Why iteration works- Life lessons from LEGO Batman
Why iteration works- and how to not beat yourself up for failed attempts.
(4 min. read)
LEGO Batman cracks me up.
At first I was thinking they had taken the character beyond extreme ("jumped the shark" as they say) and ended up with something that was just plain silly.
And then he did this...
Yes, it's ridiculous. And also kinda brilliant.
Great Expectations
We've all been there. You can see it in your mind's eye- the solution, the right way forward.
But then, you go to write it down or explain it to your partner,
...and these little cracks of uncertainty start to appear in the fabric of your perfect solution.
"No, no" you say to yourself (or your partner) "It's good, it's all good. It's just..."
Yet you realize now that the cracks are visible, they're hard to ignore.
Reality Bites
Let's face it- the 3D world is messy.
And because of that, the first solution you come up with may not be the be-all-end-all solution you thought it was. Nor the second, nor even the third.
It can take a bunch of tries to narrow in on the design or the fix that really solves the problem (and doesn't create new unintended consequences).
The thing is, we learn in school that we should pick the right answer.
That there should be a right answer, one right answer. (Or worst case 'all of the above'. ;-)
We're conditioned to think if the answer we came up with isn't right, or turns out to be flawed in some way, then we got it wrong.
And getting it wrong feels... bad.
...like not only did we get it wrong, but we did it wrong. (Or there's something wrong with us?) Yikes.
But what if that's bogus?
I call this struggle with feeling bad about 'wrong answers' the Right Way Fallacy.
"Now listen here young'n, there's a right way, and a wrong way. Don't you be gettin' those mixed up now, y'hear?" "No sir." - Approximate quote from somewhere back in everyone's memory ever.
The Right Way Fallacy is simply this: We should always pick the right answer.
It's a fallacy because out in the real world there often isn't a right answer- there is only a range of options, with corresponding benefits and tradeoffs that imperfectly fit a stone soup of concerns and goals.
And because the 3D world is messy, sometimes it can take several rounds of options and refinement before we hit on a 'best fit' solution.
A New Hope
The good news is, that's what design is for.
In fact, that's what design is:
Identify a problem or opportunity
Seek to understand the problem or opportunity, and the surrounding context
Come up with a range of options
Choose the option that best fits -or- create a combined option that pulls together the best part of the options considered.
In short...
Design is a process.
...which means, anyone can use it. Sure, natural creative brilliance can add extra horsepower but that isn't essential to using design as a way of coming up with good solutions.
It just takes practice.
Whether you are thinking about designing a garden or a garden party, you can use the process of design to get clear on what you want to do, better understand the challenges and context, explore a range of options, and find the best fit- for your goals, and for you.
So is LEGO Batman wrong? Delusional? Or is there something to learn waiting just under the surface?
Here's what I see when I watch this scene:
LEGO Batman is trying to hit a button with his bat-knives. He keeps throwing them, more and more, over and over.
But he's not doing the same thing exactly, it just looks like that from a glance. What he's really doing is repeating a strategy that should work (he believes) but with variations on the theme each time.
One knife? Two at a time? Throw it at an angle? Or maybe get it close, and let it fall over on the button.
And in one sense, he's right- when he hit on the thing that worked, it was the first try... at least for that particular variation.
To infinity, And Beyond
Let's do a quick recap:
The Right Way Fallacy is a fallacy because, in the real world, there often isn't one right answer.
Design is a process. Anyone can use it.
Getting good at design takes good information + practice.
Here's why that matters:
One of the many reasons I love gardens is that gardens are a perfect place to practice design.
Lots of creative freedom
Few if any regulations or permits
A complex, dynamic web of goals and constraints
A good chance of getting real 'I made that. I can see, touch, taste this.' results
Getting good at using design to solve problems can have benefits in all sorts of unexpected settings (PTA subcommittees, a play structure at the local park, etc.)
Yet why not get the benefits of practicing design in a setting that improves the quality of your life each day and becomes a great space for your family to spend time together?
Your next design project
If you are thinking about a designing a solution for your garden, such as building a garden box or changing up some things in the front yard, you may have something in mind- but you may also be wondering if your solution is the right one.
The great news is- you now know there probably isn't a right way. Whew!
Yet you still might want some input, just to make sure you have the bases covered.
Totally makes sense. So let me ask-
Would an hour of 1-on-1 coaching with an experienced garden designer help?
We've helped dozens of homeowners in the past year get more clarity on what they want to do with their gardens.
And if you're working on something smaller than a full design, say one area or a specific problem, a Virtual Consultation might be the best fit solution.