Talks With Khoi ━Learning Ideas

Thanks to the Design Circle, I meet with Khoi Vinh every month, we discuss thoughts, ideas, designs, and journeys.
This conversation was mainly about learning how to think and learning ideas. The importance of designers needing to communicate. Where does the actual value of college lay in? And it's probably learning how to effectively tell your thoughts.

How to speak ideas

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For our talk, I went in with the thought of how to be competitive in the design industry. Left with the question, why be competitive in the first place? For 1st-year college designers like me, the number one focus is learning how to communicate ideas, think, and think with others. A simple concept, in practice, is a complicated one that most designers fail to do. Another take away for 1st year college students like me, is relax! Just create over and over.
Well Jon, how do you do it?!?! What is the secret formula? Well, how do you think? Christoph Niemann, from Abstract: The Art of Design, puts it. Clearly, you start off with the void of a white piece of paper, then create, create, create until you're bored out of your mind! That's when the thinking happens; that's when ideas come to you. Why do we have shower thoughts? It's probably because we are staring blank and get bored out of our minds to come up with ideas. It is the same principle with a blank piece of paper. As a designer, we are naturally creative. We use our imagination to create ideas from seemingly nowhere.

How to create content as a teen

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How do designers my age (teen) create content, but why does age matter? All content is ideas; to create valuable and unique content, bring in what you can share that only you can think and communicate; that is really helpful to people. Share what you know or wish you learned before; nothing is wrong with sharing.
I see more of the infopreneur, people, my age or younger, selling how to create a successful business. Of course, anyone will believe that is highly dumb; how would a teen have a successful business and now sell the knowledge for a successful business? However, people my age are looking for a get-rich-quick scheme and buying $100+ courses. This is one way to not create content as a teen! Share it all for free, and just by sharing it for free, you'll see that it is far more beneficial than selling courses.

Personal Branding

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Personal Branding, it is hard being not only the client but also the designer. There's only 1 way to do it. It fails, over and over and over. You only need one win to succeed.

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