Here are my live notes of the Lift Conference session “Reinventing the Crafts: the Future of Job Traditions”. Keep an eye open for mistakes, inaccuracies, and other flakiness due to live-blogging.
Oliver Reichenstein: craftsmanship and mastery in the digital age
Define craftsman. Wise in their craft. Someone who knows what he’s doing.
Digital? Pixels, computer or iPhone involved… Digital initially actually does not mean binary/electronic. Most-used digital technology is the alphabet. Discrete values. Not every letter represents a precise sound.
Old masters: spent many many years with their master/student. Years of being together, seeing each other face to face… Good chemistry. Empathy. Thinking together.
Masters of the Enlightenment: most knew each other only through letters, never met. God knows what would have happened if they had had a chance to talk to each other.
Designer: bring your mind into the world. Designers are creators of things. Designers are measured by what they do. (In numbers, when it comes to the web.)
Switzerland: funny system where not everyone goes to university. Good system! (apprenticeships) In Japan it’s different, very strict university system. Japanese love being different from the rest of the world (the rest of the world now believes it). Interesting to listen to the Japanese trying to define how they are so special. Often, the more different people think they are, the more similar they are. Craftsman learns by doing, not by thinking.
Mastery: like climbing a mountain. Just think about the next step, don’t stress about how far the top is.
Craftsman knows what he does, master can explain it. To become a master, you need to meet your master. Reason to go to conferences, office. Need to meet people in person to make progress. You can’t replace a master with text or a video chat.
*steph-note: can’t say I really agree with this last bit.*
Similar Posts:
- Lift13, Reinventing the Crafts: Massimo Banzi [en] (2013)
- LIft13, Noise and Speed: Sebastian Dieguez [en] (2013)
- Lift11: Jean-Claude Biver, The importance of innovation and thinking different [en] (2011)
- The Myth of Zen in the Art of Archery [en] (2002)
- Lift13, Micah Daigle: Upgrade Democracy [en] (2013)
- LIft13, Noise and Speed: Justin Pickard [en] (2013)
- Lift 12, New Futures: Julien Dorra [en] (2012)
- Back Home [en] (2003)
- LIFT08: Paul Barnett [en] (2008)
- Lift10 Redefinition of Privacy: Olivier Glassey [en] (2010)