br><br>I started to think all kinds of thoughts. Keep in mind that I set this quarterly goal because it had felt like a long time since I tried to be active and helpful on Twitter. What if my thoughts were not very helpful? What if people didnāt like threads (a format I tend to enjoy)? Am I being insensitive for sharing about typesetting with so much difficulty going on in the world? ā¦ All kinds of thoughts.<br><br>But, having posted about <a href="https://twitter.com/typesetting/status/1502757237101584392">choosing an anchor typeface</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/typesetting/status/1503075803663413251">sizing fonts</a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/typesetting/status/1505547013357776898">determining measure</a>, I thought Iād finish up by sharing thoughts about <a href="https://twitter.com/typesetting/status/1510743008093913096">dynamic line spacing</a>. Font, size, measure, and leading ā the balanced text block.<br><br>So I posted another thread yesterday about line spacing, and today I woke up to kind words and a dozen new followers! It made me happy. And it made me remember that, for me, <strong>chance, patience, and showing up</strong> have always been key to success.</div>
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Tim Browntim_brown@hey.comtag:world.hey.com,2005:World::Post/199982022-04-03T20:57:25Z2022-10-30T15:09:45ZFreeing time āŗļø<div class="trix-content">
<div>Recently I caught up with my friend <a href="https://www.robinrendle.com/">Robin Rendle</a>, who encouraged me to write more. So I thought Iād share a few words now and not stress about it so much. (Part of what causes me not to write is worrying that the thoughts I would share are not valuable enough ā or not shared in the right places. Should I publish this to Hey World, or write a blog post? Whatever. Today itās here.)<br><br>Last year around this time I shared thoughts on <a href="https://world.hey.com/tim_brown/working-modes-99463007">working modes</a>. After tracking that stuff intentionally for many months, I realized that I hadnāt been āfoggingā very much at all. Which is great! But I also hadnāt been āfreeingā very much either. I was all āfieldingā & āfocusingā. Great for getting stuff done ā not great for feeling happy and satisfied.<br><br>So I tried an experiment for six weeks, in February and March. I dedicated every Wednesday to freeing. I blocked the day off on my calendar, did a fairly good job of protecting the time, and tried to be intentional about loosening up and letting my brain go wild.<br><br>The result? A <em>huge</em> positive change in my attitude and stress levels. Plus, many benefits for my colleagues (when Iām freeing, Iām often sharing what I read and think about). On top of that, there have been no negative effects to my claiming this time. I have missed a meeting or two, and perhaps my other weekdays have gotten a bit more crowded to make up for it, but those can be separate problems to solve.<br><br>For now, I am enjoying this freeing and Iāll try continuing it for another six weeks. I also want to try a second, more risky experiment: one freeing <em>week</em> every six weeks. Weāll see how that goes.</div>
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Tim Browntim_brown@hey.comtag:world.hey.com,2005:World::Post/126472021-06-11T02:09:31Z2022-10-30T15:10:00ZSipping and studying āļø<div class="trix-content">
<div>Some books are for sipping and Iāve written about this before, so Iām not going to write about it again yet.<br><br>But I thought of it just now as I carried a five pound book up from my desk in the basement to my chair in the living room where I often study for a few minutes at a time, mostly in the evening but sometimes on lovely afternoons when the rest of the family is happily, independently occupied and the sun dapples our couch and I am not too tired.<br><br>This book is so heavy that I sometimes have to change the way Iām sitting, especially if I intend to take notes in the margins. Itās always worth the effort.<br><br>I would, and maybe I have before, distinguish between sipping books and studying books. This five-pounder happens to be both. They say people are different kinds of learners, and this must be the kind of learner I am, sipping and studying.<br><br>When youāve found such a vintage of book to savor, there you have one of lifeās great joys. So take it easy, take your time. Thatās what I tell myself unnecessarily, as if speed were my problem. When it comes to such books, the real problem is deciding how to use what one has learned and not squander it but allow it to settle appropriately in the mind or be stocked and drawn upon in glorious moments of exploration or to share it with just the right person. These feel like natural problems to me, though limited. Iām still learning how to scale my influence without sacrificing as much of my time as that usually takes.<br><br>And sharing with just the right person is why my book was in the basement. I brought it down there earlier with a bookmark sticking out the top pointing to a passage marked in the margins, and I shared the words with my friend. I think he liked it because I remember him closing his eyes to listen, and we had a good conversation. A good conversation with a friend is always a milestone, and a beverage always helps.</div>
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Tim Browntim_brown@hey.comtag:world.hey.com,2005:World::Post/123442021-06-04T00:59:32Z2022-10-30T15:10:19ZPolywork ā <div class="trix-content">
<div>Behold, <a href="https://timeline.tbrown.org">some of what I have been doing</a>. A couple issues ago I talked about not making time to update my website ā well, along came <a href="https://www.polywork.com/">Polywork</a>.<br><br>I love the idea of making plain that we are more than our job titles, commits, and tweets. Personal websites can do this, but a network that focuses on open-ended milestones and encourages us to see human beings as multifaceted is super interesting. Could produce algorithms for workplace collaboration & camaraderie, could help people find one another for projects without all the LinkedIn cruft.<br><br>I look forward to watching Polywork grow. Let me know if youāre on there, or if youād like an invitation. Onboarding was particularly good.</div>
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Tim Browntim_brown@hey.comtag:world.hey.com,2005:World::Post/117772021-05-23T18:07:44Z2022-10-30T15:10:39ZPlaylists and an idea š§<div class="trix-content">
<div>Took advice from Headspace and created music playlists to go with the different ways I spend time. Based on my previous idea of working modes, I have playlists for fielding, focusing, and freeing. Used all three this past week to good effect.<br><br>* * *<br><br>Woke up early the other morning with an idea for a short book. Iāve had this in mind for years, and it finally crystallized. Amazing how the brain will deliver a complete puzzle when you least expect it. I donāt think it would have happened if Iād been consciously pressuring myself to generate the idea.<br><br>Made a cup of coffee and piped my āfreeingā playlist into the earbuds so as not to wake anyone. Wrote the bookās outline. Shared it with a friend who has expertise in this area, and they encouraged me. Felt great. I donāt know when Iāll have time to do the work of actually writing the book, though ā priorities! But Iām glad I captured my ideas clearly while I felt inspired.</div>
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Tim Browntim_brown@hey.comtag:world.hey.com,2005:World::Post/104192021-04-28T01:45:13Z2022-10-30T15:12:01ZWhat Iām doing lately š§āš»<div class="trix-content">
<div>Conference talks, demos, utilities, articles ... during my 18-year(!) career, Iāve been able to work on side projects like these regularly. One of my favorite side projects is <a href="https://tbrown.org/">my personal website</a>. I found a little time a few months ago to tinker with the way it looks. I like it.<br><br>What I havenāt made time to do is share many updates about the work I do every day. I mean look at my website ā the most recent thing in the Recently section is from 2018!<br><br>And Iām not going to make time for it now, either. Haha. Itās almost 9:30pm as I type this. My children are fooling around down the hall instead of going to bed, so Iāll need to shepherd them along unless they miraculously settle down.Ā <br><br>But Iāll give you a teaser.<br><br>Since mid-2018 when my book was published, Iāve met hundreds more people at Adobe and my team reorganized to take responsibility for the UX of all Creative Cloud text tools. I spent 2019 meeting people, 2020 forging multi-team processes, and so far 2021 has been about scaling up. This is some of the richest, most rewarding work Iāve ever done, and each day is full of encouragement and camaraderie. Itās a special situation, and Iāve been trying not to waste even a minute. But someday Iāll need to tell more stories about this time.<br><br>Itās a miracle! My children have settled down. I think I will too.</div><div><br><br></div>
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Tim Browntim_brown@hey.comtag:world.hey.com,2005:World::Post/82672021-04-01T14:15:11Z2022-10-30T15:13:10ZWorking modes š®<div class="trix-content">
<div> <figure class="attachment attachment--preview attachment--lightboxable attachment--png">
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<img src="https://world.hey.com/tim_brown/99463007/representations/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBCQzRoVHhRPSIsImV4cCI6bnVsbCwicHVyIjoiYmxvYl9pZCJ9fQ==--e00474c042adc92f228a4f7d814fa185e971686e/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaDdDam9MWm05eWJXRjBJZ2hxY0djNkZISmxjMmw2WlY5MGIxOXNhVzFwZEZzSGFRS0FCMmtDQUFVNkRIRjFZV3hwZEhscFN6b0xiRzloWkdWeWV3WTZDWEJoWjJVd09nMWpiMkZzWlhOalpWUT0iLCJleHAiOm51bGwsInB1ciI6InZhcmlhdGlvbiJ9fQ==--a296d3b4518fabecc4113731592e22804d918d25/IMG_1731.PNG" alt="IMG_1731.PNG" srcset="https://world.hey.com/tim_brown/99463007/representations/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBCQzRoVHhRPSIsImV4cCI6bnVsbCwicHVyIjoiYmxvYl9pZCJ9fQ==--e00474c042adc92f228a4f7d814fa185e971686e/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaDdDam9MWm05eWJXRjBJZ2hxY0djNkZISmxjMmw2WlY5MGIxOXNhVzFwZEZzSGFRSUFEMmtDQUFvNkRIRjFZV3hwZEhscFFUb0xiRzloWkdWeWV3WTZDWEJoWjJVd09nMWpiMkZzWlhOalpWUT0iLCJleHAiOm51bGwsInB1ciI6InZhcmlhdGlvbiJ9fQ==--2e591d7f3ce036eb49bace2230806aa71f3cce2b/IMG_1731.PNG 2x, https://world.hey.com/tim_brown/99463007/representations/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBCQzRoVHhRPSIsImV4cCI6bnVsbCwicHVyIjoiYmxvYl9pZCJ9fQ==--e00474c042adc92f228a4f7d814fa185e971686e/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaDdDam9MWm05eWJXRjBJZ2hxY0djNkZISmxjMmw2WlY5MGIxOXNhVzFwZEZzSGFRS0FGbWtDQUE4NkRIRjFZV3hwZEhscFBEb0xiRzloWkdWeWV3WTZDWEJoWjJVd09nMWpiMkZzWlhOalpWUT0iLCJleHAiOm51bGwsInB1ciI6InZhcmlhdGlvbiJ9fQ==--26a5eb3e57cf02bef409392ce32b19e5e95c0145/IMG_1731.PNG 3x" decoding="async" loading="lazy">
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</figure><br><br>A while back, on Twitter, I shared some <a href="https://twitter.com/timbrown/status/1313841330716635138?s=20">thoughts about how I spend time working</a>.<br><br></div><blockquote>For years Iāve noticed distinct periods of time when I am either āfocusingā (concentrating hard on one project) or āfieldingā (coming up for air, assessing the landscape of needs). Today I decided to name them.<br><br>Names might help me be more intentional in treating these time periods as working modes. Both modes are extremely valuable, but the tools & systems that support them are very different.</blockquote><div><br>Since then, I have noticed two additional modes. Iāve been calling them āfoggingā and āfreeingā. Fogging is when, for whatever reason, I canāt seem to get into any work. Freeing is when I allow my mind to do what it wants, feeding impulses to learn and create.<br><br>These modes are real. Because I started naming and noticing them, I can take a pulse whenever I want and know how Iām most likely to succeed at spending my time.<br><br>Lately Iāve been trying to notice patterns of change and identify catalysts. Like, how do I get out of fog? How do I start focusing? When I feel very good about working, what modes have I been in? How do things outside of my control affect the mode Iām in, and my success, and how I feel about working?</div>
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Tim Browntim_brown@hey.comtag:world.hey.com,2005:World::Post/59992021-03-14T03:12:26Z2021-03-14T03:12:26ZOpening some parentheses<div class="trix-content">
<div>I work with a dozen different teams. Some more than others, depending on the pace/schedule of projects and the collaboration model.<br><br>Most days I have no meetings, or a few short meetings, and lots of unscheduled time. Other days, my calendar is completely packed. I would say the ratio is 50/50. Good meetings are like tiny milestones so I work toward them when I need to, and I respond afterward by taking or saving next actions.<br><br>Deciding how to spend unscheduled time is an incredible privilege. It can be stressful, but it is also one of the greatest joys of working ā I survey upcoming meetings, check projectsā momentum, and consider my state of mind. I currently have ways of doing each of these things that are working well for me. Iāve also successfully avoided distractions.<br><br>Looking forward to another good week. Maybe Iāll write more about some of this some time.</div>
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Tim Browntim_brown@hey.comtag:world.hey.com,2005:World::Post/36012021-03-06T03:20:46Z2021-03-06T03:20:46ZPeas on Friday<div class="trix-content">
<div>Another day in the books but I worked too hard, like yesterday. Eileen is very supportive but I canāt keep it up like this. I have a great manager and a great team, weāll ease it up somehow, but itās a tall order. The projects are all important and engaging.<br><br>Man, even this note is all about work!<br><br>Peas. Thatās what I started with. Peas came up twice today. First my brother Greg reminded me of a facial expression my nephew made when he was little, like he couldnāt believe he was being tricked into eating peas.<br><br>Then for dinner I ate peas with pasta. Our meal plan this week is āuse up what we haveā.<br><br></div><div>Three-day weekend ahead. I feel like reading and drawing. Weāll see what the girls want to do, maybe some Nintendo. Probably catch up on chores, budgeting. Bring cardboard to the transfer station, gas up the truck. Itāll be good to get some fresh air, too.</div>
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Tim Browntim_brown@hey.comtag:world.hey.com,2005:World::Post/24672021-03-05T02:49:15Z2021-03-05T02:52:47ZHey world<div class="trix-content">
<div>Publishing a blog/newsletter through HEY seems like a pretty fun idea, so Iām giving it a try. Because of the way HEY is designed, I feel good using it for email. And I feel good right now too, writing this note. :)<br><br>Iāve made design tweaks to <a href="https://tbrown.org/">my website</a>, but I havenāt posted anything in a <em>long time</em>. Only so many hours in the day. Been focused more on work and parenting. Plus, 2016ā2021 has been pretty demoralizing.<br><br>Anyway, lemme tell you about what I did today.<br><br></div><ul><li>First I got up, took care of my dogs (two of them are old, so itās a process), and made coffee. Sent a message to one of my nephews, todayās his birthday.</li></ul><div><br></div><ul><li>Next I got started on a busy workday. Replied to some slack messages, triaged email, handled expenses. Drafted a planning document, wrote a meeting agenda, more coffee.</li></ul><div><br></div><ul><li>Then meetings, all solid. Crisp, positive, moved us forward. Nine calls, six different teams. Answers, decisions, strategy, camaraderie, introductions, bonding, innovation, and alignment. A mix of product strategy and design discussion ā just how I like it.</li></ul><div><br></div><ul><li>Finally, had a beer. Broke down some delivery boxes. Ate dinner. Fed the dogs. Did the dishes. Definitely didnāt spend enough time with my girls today. Iāll make up for it tomorrow.</li></ul>
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Tim Browntim_brown@hey.com