Super8: eight intriguing articles from October.

Happy Halloween! Today represents an opportunity to face the things that make our collective skin crawl: the things that terrify our souls, torture our minds, and keep us fretting late at night. From the deepest, darkest nether regions of the human psyche, this month’s Super8 is all about conquering what scares us the most.

So what is that, exactly? For many, it’s more daily anxieties than axe murderers; being ‘found out’, rather than things that go bump in the night. Whatever your craft, it’s easy to feel afraid of being overwhelmed, underappreciated, or left behind. That’s why I’ve compiled 8 excellent articles to help you regain confidence and face your fears this Halloween. Welcome to Super8 in October!

1. Lessons in the subtle art of not giving a f**k.

• Read the full article here.
• Written by Mark Manson.  
• Submitted by Zoë Warne.

Conquer the fear of being overwhelmed. Work, friends, family, fashion, products, ads, apps, ideas, outings, events, news: there are so many things in the world that demand our attention. Plus, each one comes with a series of associated issues to navigate.

It can be exhausting trying to find time for them all, let alone investing the energy to engage with each one properly. If you leave yourself open and susceptible to everything — without a conscious catalogue of what’s worthy of your attention — you will inevitably end up overwrought. Here’s how to find clarity by not giving a f**k.

2. The importance of sucking at a new job for a year or two.

• Read the full article here.
• Written by Ross McCammon. 
• Submitted by Daniel Banik. 

Conquer the fear of making mistakes. ‘You suck’ – it’s what a lot of people tell themselves on a daily basis. We think we’re not good enough, or we need to do better regardless of the standard of our work. Here, Ross reminds us that it’s ok to suck at something initially. Actually, it’s important.

‘In some cases, failure can be a powerful catalyst for improvement.’

As humans, we hate to make mistakes, but the reality is they’re inevitable. A key determinant of success is being able to accept that you will make mistakes and then paying attention to the factors that cause them. Don’t become paralysed by the quest for perfection. When we learn from them, our mistakes actually make us better.

3. How to pretend you’re a great designer.

• Read the full article here.
• Written by Pablo Stanley. 
• Submitted by John Broadfoot. 

Conquer the fear of being ‘found out’. Ever had your integrity questioned? Is someone criticising your professional opinion, or interrogating your approach to a project? Have you ever worried people will discover you’re some kind of fraud? It’s a real phenomenon, and it’s called ‘Imposter Syndrome’.

Whatever your role, it can be difficult to stay unwaveringly confident given the ever-evolving nature of many professions. Design is no exception – there’s always a new trend or technological development lingering on the horizon, poised to alter the design landscape and permanently transform convention. So what can you do? Worst case, follow these tongue-in-cheek techniques, pretend to be great, and enjoy the ride. Or, heed the valuable lessons implied within each one and actually be great.

4. Develop deep knowledge in your organisation — and keep it.

• Read the full article here.
• Written by Dorothy Leonard. 
• Submitted by Steph Little. 

Conquer the fear of lacking knowledge. We live in an age of constant improvement; the countless push notifications to update your OS are probably proof enough of that. The same kind of continual upgrading is often expected of people and organisations. If you’re not constantly learning and evolving, you’re resting on your laurels. Sometimes, the relentless need for progress can be intimidating.

Learning can be made easier and more efficient with the right tools. In other words, there’s a better way to get better.

This piece provides a fantastic overview of the concept of ‘deep knowledge’, along with how and why it should be developed in an organisation. Deep knowledge helps a team to maintain core competencies, refine elite skills, and get the edge over competitors through education. And it can all be achieved with these easy-to-follow techniques.

5. Delighting users – adding magic to everyday interactions.

• Read the full article here.
• Written by Thin Martian. 
• Submitted by Vivi Chau. 

Conquer the fear of being bland. ‘User delight’ – it’s a term that can be terrifying in and of itself. ‘Delight’ is tossed about frequently and with abandon in brainstorming and concept sessions, and yet it remains distinctly vague. We know delight is important but it’s often a confusing and unquantifiable aspect of a project.

When should it come to the fore? What does delight look like? How much is too much? If you find yourself in the dark when it comes to delight, take a look at this piece and allay your concerns. Delight is not a constant, it should ‘go deep’, and it should reduce anxiety while inspiring wonder. What does that all mean? Check out the article and find out.

An example of ‘liquid pull down’, by Ramotion.

6. MailChimp and the un-silicon valley way to make it as a start-up.

• Read the full article here.
• Written by Farhad Manjoo.  
• Submitted by David Baddock.  

Conquer the fear of self doubt. Sometimes, it can be frightening enough simply swimming against the current, let alone handling the prospect of sharks in the water. Put plainly, it’s tough to maintain conviction in your own approach when daunting or successful competitors are doing things differently. Fear not. Sometimes the best method is simply the one that works for you.

Take MailChimp as an example.

‘As a start-up, MailChimp swim against the current, and the approach has been a stroke of genius.’

The software marketing company built their business the old fashioned way: by servicing customer needs, maintaining a close rapport with those same customers, and trusting in their natural instincts. No astronomical venture capital. No Bay Area presence. No crazy employee burn rate. MailChimp built a business slowly and the way they felt was right. And they’ve been a huge success.

7. Seven things every designer needs to know about accessibility.

• Read the full article here.
• Written by Jesse Hausler.  
• Submitted by Sylvia Pho.

Conquer the fear of designing ‘accessible’ products. Accessibility is awesome. Accessible design ensures that a wide range of users can enjoy and engage with your products. Surely that’s a motivating factor and a goal for every brief, but it’s not always the case. Accessibility guidelines can be seen as a series of constraints: restrictive boundaries that prevent innovation, hamper aesthetics and generally limit the development of a project.

Actually, the exact opposite is true.

‘Accessible design facilitates the exploration of multiple viewpoints and perspectives.’

Accessible design ignites creative thought, rather than smothering it. If you design a truly accessible product, it will appeal to everyone – clients, creatives, the Dribbble community, and most importantly, your users. Learn why accessibility is essential, along with some practical techniques to help achieve it.

8. Reign, Supreme.

• Read the full article here.
• Written by Kyle Chayka. 
• Submitted by Mark Davis. 

Conquer the fear of losing relevance. Successful and effective brand management is a careful equilibrium. It’s a mix of endeavour, creativity, context, strategy, research, insight, and sometimes luck. Supreme, arguably the world’s most influential streetwear brand, is the same.

Supreme is a complex synthesis of art, hype, economics, celebrity and the internet. To reflect that multiplicity, this piece is split into 15 micro-editorials, covering the brand, the people who bring it to life, and the fluid cultural zone it occupies.

‘While the Supreme brand means different things to multiple audiences, the marketing approach is clearly in perfect balance.’

Supreme is the proud insignia of pro skaters, advertising executives, rappers, and artists alike, with frenzied disciples lining up for limited releases 24 hours in advance. Recently, people camped out around the world to buy bricks with the Supreme logo stamped into them. The resale value on these bricks is around $1,000 US per unit. While it might be a hard brand to pin down, Supreme has been relevant and rarefied for over 20 years. Learn from the best.