New Opportunities Ahead
Started a new job last week. Since I am jumping back into the world of consulting, I feel like I have adjusted pretty well and, so far, there haven't been any unwelcomed surprises. Everything has felt like riding a bicycle.
I've enjoyed not having as much process around the work or tools we use. Instead, it's a return to communication: What's the best way to communicate with my team or the client or to end users who will peck and hunt for information? Whatever way we think it's best to communicate is what you'll use.
I am also enjoying the anecdotes I've heard about clients and stakeholders using the same tools to leave feedback, as well as how curious others at the agency are about others' job duties and expertise in the name of collaboration.
Visual creatives doing low-fidelity work, like mood boards, that they share with the digital team, who can then take that one level further. Strategy folks brainstorming with UX and marketing folks to come up with bold, new ideas.
Those stories warmed my heart, and reinforced I made the right choice.
In conversations with the people on my immediate team, I've heard that not only are they already thinking about projects like me, but I hear others asking the tough questions also, such as: What exactly is the goal for this project already in flight (that's partially off the rails)? It seems associates are stepping out of a siloed spotlight and into a goal-oriented one. To me, that naturally leads to more fulfilling work.
Unrelated, I am almost finished with Save the Cat! Though there hasn't been as much tie-in to UX recently, I feel like I have a new way of watching movies. I used to wonder why college friends at Iowa taking film classes would say they watched certain movies multiple times. But now, I understand why and what they were probably asked to look for.
Not sure yet if this will ruin my movie-watching experience. But I think a lot of what Snyder has described recently are structure elements people naturally feel when watching movies – like when you realize the first 45 minutes were all setup and it's finally transitioned into action. Or when you can sense that the movie is probably starting to wrap up soon. These relate to general screenplay rules and the risks of breaking them in relation to the payoff for the audience.
The one thing that seems to be true about all media is getting to the point. Snyder has a rule called "Laying Pipe," which describes how much time is necessary for the set up in Act One. If you take too long, either the audience gets bored or you leave less time for a quality payoff. (Though it seems like people are comfortable with 3-hour movies now?)
No matter if someone is on a website, listening to a podcast, or watching a video, you have to get to the point. Waiting around decreases credibility.
Links
- Why Is ‘Bob’s Burgers’ So Freakishly Lovable? This Guy.: Haven't been able to read this yet since I don't have a subscription to the New York Times. But once my free article limit refreshes, it'll be the first one I read.
- Office Spaces on Pinterest: I've been adding to my board recently since we've moved into our new home, and I get to organize and decorate the designated office room.
- Approaching Pixels & Projections: I saw Kate Dawkins in 2018 at Smashing Conf in San Fransisco. I was reminded of her talk earlier this week during a brainstorm session, and it is definitely worth another watch.
- And, But, Therefore: I heard about this simple storytelling structure in a podcast several weeks ago and was curious to learn more. This article has a good breakdown of how to use it and why it works.