Member-only storySuchithra SathiyamurthyFollowUX Collective--ShareThe topic ‘UX’ has 186K stories and a staggering 1.2 million followers on Medium. It’s a hive of activity, with themes ranging from product strategy to research to philosophy. This tribe of creatives seems to be wielding the written word with good force. So to you other product designers, who haven’t started Writing yet, I ask: Why not?Design icons throughout history have long used writing as a tool to support their tangible work, propagate ideas, and even create manifestos. For instance, French architect, Le Corbusier’s writings were influential in developing his architectural theories and advocating his philosophies. He believed his writings were worthy of analysis in their own right, even professionally referring to himself as an ‘Homme de lettres’ (man of letters). For others, writing has also been a cathartic pursuit. Graphic designer, Pentagram partner and more notably, design critic and educator, Michael Beirut uses writing as a tool to navigate professional problems. “I find writing a great way to think through your own point of view”, he notes.While a number of my peers have done a great job in arguing why designers should write (a few are listed at the end), I want to highlight some how-tos. Some pointers on how you might inspire an audience of creatives.When I began writing this year, I was anxious about if people would engage with my thoughts. Surprisingly, my second piece, ‘The Art of Unlearning’, got me 100 followers. People seemed to engage with the article through highlights and comments and I made assumptions about what had worked. And thus, I began to follow certain elements or, for want of a better term, some ‘formulas’.Designers enjoy meta-cognition. We love to discuss how we think and design as much as the design itself. Not only are we intrigued by the art or the product itself, but also by how it came to be. We are in awe of Da Vinci’s ability to create and draw…----UX CollectiveReflecting on design from the broad and the narrow | Product designer @AristaNetworks | Dublin | Views are my ownSuchithra SathiyamurthyinUX Collective--10Christine VallaureinUX Collective--6Katie CooperinUX Collective--10Suchithra SathiyamurthyinUX Collective--13Microsoft DesigninMicrosoft Design--61Mary Mpembee--96Kai WonginUX Collective--3Sara Wachter-BoettcherinNice Work--50Rita Kind-EnvyinUX Planet--221Alison AchesoninThe Unschool for Writers--26HelpStatusWritersBlogCareersPrivacyTermsAboutText to speechTeams