Postcard from the Edge
As artisans, the more we find ourselves in spaces where requirements are detailed, the less room there is for the individual creativity that is our hallmark. The more we find ourselves enclosed and fed on a diet of processes and metrics designed to make us productive and efficient, the less we are able to follow paths of interest and curiosity, and the likelihood of serendipity decreases.
It’s not a comfortable place to be. Working for others and meeting “the needs of the market” will always involve compromise; the question is, how much? One thing is being able to make our decisions as to the degree of compromise. Having them forced on us is another.
As AI becomes an increasing presence in the specification and delivery of our work, I think it is an issue. AI design reflects the culture of the organisation, its datasets and its ambitions. The fence that encloses us moves from rustic to electric, with guard towers.
It makes me think that artisans are perhaps part of a community of trespassers, poachers, heretics and others who are unwilling to accept imposition if it interferes with how they want to live.
It’s an interesting thought.