I’m not saying that craft isn’t important. A solution is only useful once it’s been executed upon, and sometimes understanding how somebody else put their design together can be enlightening. But a craft can’t be taught by proxy. Your hands only learn when they do work for themselves.

It took me a while to realize that. I used to spend a long time learning about new web technology, reading design blogs to see what was hot in UI, and drooling over typography. I was always excited to apply the latest thinking to my latest project. I was trying to come up with a solution before the problem had even materialized, which of course, never works.

The wider design community doesn’t know what you need to learn. Everybody posting case studies and comparing Dribbble shots is telling you what they’ve learned, but that’s irrespective of your work.

There are things to be learned from other designers, definitely—everyone we work with leaves an indelible mark on us, in some way or another. But the things they have to teach can only be learned in working