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Designing with Dickens
Being a Better Designer without Visits from Ghosts
Jon Haines
December 26, 2024
In 1843, A Christmas Carol was first published by Charles Dickens and the world was first introduced to Ebenezer Scrooge. Since then, the story has been adapted into thousands of plays, movies, cartoons, parodies, and so many other things. The story of a bad man finding the error of his ways and changing resonates with so many people, especially during the holiday season. Does it resonate with creatives too? What can A Christmas Carol teach designers about how they approach their work?
Marley’s Visit
In A Christmas Carol, Scrooge is first visited by his old business partner Jacob Marley who warns Scrooge that if he continues down his path, he will be destined to be weighed down by the chains of regret.
We designers need to use our network. The design community is such a strong, generous resource of great information. Use it. Reach out to others on LinkedIn or Instagram. Schedule meetings on ADPList. The chances are, the designer at the other end would be willing to help you, just because that’s how knowledge sharing works for our industry.
The Ghost of Design Past
Marley warns Scrooge that he will be visited by three ghosts, the first of which would be the ghost of Christmas Past. This ghost shows the old man how he became a grumpy, frugal fool.
Looking to the past may be one of the best weapons that a designer can have. Nothing is designed in a vacuum. Instead, everything is informed by user activity and data. Use your researchers, if you have them. If not, get on a Zoom with some users of your products and see what they think of it. No product is perfect, so figure out the pain points of the people you’re designing for, and then capitalize on it.
The Ghost of Design Present
In many adaptations, the Ghost of Christmas Present is depicted as larger than life, attempting to show Scrooge generosity and what can come of an empathetic spirit.
They say it’s called the present because it’s a gift. Staying in the present can be a difficult task. Every day, we are bombarded with distractions left and right. These distractions can keep us from doing our best work, because it prevents us from finding our flow states.
If you’ve never tried the Pomodoro technique, it may be a good idea to check it out. Use your time wisely. Focus for a set amount of time, then take a short break afterwards. This technique will give you a better appreciation of the time you do use to design, so that you may use it more efficiently.
The Ghost of Design Future
The final ghost that visits Scrooge shows the dark future that lays ahead if Scrooge does not change his ways. Spoiler alert: it’s not pretty.
The future has limitless possibilities. As we come to the end of the year, it’s a good plan to set some goals within your current job, as well as for your career so that you can envision a path to get there. Don’t keep it a secret either. If your boss knows what you want, they may try to find a way for you to get there as well. Remember, design is not done in a vacuum. You’re never alone. There’s a reason why Figma comes in multiplayer.
Till next time!
