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A few weeks ago I sat myself down in front of a flashing cursor and asked myself "What do you really want to do?".
I know, I know, sounds like a question normally dished out by a high school guidance counsellor, but after 12 years of working in the web space under various acronyms (IA, IxD, UX, CX) and titles (web master, manager, vice president, designer, consultant, managing director), I wanted to see if I could respond with something mindful.
First, the well-formulated and somewhat heroic bits rose to the top:
- Make the design process worthwhile by delivering measurable value to clients… profit, growth, untapped opportunities
- Improve the way companies and organisations treat people
- Lead, and not just support, companies by helping them not only understand the change needed, but also begin making it
- Be a team leader and contributor, not just a consultant/expert
There were also the working-well-with-others and community snippets:
- Fill my knowledge gaps through conversation and collaboration (get out of the office)
- Pull people into what I’m saying (write, speak, organise), not just push my message
- Organise events that matter
- Be part of the growing service design movement
And finally, like most of us, it came down to what I personally wanted to get out of it (and in hindsight, what I wanted to be remembered for professionally):
- Create superior designs that are real (focused on and driven by people), not pretentious (made to order, attention seeking, fluff)
- Take risks by tackling things that are important to me, not just a good idea for clients
- Be me, be confident, be open, be playful, be smart
Yet, these statements didn't really answer the question: "What do you really want to do?" I went back through the line items and found these simple one-liners:
- Fix things that are broken and improve people’s lives
- Make things better by designing better things
Neither of these two statements say anything about tools, frameworks or theories. There's nothing about disciplines, definitions, titles or processes. Nothing about design thinking this or smart design that.
Just actions with verbs like fix, improve, make and design.
That's Elavision. That's the process. That's what I want to do.
Paul McKey 29 June 2009 at 10:30 AM
Joel this is Bootiful! Now that is the essence of a great consultant which focusses on the end and not so much the means. The means to an end is just noise that changes at the same rate as technology - fast. What satisfies humans, or clients, is the outcome, the product, the end. Thanks for a very honest blog. I am sure your clients will appreciate it.
www.paulmckey.com
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