eBook FREE store: Design for Hackers Reverse Engineering Beauty

Never having been one to blindly accept convention, I asked why it even

mattered if I had decent handwriting. It’s probably no surprise that I thought

handwriting was “stupid,” even “a waste of time.” I was too young to respect

the merits of something at which I had no hope of succeeding (though seriously, grading on penmanship is stupid and a waste of time).

No matter how many times I asked, I was always told the same thing: “When

you grow up and get a job, you’ll need to be able to communicate clearly. You

need good handwriting to communicate clearly.”

Th ank goodness computers took over. My handwriting is still terrible. Oh, I

can draw letters, but I certainly can’t write them.

Today I understand that at the root of my educators’ intentions was something valuable: Clear communication is critical to success. Luckily for me, I rarely have to rely upon my handwriting to communicate clearly. I can simply type an e-mail, make a slide presentation, or write a book, and it will be rendered in crisp, beautiful typography. Many of these letterforms were perfected over 500 years ago, and they still carry words with strength and clarity today.

Additionally, I have spent years studying the subtleties of visual communication.

I passed countless boring Nebraska days as a child, drawing in my room. I got

my degree in graphic design, while exhausting the university library’s supply of

typography and design books – skipping keggers so I could conduct

experiments with typography and geometry. I studied the very origins of

modern typography in the ruins of the ancient Roman Empire. I’ve even

discussed the hidden meaning of something as simple as a brick or a piece of

wood, while working at an architecture fi rm. Finally, I’ve implemented the

fruits of all this practice and analysis in the fast-paced environment of Silicon

Valley startups. Design and visual communication is so deeply embedded in my brain that I’m hardly aware of its presence. My handwriting still sucks, though.

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