November 2017 - AIGA Get Worked Up Conference An introduction to a designer development framework I've created utilizing the concepts of Tim Brown's 'T-shaped People' and traditional IT skills inventory. Covers methods of evaluation and examples, including why our current methods of discussing our professional strengths are flawed.

1. Design Your
Development
Jeremy Hamman

2. Who are you?
I’m Jeremy. I’m a designer, strategist,
and educator by way of many failed
bands, retail drudgery, and law school.

3. I wanna talk about how we talk about what we do.
How do we share what we’re
good at? How do we know
what we’re bad at?

5. Nope.

6. We need a process.
(And most certainly a process graphic that we’ll feel super good about and
show to someone else who isn’t super designer-y with wide eyes and an
expectant gaze only for them to make a joke about how it doesn’t even look like
English and lololol is this supposed to mean something? WHY YES DAD IT
DOES)

7. For many of us, we design best with
parameters in place; with bounds on
solutions we can narrow down options
to the best one of those available.
We should do the same
with our development.

8. T-Shaped People
The Concept of t-shaped people was coined by
Tim Brown of Ideo. (Also maybe the Phantom
Tollbooth? It’s been a while.)
➔ What
T-shaped people have a breadth of skills
(represented by the ‘arm’ of the T)
➔ What else?
T-shaped people have deep expertise in
a particular direction
(represented by the ‘stem’ of the T)
➔ AND?
That’s all, T’s are simple.

11. T
Normal Tough Guy Stuff
PityingFools

12. Enter the Inventory.
While this example is from a previous agency I
consulted with, we can generalize one for
ourselves based on a general design skillset.
Notice the tabs down at the bottom.

13. Enter the Inventory.
The first three tabs here would represent the arm
of the T. Soft skills, common to all employees of
the agency. Department skills, common to all
members of, say, the visual department.
Positional skills every Junior Designer would be
expected to have.
The 4th tab represents the stem of the T. This is
the specialization. Is it motion? Some UX?
Photography? Video? Illustration?

14. More Inventory
In order to accurately score and grade these
skills, I spent time with each direct report talking
through a baseline. It’s time consuming, but super
worth it. I think we should be evaluating these
skills on a Likert scale.
(It’s to the left. It’s technically pronounced ‘lick-ert’
but only pedantic shits do that. Unless you do! In
which case bravooooooooooo.)
1- Yes, I’ve heard of this.
2- A few times...
3- I have some ability in this.
4- And it’s improving!
5- This is part of my skillset.
6- I’m super comfortable with this.
7- I can teach this to others.

15. Hurry up, this is a brief talk.
There’s a ton to say about this. So much. But the last thing I want to touch on is the
Dunning-Kruger effect.
If you’re not familiar, the Dunning-Kruger effect describes the behavior observed by
some Cornell professors across four studies wherein low aptitude individuals
thought they were absolutely fucking awesome very good at something they were
terrible at.

17. But there’s good news.
Dunning has said recently (to Forbes, I think?) that the issue isn’t so much an effortful
obfuscation of reality as it is a lack of awareness about expectations. This means
having a real conversation with a superior, a mentor, or yourself if you must.
Find outside influences, escape your bubble, hit up professionals in person and
online. And set goals. Get your skills in Illustrator from a 4 to a 6, or CSS from a 2 to
a 5. But approach your development as a design problem and crusssshhhhhh it.

18. Questions?