I’ve heard that everyone has within them at least one book. Pierce the Design Fog is my first. The journey to writing Pierce the Design Fog was extensive, spanning several years and involving a great deal of trial and error. It was, actually, a deeply personal process.
Realizing the need
Pierce the Design Fog is based on my experiences and research. For a long time, I saw the same problem repeat itself: a brilliant idea for a product would get lost in a cloud of miscommunication and unmet expectations.
I initially started the project “Quality during Design” in 2021, aiming to help others with this problem. The main idea was to apply quality engineering principles early in the design development process. Doing so would solve some of the early development problems I saw.
People didn’t immediately grasp the concept. It took me years of trial and error to translate my practical knowledge into a clear philosophy, repeatable process, and a set of tools. The hardest part was translating years of applied knowledge in a way that others could easily follow to improve their work.
I knew what worked from my years of employment and consultancy. I developed lesson plans and an online course, tracked what Quality during Design Podcast episodes generated interest, presented ideas at conferences to gauge interest and gather feedback, and applied techniques in my consulting work. I spoke with many people about their projects.
A consistent theme emerged: people wanted case studies and examples; they needed to see how these ideas connected with their own work. What they needed was a book! This extensive period of research, feedback, and practical application, including missteps along the way, is ultimately how Pierce the Design Fog came to be written.
Adapting writing styles
I’ve always enjoyed writing. Authoring technical papers, reports for regulatory agencies, and verification procedures is hugely different from writing a non-fiction book! It took me awhile to un-do the technical writing habit.
When I started my first draft, I shared it with my seventh grader to gauge if my writing was easily readable. “What is, ‘We had a dialogue about that’? That’s really weird! Why would you phrase it that way?” We had a good laugh (we still laugh about that), and then I got to work learning how to write better.
I needed to write with a more active voice and to organize my ideas in a compelling way that a reader would enjoy and find valuable. I wanted to write a book that someone would add tabs, or dog-ear, throughout!
Tools of the Writing Trade
To make sure many pages were dog-eared gems, I relied on a few key tools and techniques.
Scrivener helped me organize my chapters and extensive research. It was so helpful to easily move chapters and find my resources. I will continue to use it for other projects. Plus, it’s a download, not an app with a monthly fee.
The Pro Writing Aid plug-in was invaluable for improving my writing and grammar, and getting out of the technical writing, passive-voice trap.
For technical research, I used the Consensus app and The Penn State Library (my alma mater).
I looked to the experts for guidance. I learned valuable organizational techniques from Write Useful Books by Rob Fitzpatrick and Adam Rosen, which taught me how to structure information to front-load value and get straight to the point. I also listened to Joanna Penn’s podcast “The Creative Penn” for inspiration and techniques.
Publishing Choices
I published Pierce the Design Fog through Pin Gauge Publishing, an imprint of my company Deeney Enterprises.
A significant reason for choosing this publishing path was my desire for it to be widely available to readers. Many books that were instrumental in my career growth are now difficult to find, often only available as used copies and absent from most libraries.
Just because it was traditionally published didn’t mean it was available. Authors often sign away rights to publishers and then lose control over where their work is sold. Traditional publishers also frequently put the marketing burden on the author, so that was not a benefit, either.
Therefore, self-publishing offered me the control to ensure my work could reach as many people as possible while avoiding the limitations I’d seen with traditionally published books.
The decision to independently publish meant navigating a separate, intricate process. Independent publishing is now a very viable option, supported by numerous services and companies. My biggest surprise: how much work was needed to take what I thought was complete and turn it into a published book.
I worked with Julie Broad and her team at Book Launchers, approaching them with what I considered my "finished" manuscript. It then underwent another nine months of intensive polishing by a team of editors, proofreaders, fact checkers, graphical artists, and layout professionals! I was happy that all that work I put into writing with an active voice still paid off and made the editing process easier. And the team I worked with made the journey fun.
The publishing process involved countless decisions on my part, based on editor feedback. I also needed to follow-through on essential tasks like figure editing, copyright registration, and PCIP creation. This dedicated, months-long process of refining the manuscript is what many independent authors undertake today to ensure their work is something they are truly proud to publish.
Rewarding, but the real goal is to be a value to you
This book is a testament to the fact that great things often come from years of trial and error, sticking with it because you know it will help others.
Writing a useful, non-boring book was a rewarding challenge. It’s an opportunity to articulate what I’ve learned and my experiences, in a way that is hopefully valuable and useful to readers. In doing so, I get to “work with” and help many others.
What tools have been essential in your own creative projects?
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