Last night, at a uPenn event, a tech or business (?) graduate from the class of 2009 did two very smart things: 1. Noticing that both of us were orbiting outside of various tight conversation pods, he introduced himself. 2. Learning that I'm a designer, he asked, "What is the one thing people don't know about what you do?" What a clever question. I plan to steal it for future events.
Over the din,* I shouted that designers assess, plan, and communicate beyond making something look pretty. I shrieked that people don't know that it's best to collaborate with designers instead of use them as a pair of hands.
My answer needs polishing. It's a good reminder to always have an "elevator speech," especially in gatherings with elevated noise level—and a reminder to learn to project the voice.
What is one thing that people don't know about what you do?
