Refine Your Process

Characteristic of great design work is that while the what (ie the particular idea you’re working on) may change, the how can be mastered and adapted to any number of whats.

One of my favorite stories from Steve Martin's fantastic memoir, Born Standing Up, is his description of the meticulous reflection routine he followed as a young performer. "Following the advice in Showmanship for Magicians, I kept scrupulous records of how each gag played after my local shows for the Cub Scouts or Kiwanis Club. 'Excellent!' or 'Big laugh!' or 'Quiet,' I would write in the margins of my Big Indian tablet; then I would summarize how I could make the show better next time..."

That’s commitment to the craft: keeping notes of how gigs for local Cub Scout Troops went!

There’s data to be gleaned from every single at-bat, but an innovator’s got to make the time to reflect. Young Steve Martin found ways to improve his bits regardless of the prestige of the venue.

It’s no surprise that this very practice unlocked an unexpected insight into his unique appeal:

"I was still motivated to do a magic show with standard patter, but the nice response to a few gags had planted a nagging thought that contradicted my magic goal: ‘They love it when the tricks don't work...’" and with that realization, he started experimenting with an iteration on the standard magic show. One that took a humorous angle at a magician who couldn’t get his tricks to work. That thread of inspiration was woven throughout the remainder of his stand-up career, long after he stopped identifying himself as a magician.

It was just little light bulb moment, captured in a notebook, but it sent his comedy career in an entirely new direction. I couldn’t help but wonder, perhaps he never would have realized his unique point of view if he hadn’t maintained a discipline of reflection on his shows.

In design how you’re working — speed, reflection, iteration, and all — is every bit as important as the what you’re working on.

Related: Judge Experiments Before Ideas
Related: Diagram Your Last Breakthrough

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