I am always inspired by successful people who end up working in a completely different field than they had planned, and so I enjoyed Merholz’s description of his significant deviation from his degree in anthropology. I’ll refrain from citing Forrest Gump with his box of chocolates here, but it’s true life and careers can take surprising turns. Like him, I also don’t want to be defined by what my diplomas say.
During his attempt to define his company Adaptive Path, Merholz alludes to the ongoing evolution of the word design as producing more than visual appeal. This may well tie into the growing industries such as Service Design and Information Architecture that strive to better the user experience, consulting myriad of other discplines in researching their design problem.
It seems to me Merholz is saying his current success developed from experience. His education came from observing others’ design work and what made it successful or not, listening to what his audiences had to say on sites such as Epinions, and simply working for a diverse group of companies. It’s almost as if he gradually used design methodology to education himself in design!
The “MacDonaldization” of design is a frustrating reality that unfortunately comes with living in a society where some feel entitled to certification in exchange for a fee. I feel the growing number of online courses, design workshops undermine the integrity of those who have worked longer and harder to receive the same credit. There is a definite distinction of showing interest in another discipline and claiming to have achieved the same knowledge overnight. Borrowing, sharing, and influencing other areas is wise, but so is focusing on one’s career of choice, striving to become an expert so as to better offer well-researched advice.
As the reader, I must say I, too, was thoroughly confused by the two heart surgeon scenarios. Sometimes metaphors are gratuitous fluff that make no sense.
I agree to a certain extent about Merholz’s criticisms of success, that is to say it certainly should not be measured by awards or a favorable opinion of whoever is paying the bill. He then speaks, though provides no example, of waiting until the the end result delivers “real value.” Though as a student with little power and experience, I sometimes wonder at what point a designer knows when to speak up when they see something is not working and when to do the best he/she can given their unique situation/constraints, and produce what the client asks for, and call the project a success…
“It’s almost as if he gradually used design methodology to education himself in design!”
Exactly! There are people that are pre-disposed to design, just as there are talented singers, gifted mathematicians, and natural conversationalists. Not all of them will go into design as a career. One of my co-workers is a fine software engineer and an astute project manager. Many of the same talents that lend themselves to those skills also give him a predisposition to good design. I wouldn’t want him picking colors for a webpage, but he recognizes good design and he thinks like a designer.
“…I sometimes wonder at what point a designer knows when to speak up when they see something is not working and when to do the best he/she can given their unique situation/constraints, and produce what the client asks for, and call the project a success…”
The key is to speak up soon enough to tip the scales in favor of success.