studio non troppo : mindful design : facilitation

Photo: Kanko*

Musashi, the samurai, artist, and author of The Book of the Five Rings, wrote down a list of what he expected of a master swordsman.

I don’t have the book in front of me (probably having lent it out one more time than I got it back), but I remember one of the items on his list: know the ways of all professions. “Know the ways of all professions” is not the same as “be proficient in all areas.”

The latter is not only impossible; it is pointless to attempt. The former is a more subtle instruction.

Although it may also, in the end, be impossible to know the ways of all professions, setting this as a goal puts one on a path of observation, learning, and most fundamentally, compassion.

In the very specific context of running a business, you may wonder how far you need to immerse yourself in the interflowing currents of marketing, analytics, copywriting, and design. My answer is this: it depends.

How much expertise it is appropriate for you to develop or attach yourself to will depend on all the contexts of your business, not least on what kinds of things you enjoy learning and doing. To learn more about the particular contexts in which you find yourself, and to know what steps you should take, your first choice should be to determine to “know the ways of all professions.”

You can practice anywhere.

Consider all the people involved in creating and installing the following sign:

Photo: * Photography by Chris *

It can be challenging and perplexing, but also fun and rewarding, to think about how and why people do the things they do.

What do web analysts get thrilled about? How do marketers spin utter failure? What is the bane of the copywriter’s existence? What does that odd laugh coming from the designer mean?

To the extent you know the play of wills, frustrations, and breakthroughs for the professionals who could someday work with you, as teachers, partners, or contractors, you will know what is best to ask or ask for.