Bytes

I always have two books going: a leisure book and a challenge book. The leisure book is what it sounds like, something for fun. Usually fiction, sometimes an easier nonfiction pick. The challenge book is different. It's usually something outside design, and it's meant to make me think. I've been trying to branch out into other areas so I can broaden my knowledge and bring it back to design (I think this idea traces back to the "T-shaped" thinking that Tim Brown at IDEO popularized, pairing depth in one field with breadth across others, though I'm applying it to my own reading).

The challenge book pushes me past my comfort zone. It's not always an easy read, and that's kind of the point. Whether it's history, science, psychology, or something else entirely, the goal is the same: pick up ideas from a completely different field and see what comes back useful for design.

I mostly read at night, so how tired I am usually decides which book I pick up. If I'm running low on energy, I'll grab the leisure book. If I've still got some focus left, I'll go for the challenge book, since it actually takes some attention to get anything out of it. Having both going at once means there's always a book that fits how I'm feeling that night.