Karina Smith and Elle Geraghty interviewed 12 content strategists and designers from around the world to try to find common human skills or qualities of their success.
4. HUMAN SKILLS
We believe they are skills that are
fundamental to the work that these people do,
the skills that allow them to better understand
and thrive in a human-centred world.
HUMAN SKILLS
TECHNICAL SKILLS
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5. Genevieve Bell
Corporate Sensing &
Insights
Intel Corporation
Kristina Halvorson
Content Strategy
Consultant & author
Brain Traffic
Ayse Birsel
Product Designer
(Herman Miller) &
Founder Birsel + Seck
Jay Rogers
Senior Designer
Atlassian
Sara Wachter-Boettcher
Content Strategy
Consultant & author
A List Apart
Dick Buchanan
Professor of Design
Weatherhead School of
Management
Indi Young
Consultant Designer
and author
Janna DeVylder
Principal
Meld Studios
Jonathan Colman
Content Strategist
Facebook
Steve Portigal
Principal (research)
Portigal Consulting
Alvaro Marquez
Head of Service Design
ABC
Dan Brown
Information Architect
and Principal, author
EightShapes
The interviewees
10. Community
• Inspired by people
• Give back
• Healthy competition
• Coach and mentor
• Self prioritise
Curiosity
• Love to learn
• Love problem solving
• Challenge assumptions
• Listen actively
• Curiosity about people
Action
• Gumption
• Confidence from
experience
• Experiment
• Deal with adversity
• Pragmatism
Honesty
• Be open and honest
• Self reflect
• Know strengths and
weaknesses
• Bravery
• Feedback
• Self validation
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THE QUALITIES
11. ACTIVITY
Community
• Inspired by people
• Give back
• Healthy competition
• Coach and mentor
• Self prioritise
Curiosity
• Love to learn
• Love problem solving
• Challenge assumptions
• Listen actively
• Curiosity about people
Action
• Gumption
• Confidence from
experience
• Experiment
• Deal with adversity
• Pragmatism
Honesty
• Be open and honest
• Self reflect
• Know strengths and
weaknesses
• Bravery
• Feedback
• Self validation
Pick two qualities that resonate:
• One you have nailed
• One you want to get better at
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12. What does good look like?
Where should I be?
How am I doing?
How do I get better at this?
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ASSESS AND IMPROVE
13. OTHERS
Seek feedback from
and compare
yourself with
YOURSELF
Observe and be
honest with
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ASSESS WHERE YOU’re at
14. Jonathan Colman
Sara wachter-boettcher
JANNA DEVYLDER
Give back
Be open and honest
Self reflect
Self reflect
Experiment
Listen actively
Experiment
Gumption
Coach and mentor
@ellengeraghty
@kreategirl
MAP of SKILLS
16. It’s not about who you want to be,
it’s about how you want to be
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LEARNING HUMAN SKILLS
17. Consume
• Books
• Video
• Observation
• Podcasts
Instruction
• Lectures
• Courses
• Instructions
Feedback
& stories
• Hire a mentor
• Work with a coach
• Talk with an expert
Just do it
• Mimic
• Copying
• Active trial
• Prototype
• Role play
• Practice
• Teach
Gestating
• Writing
• Talking
• Make a model
• Visualising
CURIOSITY ACTION
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LEARNING STYLE
19. Pick one of the qualities you chose earlier.
What is one thing you can do to improve it?
ACTIVITY
Consume
• Books
• Video
• Observation
• Podcasts
Instruction
• Lectures
• Courses
• Instructions
Feedback
& stories
• Hire a mentor
• Get a coach
• Meet an expert
Just do it
• Mimic
• Copying
• Active trial
• Prototype
• Role play
• Practice
• Teach
Gestating
• Writing
• Talking
• Make a model
• Visualising
@ellengeraghty
@kreategirl
21. Design Attitude - Kamil Michlewski
Designing Together - Dan Brown
Maximize Your Potential - Edited by Jocelyn K. Glei / Forward by Scott Belsky
Powers of Two: How Relationships Drive Creativity - Joshua Wolf Shenk
Practical Empathy - Indi Young
Strength Finders - Tom Rath
The School of Life - http://www.theschooloflife.com/
What They Didn't Teach You In Design School - Phil Cleaver
Elle’s blog
http://www.ellegeraghty.com/blog/human-skills-for-content-strategy
RESOURCES
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@kreategirl
22. “Successful design
projects require
effective collaboration
and healthy conflict”
Dan Brown
Information Architect and Principal, author
EightShapes
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23. "People make choices
about how they are
going to be in the
world, they just don't
often do it
consciously"
Genevieve Bell
Corporate Sensing & Insights
Intel Corporation
@ellengeraghty
@kreategirl
25. "Be your own
ethnographer -
understand the
context"
Janna DeVylder
Principal
Meld Studios
@ellengeraghty
@kreategirl
26. “You can always
establish a new floor,
elevate yourself
higher."
Steve Portigal
Principal (research)
Portigal Consulting
@ellengeraghty
@kreategirl
27. "Push to be invited to
the table"
Sara wachter-boettcher
Content Strategy
Consultant & author
A List Apart
@ellengeraghty
@kreategirl
28. "Philosophy is a central
issue for me"
Dick Buchanan
Professor of Design
Weatherhead School of
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@kreategirl
29. "Design is a way of
thinking about the
world"
Indi Young
Consultant Designer and author
@ellengeraghty
@kreategirl
30. "My life is my biggest
design project"
Ayse Birsel
Product Designer (Herman Miller) &
Founder Birsel + Seck
@ellengeraghty
@kreategirl
31. "Be comfortable
joining on a journey
with an uncertain
ending"
Jonathan Colman
Content Strategist
Facebook
@ellengeraghty
@kreategirl
32. "Shed your skin, don't
get caught up in who
you thought you were"
Alvaro Marquez
Head of Service Design
ABC
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@kreategirl
33. “We need to be clear
about our goals and user
needs, then shape our
activities to meet them.
Don’t be blinded by the
bright and shiny trends”
Kristina Halvorson
Content Strategy Consultant & author
Brain Traffic
@ellengeraghty
@kreategirl