Khoi Vinh on How His Blog Amplified His Work and Career

It’s fair to think, what if you never monetize your website? What if no one reads your blog? What is it all for?

We spoke with Khoi Vinh, Principal Designer at Adobe, author of How They Got Here: Interviews With Digital Designers About Their Careers, and a writer who’s been publishing on his blog, Subtraction, for nearly 20 years.

In his first blog post published on July 30, 2000, he meditates on the idea of having a journal, an online place where he can publish his ideas. He writes:

“I’ve been reckoning with an immense docket of changes and challenges. All of which seem like ideal fodder for posterity; an amateur writer in me feels compelled to record what I can.”

The initial inspiration has empowered Khoi to tell stories, share ideas, and offer wisdom on design for nearly two decades. The key is to look at…