The Practice of Design Practice

The Practice of Design Practice is a collection of mini-stories about how designers could engage in self-improvement as lifelong learners, packed with anecdotes and a bit of science.

Thomas (Design Buddy) has boiled down his more than a decade of experience, ranging from leading learning and development for the Bukalapak design team to teaching various boot camp programs. More than that, it's a culmination of his simple observations throughout the ups and downs of his career as a product designer, where he felt stuck and unstuck, through trials and errors, finding new methods to keep up as a designer while raising his two beautiful children.

He believes that every journey to improve as a designer is unique. Each of us has different ways to practice our craft. What works for one person may not necessarily work for another, and what's important is for each individual to find what works for them, even though it may sometimes be scrappy, unstructured, and confusing.

1. Part.1: I was wrong…
   1. Repetition isn’t necessarily the mother of improvement
   2. Knowing ≠ doing
   3. Try harder is not the solution
   4. Plateau is not a stall
2. Part.2: The practice of design practice
   1. What drives you
   2. Stay curious
   3. The independent quest of learning
   4. Building mental capacity
   5. Active recalling practice
   6. Self-awareness
   7. Failures as fuels
   8. Focus on one thing at a time
   9. Mindful practices
   10. Make it your own
   11. Making the learning sticks better
   12. Have your own way
   13. Mix up the practice
   14. Make your practice a little bit harder
   15. Express the knowledge in your own words
   16. Seek multiple sources
   17. Don’t stay in your bubble
   18. Learning at work
   19. Blindspots
   20. Seek advice
3. Part.3: Going beyond
   1. Slow learning
   2. At your own pace
   3. Unlearning
   4. Help others
   5. Rest

All the initial sales will be 100% donated to the UN World Food Program to help the beautiful souls affected by war right now in Gaza, providing them access to better food and nutrition.

I have donated a net amount of $415 (from sales totaling $457, after accounting for a 10% fee by Gumroad).

Last update: Mar 26, 2024

If you are in Indonesia and wish to buy the book via bank transfer or digital wallet (Ovo, Gopay), please contact: hi@thebuddyman.com.

Thank you!