Dear Susan,

No need to worry. Last week, you were on my list of practicing
designers who do first-rate research, and I'm sure you'll still be on
it after I get your dissertation. It's pretty hard to fake a Ph.D. at
CMU.

The sense of anxiety seems to grow with age. When I went to
university, I was certain that I was an adult. While earning my PhD,
I began to wonder when I would finally attain some level of maturity.
After my PhD, I was sure it would take me a couple decades more.
Now, my deep fear is that everyone ELSE will one day discover the
terrible truth I discover comparing myself to smart people who are
much more skilled and competent than I will ever feel myself to be.
Just last week, John Feland wrote an eloquent post that left me
wondering how to keep up in a field that includes people like him.
Today, a manuscript from John Broadbent that makes me wonder
very much the same. Your dissertation will probably inspire the same
sense of admiration and anxiety when it arrives.

Despite my uneasy membership in what I am told is a large
group of people who suffer from such feelings, one thing remains
true. It is better to recognize and to admire excellence than not to do
so. I recall a phrase from Mary Renault's novel about Simonides:
"Who hates excellence hates the Gods." The corollary to this is
that we must often see in others qualities we admire and do not
ourselves possess. We learn from the qualities we admire, even
when we cannot ourselves master them.

This is especially true for me, having had three lives, one in
management, one in design, and one in art.

One of my friends is a world-famous artist who has managed to
remain a major figure with a massive market for three decades now.
In contrast, my life as an artist has had its ups and downs. Even in
my successful moments, the costs on my projects often outran the
income. Someone once asked me if I ever felt a sense of envy. I
thought about it and realized I never did. I would have liked to have
had some of the qualities my friend has, but I have never envied my
friend. I felt as a good athlete must feel who is good enough to
compete in the Olympics without winning a medal on a field where
the world's best gather to compete. To participate in such company
is a joy in its own right.

Thanks for your thoughts on a gray autumn afternoon. Here I sit
looking out over my little corner of the Oslo Fjord with a sense of
appreciation and admiration for the community that meets here on
this list. Your work and your contributions to this list have earned
you a place on the field.

Warm wishes,

Ken



Susan Hagan wrote:

I have been silent for awhile because I owe Ken a copy of my dissertation,
and I have been shy about sending it (fearing that I might reveal a lack of
depth heretofore kept well-hidden). I am embarrassed to admit that, but
there you have it. I feel that this particular issue is too important to go
unchallenged.

Ken Friedman wrote (last week):

I have no problem disclosing the identity of the practicing designers who
do first-rate research among our subscribers -- just to start, I can think
of Susan Hagan, Chris Rust, David Durling, Joy Sykes, Sylvia Pizzocaro,
Chris Heape, Tim Smithers, Terry Love, Lorraine Justice, John Feland,
Nigel Cross ...

Certificate of authenticity:

My sig follows, as Ben Jonson requested.

--

Ken Friedman
Professor of Leadership and Strategic Design
Department of Leadership and Organization
Norwegian School of Management

Design Research Center
Denmark's Design School

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