As we’re finally taking a deep breath after the launch of some large projects (like The Search for Bourne & 30 Days of Night) and a number of pitches, I’ve caught back up with my blogroll.

I came to the digital world through the backdoor. From library science school to experience development for an amazing museum to content development for a museum exhibit design and fabrication firm, one thing remained constant – give people the information that they want when they want it in a format they want (not that they always know). I imagine other people have similarly unique backgrounds with similar goals. We all want to engage people with cool stuff.

The question is: how can you do your best work as an “ideator” for the digital world? Other people have suggestions. Like a degree program. Or better titles. Or realizing that digital cannot be ignored. But it might help to just write out a list.

1. Keep learning about anything and everything you can.
2. Listen to your colleagues. Don’t be so ready to sell your idea. Let other people think that it was their own.
3. Be willing to make a mistake and/or lose big. You may win big.
4. Use your emotional intuition. Business speak and metrics are great, but don’t you know your audience well enough to know what they will love?
5. Innovation is sometimes better than invention. Both have a time and a place.

Common sense? Maybe. But these things have been mainstays in all the work that I’ve done and I feel they’ve served me well.