Innovate - Art and science
Now, this is a concept I struggle with all the time. Growing up there was a right answer in math, correct spelling in English, and formulas to work with in science. Then you go off and become an IT professional, an engineer, and expect, not unreasonably, that there will always be a right answer - a way to determine the best outcome by formula or design. Then slowly you start to realize the world does not work like that. People get involved, and nuisances, and suddenly you have to compromise and be less scientific. All throughout my grad school experience, I was being bombarded with the concept, “It's all about people and their context,” and I waited and I waited and waited for someone to say, “It’s really about technology,” but that moment never came. All truly elegant optimal solutions require you to blend art and science; think about that the next time a customer is complaining about a system you created. Did you rely too heavily on science? Did you give any thought to usability, or as much as I hate to admit it, aesthetics? Try it; it will feel odd at first (actually if you are like me, it will always feel odd) but it works, and like so many things, it’s all about the balance.
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