a trip down memory lane

But only as far as last week*.

(Picture half-inched from Alistair, but I'm sure he won't mind)

*Neverthless, it is going to be a bit of a ramble, so stay with me if you can.

A good friend emailed me yesterday and said that she's decided to start a blog and what was my advice on the best platform to use. Should she install it on her web site or should she follow another's advice and go for Blogger? And I then spent a long time explaining exactly why blogging is such a great idea, but that you can only do it when you're ready to do it. And it's all about content and 'tone of voice'. Nothing at all to do with the platform.

So why am I on TypePad? Simply because Ben, Richard and Russell are. They were my role models when I started out. So I did what they did. But with other role models, it could equally have been WordPress (although, paradoxically for a designer - or so you might think, the last thing I wanted to do was to design my blog).

Anyway, back to blogging and why I think it's a good thing (as if I hadn't told you before). Because it's all about bumping into people in the most unexpected way. And making contact with people who are interested in the same things. As Ben once said to me, once we would have joined some club in Pall Mall in order to meet like-minded people. These days we do it on the web.

But I'm always surprised that not many design students seem to blog. Maybe they do, but I don't come across them. Or perhaps they're just too busy on MySpace, getting wasted and using up excess hormones.

And then rooting around in my visitor statistics (yes, it's a rather sad part of the blogging personality, wanting to know who's visiting you - if anyone at all, that is) I came across Sian, who's in her second year of study at the University of Wales. Now I'm normally very reluctant to point you in the direction of someone who's not been blogging for long. Because so often people can dry up as soon as they realise that getting visitors and responses isn't necessarily a given. But Sian gives me the impression that she's in this for the long haul. So good on you Sian. Keep it up. And I hope this little post doesn't create too much pressure for you.

But what's this got to do with St Bride, I hear you ask? Well, the funny thing is that when I was reading Sian's post last week about her trip to London, I found that we were both in the St Bride Library on the same day, though for different purposes. And I came away thoroughly dispirited, which led to this, whereas Sian came away inspired.

A lesson to us, I suppose, that we should always - in the words of Eric Idle - look on the bright side of life. Or, as it says on my business card, what sunshine is to flowers, smiles are to humanity.

Cheesy maybe, but nonetheless true.

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If you are a member of the Chartered Society of Designers, I'd like you to email me: david(at)studiohyde.com.

Comments

[dan heaver]

here here.

hello david. nice to read you.

dan.

[Tom Harle]

I'm at another part of University of Wales so it's great to hear about other students here blogging, I've had a quick look and Sian's looks like a great site.

Personally I've really enjoyed writing my own little blog and reading a whole bunch of others. But there are friends in my class who have dipped their toes but not really jumped right in yet. I think a lot of the time we're scared we'll say the 'wrong' thing, which is silly because the main thing I've learned is about the power of the conversation and how lovely and supportive everyone can be.

Anyway, just thinking aloud. I like the flowers/humanity quote, thanks

[Ben]

I'm still up for joining a club in Pall Mall if you are. Richard can nominate us.

[Sian]

Hello David,
I am thrilled to hear that you like my blog, It's quite exciting that other bloggers and internet users can see what I'm writing and what I'm interested in so easily. How did you find me?
Going to St. Bride's was a good experience and surreal that we were there on the same day, as I said in my blog entry, I didn't really go with the intention of finding anything specific, I just wanted to see what was available. It's a shame that you didn't find what you were looking for.
So glad to hear from you,
Sian