One aspect I have found interesting about this very true depiction is how few designers are curious about this problem of why their words/work go unheeded. I have seen more than a few designers (myself included) have a project get derailed by a 'surprise' stakeholder, and rather than learning more about the where/why of that stakeholder they think of it as a one-off misunderstanding. If more designers entered an organization with their first task being understanding 'how does this company make things?' they would quickly start to see who else has to be at the table for something to get done...
Curiosity is such a great word. I'm not entire sure why there is this tendency either. One theory is that if you are curious you have to be open to confronting new information that you might not prefer to hear. It can be easier psychologically to be stuck or frustrated, as long as you feel safe and justified and are guaranteed you don't have to change or grow.
I love this articulation of a challenge I've encountered too many times. When I think about it, designers I've worked with who have built great relationships with their clients have had their work reach the market more often. They've built a relationship of trust and understanding.
It's not always what we want to hear, but we need to meet our clients, partners, users, and other stakeholders in our design work where they are. What is their appetite for design? Do they value it? What do they value? How can we take ownership of the gaps and influence where they are?
Thanks Peter. I think part of it is the natural desire as craftspeople to want to be great at our craft, but unlike sculptors or furniture makers, we don't control the making of software, we are inherently collaborators. But the mindset and education around design doesn't reflect this enough.
One aspect I have found interesting about this very true depiction is how few designers are curious about this problem of why their words/work go unheeded. I have seen more than a few designers (myself included) have a project get derailed by a 'surprise' stakeholder, and rather than learning more about the where/why of that stakeholder they think of it as a one-off misunderstanding. If more designers entered an organization with their first task being understanding 'how does this company make things?' they would quickly start to see who else has to be at the table for something to get done...
Curiosity is such a great word. I'm not entire sure why there is this tendency either. One theory is that if you are curious you have to be open to confronting new information that you might not prefer to hear. It can be easier psychologically to be stuck or frustrated, as long as you feel safe and justified and are guaranteed you don't have to change or grow.
I love this articulation of a challenge I've encountered too many times. When I think about it, designers I've worked with who have built great relationships with their clients have had their work reach the market more often. They've built a relationship of trust and understanding.
It's not always what we want to hear, but we need to meet our clients, partners, users, and other stakeholders in our design work where they are. What is their appetite for design? Do they value it? What do they value? How can we take ownership of the gaps and influence where they are?
Thanks Peter. I think part of it is the natural desire as craftspeople to want to be great at our craft, but unlike sculptors or furniture makers, we don't control the making of software, we are inherently collaborators. But the mindset and education around design doesn't reflect this enough.