Library
In 2018 I collected a sample of books that helped shape my UX Journey. Since then I’ve tried to keep a broader library of media that’s been interesting to me, regardless of its connection to my field.
exploding
A young artist whom I’d heard before, but not noticed. But this track stuck in my head in a way I didn’t expect. When I listened to more of his music, it didn’t all resonate with me, but this plus “ketamine” have remained in my rotation. I think the song “exploding” in particular communicates some sense of anxiety mixed with indignation. “You think I care,” “I don’t want any help,” “And I don’t need any of your warnings,” etc. The song is about your blood boiling, your heart ready to explode, a feeling that I think is strongest in our youth. It made this old dude remember those times, though.
The Copenhagen Trilogy: Childhood–Youth–Dependency
The Scandinavians have a way of finding the drama within the banal and exposing the weak underbelly of what it means to be human. The final chapter was a challenging reminder of how fragile we can be
Make Time: How to Focus on What Matters Every Day
A collection of tactics with the aim of helping readers take greater control of their daily schedules. The idea is that with this control we can actually better align how we spend our time with our real values and goals.
Woof Woof
A weird, short, song from a weird artist that stuck with me. The artist is very young and I think channels the contradictory weight, lightness and awkwardness of youth.
Lurking: How a Person Became a User
Lurking is an old-school-internet term describing what we do when watch, but do not participate in, online life. McNeil outlines the history of online communication, exposes some of the false nostalgia of the early internet and concludes that our current social platforms are flattening the human experience
Subprime Attention Crisis: Advertising and the Time Bomb at the Heart of the Internet
A compelling book comparing the present day digital advertising industry with the subprime mortgage crisis of 2008. It’s hard to imagine that “ads don’t work” but I do believe that the system powering them is complex, automated, and holds an enormous amount of money
