
Craft
On dedication and love for the invisible work.
Craft is making something with dedication, skill, and inventiveness
A person with solid craft will unwaveringly pour their time and attention into the thing being made. They will leverage their many years of experience of having made that thing before, and that existing knowledge will make them smarter and more efficient at doing so. But they will also be inventive: they won’t limit themselves to how they’ve done it in the past; they will actively look out for opportunities to push themselves into new territories and new ways of working.
Craft is not pixel-pushing
You might have heard or said before: “I’m not really strong at craft, I’m more of a strategic designer.” Our industry tends to put craft and strategic thinking on opposite sides of a spectrum, sometimes in an attempt to diminish the value of craft. Be careful not to fall into that trap. One can be strategic and deliver work that is well-crafted, polished, and thoughtful— isn’t that what everyone should strive for anyways?