This book explores how Design Thinkers can benefit from ‘Doing Nothing’. It focuses on four key tips:
1. Challenge Your Assumptions: Take the time to step back and question the assumptions behind ideas and how they affect decision-making and strategy.
2. Practice Mindfulness: Utilize mindful practises to deepen the connection between body, mind and environment.
3. Disconnect to Reconnect: Switch off from your gadgets and take the time to reconnect with nature or people.
4. Create Spaciousness: Use tools like meditation to create headspace in order to make sure no valuable ideas are missed.
This book serves as an invaluable resource to UX Designers, helping them to understand and implement the power of ‘Doing Nothing’ in their work. For further reading, UX Designers may be interested in Design Thinking: The Beginner’s Guide to Thinking Like a Designer by Saraswati Chandrashekar and Lean UX: Designing Great Products with Agile Teams by Jeff Gothelf.
🎀 Highlights
As work productivity gets better, the same can’t be said about breaks.
Staring out of the window without any connectivity may be what is needed for many designers (Source: xx liu; Unsplash)
As a LinkedIn netizen observed, accessible inflight Internet would become a massive gamechanger for travellers to do more up in the air, such as continuing where they last left off on one of their streaming providers, or continuing working for business travelers.
And yet, I still couldn’t help feeling a sense of loss.
A loss of an Internet-free and distraction-free world. A world of doing nothing.
Unfortunately, sometimes even UX designers are pressured to do more in fear of being perceived as incompetent, adopting an unhealthy imposter syndrome.
contemplation and meandering, expecting all of its working professionals
modern world has put aside wasteful hours of contemplation and meandering, expecting all of its working professionals to be highly efficient at the work they produce.
hyperdrive mode of doing more with less time.
Checking emails. Chatting on multiple platforms. Attending a virtual concert in the metaverse whilst having a meal with the family.
especially when it comes to infinite scrolling?
Before the 90s, you would safely say that you could leave your work at your office without being reprimanded.
In 2000, the Internet made retrieving work data ever more convenient. In 2010, workers could now access their emails and even work packages on their mobile devices. Suddenly, work is apparent beyond office hours, even for commuters as Internet connectivity improves over time.
In 2000, the Internet made retrieving work data ever more convenient. In 2010, workers could now access their emails and even work packages on their mobile devices. Suddenly, work is apparent beyond office hours, even for commuters as Internet connectivity improves over time. In 2020, the notion of “work from anywhere” has taken hold as even meetings and workshops can be conducted virtually anywhere, even from your home.
from a manufacturing era into a knowledge-based economy.
The rampant rise of technology has given rise to the opportunity of work entering into our homes, blurring the lines of work, play, and rest
Design tools such as Sketch and Figma are now on cloud-based platforms. Usability testing has gone remote and unmoderated, where end-users can interact with prototypes without guidance.
Apple is placing its future bets on going digital with creativity with the release of its very own whiteboard tool — Freeform.
2021 has also brought about the Great Resignation, when a huge number of capable workers, including designers, have begun to leave the workforce. Although the Great Resignation can be considered a wicked problem for various factors, a visible symptom was an increased level of
2021 has also brought about the Great Resignation, when a huge number of capable workers, including designers, have begun to leave the workforce. Although the Great Resignation can be considered a wicked problem for various factors, a visible symptom was an increased level of mental exhaustion in the workforce, leading to burnouts.
Behind the pleasantry lies the chao of personal lives, which is likely to ripple well past the pandemic period. (Source: Adrian Tomine; The New Yorker)
Seemingly paradoxical in nature, taking a mental break may actually result in better creativity, decision-making, and, over time, better productivity. Isn’t that crucial for some professionals, like designers?
doing nothing, which originates from a Dutch movement known as Niksen, is the creation of a stress-free, relaxed, exploratory, playful, and humorous
doing nothing, which originates from a Dutch movement known as Niksen, is the creation of a stress-free, relaxed, exploratory, playful, and humorous mode and environment.
Setting up emotional design in your place; intentionally blocking up time to do nothing; categorizing priorities that will help you to say “No”; defining for self what is “Good Enough for Now”
As Don Norman would have expanded in his book, Emotional Design, rather than going into an analytical and utilitarian inspection, this visceral design solicits an emotional response similar to an artwork in a museum.
unless you have a mechanism of saying no, you are compelled to go with a default “yes”, evaporating any form of valuable niksen. One way of achieving this is what Nieuwhof calls “categorical decisions,” which is to categorize the various decisions you are making, and conscientiously define what you want to do and not do.
4. Saying “no” to yourself. Perfectionism is a double-edged sword for designers. On the one hand, it brings about excellence. On the other hand, it creates an unrealistic expectation of oneself, ultimately robbing away any free time with the possible scenario of plowing through endless tasks.
This is the moment where the phrase “Good Enough for Now” by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans comes into play. Subdue the imposter syndrome by accepting the current limits and being grateful for the present moment.
Set a limit on what needs to be done within a clear time frame and with achievable goals.
As work productivity gets better, the same can’t be said about breaks.
Staring out of the window without any connectivity may be what is needed for many designers (Source: xx liu; Unsplash)
As a LinkedIn netizen observed, accessible inflight Internet would become a massive gamechanger for travellers to do more up in the air, such as continuing where they last left off on one of their streaming providers, or continuing working for business travelers.
And yet, I still couldn’t help feeling a sense of loss.
A loss of an Internet-free and distraction-free world. A world of doing nothing.
Unfortunately, sometimes even UX designers are pressured to do more in fear of being perceived as incompetent, adopting an unhealthy imposter syndrome.
contemplation and meandering, expecting all of its working professionals
modern world has put aside wasteful hours of contemplation and meandering, expecting all of its working professionals to be highly efficient at the work they produce.
hyperdrive mode of doing more with less time.
Checking emails. Chatting on multiple platforms. Attending a virtual concert in the metaverse whilst having a meal with the family.
especially when it comes to infinite scrolling?
Before the 90s, you would safely say that you could leave your work at your office without being reprimanded.
In 2000, the Internet made retrieving work data ever more convenient. In 2010, workers could now access their emails and even work packages on their mobile devices. Suddenly, work is apparent beyond office hours, even for commuters as Internet connectivity improves over time.
In 2000, the Internet made retrieving work data ever more convenient. In 2010, workers could now access their emails and even work packages on their mobile devices. Suddenly, work is apparent beyond office hours, even for commuters as Internet connectivity improves over time. In 2020, the notion of “work from anywhere” has taken hold as even meetings and workshops can be conducted virtually anywhere, even from your home.
from a manufacturing era into a knowledge-based economy.
The rampant rise of technology has given rise to the opportunity of work entering into our homes, blurring the lines of work, play, and rest
Design tools such as Sketch and Figma are now on cloud-based platforms. Usability testing has gone remote and unmoderated, where end-users can interact with prototypes without guidance.
Apple is placing its future bets on going digital with creativity with the release of its very own whiteboard tool — Freeform.
2021 has also brought about the Great Resignation, when a huge number of capable workers, including designers, have begun to leave the workforce. Although the Great Resignation can be considered a wicked problem for various factors, a visible symptom was an increased level of
2021 has also brought about the Great Resignation, when a huge number of capable workers, including designers, have begun to leave the workforce. Although the Great Resignation can be considered a wicked problem for various factors, a visible symptom was an increased level of mental exhaustion in the workforce, leading to burnouts.
Behind the pleasantry lies the chao of personal lives, which is likely to ripple well past the pandemic period. (Source: Adrian Tomine; The New Yorker)
Seemingly paradoxical in nature, taking a mental break may actually result in better creativity, decision-making, and, over time, better productivity. Isn’t that crucial for some professionals, like designers?
doing nothing, which originates from a Dutch movement known as Niksen, is the creation of a stress-free, relaxed, exploratory, playful, and humorous
doing nothing, which originates from a Dutch movement known as Niksen, is the creation of a stress-free, relaxed, exploratory, playful, and humorous mode and environment.
Setting up emotional design in your place; intentionally blocking up time to do nothing; categorizing priorities that will help you to say “No”; defining for self what is “Good Enough for Now”
As Don Norman would have expanded in his book, Emotional Design, rather than going into an analytical and utilitarian inspection, this visceral design solicits an emotional response similar to an artwork in a museum.
unless you have a mechanism of saying no, you are compelled to go with a default “yes”, evaporating any form of valuable niksen. One way of achieving this is what Nieuwhof calls “categorical decisions,” which is to categorize the various decisions you are making, and conscientiously define what you want to do and not do.
4. Saying “no” to yourself. Perfectionism is a double-edged sword for designers. On the one hand, it brings about excellence. On the other hand, it creates an unrealistic expectation of oneself, ultimately robbing away any free time with the possible scenario of plowing through endless tasks.
This is the moment where the phrase “Good Enough for Now” by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans comes into play. Subdue the imposter syndrome by accepting the current limits and being grateful for the present moment.
Set a limit on what needs to be done within a clear time frame and with achievable goals.
