You accomplish much definition by discovering what doesn’t work. Edison comes to mind. My challenge to you is hit as much of that as possible right up front — define your limitations, and limit your project scope on purpose. Your output will be much more creative. Then get to work.
I believe that our most effective creativity is in bridging relationships between seemingly disconnected elements. The answer is there. Once you have done your due diligence, plan to disengage. By disengaging, you engage the rest of your brain to bring the answer to you. Then reengage, and never give up. Persevere, and you will come to something greater than you can now imagine.
A Successful Project
A successful project is not merely a well-executed task, whether it’s a logo, a complete web site redesign, a grass roots campaign, or creating a Guggenheim. A successful project is a masterfully woven process.
Tapestry
I love the metaphor of tapestry: Weaving divergent piece together by design to communicate something that only makes sense when viewed as a whole.
Project process management is the blend of cultivating ownership:
- Managing perceptions
- Establishing and meeting expectations
- Hashing through the big changes early on (or “thrashing early” to use Seth Godin’s beautiful concept.
- Masterful presentation
- Creating an environment that demands timely feedback
If you don’t have buy-in everywhere it counts, you have an idea that just died in the delivery room.
Bonus: Here is a link to Seth’s project,The SHIP IT Journal. Required homework for your project, whatever it may be.
