The creator was describing the design process.
-The need to be cutting edge
-Experience
-Figuring out where to begin
-Change in scope
-Mistakes
-Late nights
and the last thought was: when it is finally good enough, then I sign my work.
Pride in the final product can be a source of difficulty in design. It can almost be as bad as apathy. A job never finished is as bad as a job never started.
I am an engineer. That describes the process I use to perform my work, more than the designs produced. The difference between engineering a structure and designing a structure with no calculations or references, is precision.
The trap I fall into is that I focus on what I think the client wants instead of what they actually want, and that gets in the way of delivering a successful result.
Other times a client views my completed work as a failure because it doesn't match what they think they wanted (precision) and I gave them what they needed (safety, clarity, and economy). I have declared to many people that good design does not need to be explained, but it does if it does not meet a client's expectations. And that is fine with me, because an engineer should be able to explain to you his or her design and decision making process. If not, then you should go find another engineer.
That sort of transparency is what you should be looking for in any consultancy relationship. Because it is just that: a relationship. The client is not a slave to the engineer's decisions and the engineer is not a slave to the client's expectation.
I would love to tell you that I am a slave to my own expectations. The truth is that I am a slave to the fear of not meeting my expectations. The prospect of failure is somehow more terrifying than actually failing. Maturity in design is not about passion or insight, because there are many young brilliant engineers with those qualities. It is about the grind. It is about getting on with the work and not letting anything stop you from finding a solution, not even yourself.
Currently listening to: Gossling - Intentional Living EP
1 comment:
That's trippy... My husband and i were having a discussion where we were like ships in the night, and he said, "Don't you look at - say - your garden... And feel so proud?" I replied, after a moment's thought... "No, the opposite. I feel humbled. I feel grateful." It's interesting to hear about your process. And I ate play-dough as a child, as well. And glue. etc.
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