Occupational Hazard

Background

I come from a family of designers. In the sense that both my parents work in the same field, having graduated from the same design school. The way I have been introduced to the field is as a way of living rather than as a profession. To be creative is said to require good observation skills, the ability to think laterally or to be able to connect the dots and a host of other skills that help in the process of realizing unique ideas. To be able to do this well (consistently) requires practice. These practices are incorporated into the life of a designer. 

When we discussed the pitfalls of play-acting a certain role or profession from the perspective of Existentialism, I found it particularly relevant. Similar arguments had come up with batch-mates about having focused versus having diverse interests in life- Does engaging with a very different field take you away from another? Would it be better to view other fields through the lens of the one you choose to be in? Questioning my view further, it becomes important to understand the nature of these roles- does both living a profession and following a way of life lead to the same problem? The problem of being entrapped by an ideal. How does one engage with ideals? Ideals seem to be inevitable to society today. Should they be avoided completely?

Ideals

Ideals are a set of values and beliefs that guide a person’s decisions in life. These ideals are a type of general idea or concept. The validity of such concepts is established by the method of their production. Thinkers like Rousseau and Kant, assume a hypothetical situation in prehistory that finds man in a natural state. Man existed without language, reason and ideas in this initial state. Rousseau attributes man with certain pre-conditional characteristics termed actualities and potentialities. Actualities of self-preservation and compassion guided human behaviour in nature. Potentialities of free-will and self-improvement are inherent qualities latent in every human. These are actualized according to the circumstances an individual is in. Reason is generated with this actualization. Reason is a method of thinking that connects cause and effect. First ideas were experienced directly from physical existence in nature. If a primitive language exists it was said to exist as sounds standing in for entire propositions.

“When a monkey leaves without the least hesitation one nut for another, are we to think he has any general idea of that kind of fruit, and that he compares its archetype with these two individual bodies? No certainly; but the sight of one of these nuts calls back to his memory the sensations which he has received from the other; and his eyes, modified after some certain manner, give notice to his palate of the modification it is in its turn going to receive.”

Rousseau is said to assume a necessity for language in primitive humans that allows for the formation of general concepts. As individuals began to communicate compare experiences through discourse, knowledge was created and ideals were generated.

The generation of ideals can also be understood in terms of the aristocratic paradigm. Aristocrats generated ideals through their actions. These ideals were followed by plebians as a potentiality (an ought to). This ‘entrapment of language’ applied to aristocrats as well.

The question that arose from this study of medieval life was whether the actions of the aristocracy was inherently moral.

Rousseau’s choice of a compassionate man in the natural state was required to establish its goodness. This would have been aligned to ideas of morality at the time. These ideas of morality were established by religion. Kant on the other hand stated that freedom could only emerge from Pure Reason. Instead of religion, existence comprehended through Reason was the basis of these ethics.

Nietzsche called this the Religious Paradigm. In this paradigm the essence of man as willed by God preceded his existence. Freethinkers before Nietzsche needed to show that religion was in conformity with their theories. For Rousseau, religion needed to reflect alinguistic natural instincts. On the other hand, reason which explained some experiences could not cover religion which was to explain all experiences. With time there was a transfer of power from religion to industry.

Professionalism

Why do we choose professions? Modern conventions place value on the output of a person. A person is identified by their actions and the economic value of those actions determines their worth in society. Individuals interact at the marketplace. These transactions are commercial in nature- people identify themselves as buyers and sellers. As they continue to play these roles they begin to identify themselves with the same. Their existence becomes influenced by the economic structures of the time. The ideals held by people are consequently found in professions. 

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The Game of Life +flaws

Gamification is trending this decade... From Super Mario and Donkey Kong, gaming has evolved to a point where gameplay is so immersive that it can barely be told apart from reality. Video game designers simplify the real world: physics and psychology- into rules that create alternate realities for us to explore. As we spend more time in these worlds we learn to play by it's rules. It's led to an idea that we could use the theories of game design to complete our quests in the real world.

Gamification can be applied to almost any task: everyday chores [www.getyedone.com/], busting that beer belly [https://blog.fitbit.com/category/challenges/], planning your finances [www.mint.com] learning maths or science or arts [www.khanacademy.org/] or languages [www.duolingo.com/].

Or finding the cure to AIDS?!

In 2008, University of Washington scientists released the game Foldit, hoping a sort of critical mass of gamers would mess around with proteins and, in the process, uncover some of their intrigue.

In a matter of 10 days from its launch, gamers were able to do what biochemists have been trying to do for a decade: decipher the structure of a protein called retroviral protease, an enzyme that is key to the way HIV multiplies.

This article really sums up the  best gamification has to offer!
http://www.yukaichou.com/gamification-examples/top-10-gamification-examples-human-race/#.VZzo-Pmqqko

Our lives allow gamification, with goals that we must complete ,rewarding us along the way, so that we can start the next challenge,  : this covers everything from frequent flyer miles to even school examinations!

School is a game where you keep completing the challenges set, which improves your skills in taking on the boss level, terminal exam. At the end of the game you could get rewarded for setting a highscore.
Parenting involves a level of gamification.

Your parents must have at some point played the game with you. So the rules are, you score a certain grade and you will get a new mobile phone, for instance. So you work hard and you do win the game. This leads on to another game and another. At what point does your game become about getting that final result rather than learning. Of course this doesn't matter as long as you're learning, right! However, we are becoming increasingly conditioned to expect rewards. We work with our eyes on the prize, which reflects the fact that our society is very materialistic.

How do we make ourselves productive if there isn't a reward? What keeps us motivated?

Motivation theories are split into two categories: Extrinsic motivation and Intrinsic motivation.

Common extrinsic motivations are rewards (for example money or grades) for showing the desired behavior, and the threat of punishment following misbehavior. Competition is an extrinsic motivator because it encourages the performer to win and to beat others, not simply to enjoy the intrinsic rewards of the activity. A cheering crowd and the desire to win a trophy are also extrinsic incentives.

Intrinsic motivation is the self-desire to seek out new things and new challenges, to analyze one's capacity, to observe and to gain knowledge.

Neither are exclusive of the other. However the balance between them shifts towards extrinsic rewards when life is gamified.

Quest to Learn is a school that uses gamification to encourage children to learn what they want. We live in an information rich world, information that's easily accessible. Q2L aims to equip their students with the ability to access the information they want and do something productive with it.
Learning happens through games often created by the students themselves.

http://upperschool.q2l.org/

The biggest glitches appear when real life doesn't play by the rules. What happens when you don't get that gadget you worked for or the promotion you wanted? Real life doesn't have pre-programmed end sequences, unless you believe in Fate.

What do you do when the game of life doesn't reward you?

Uninstall the app?


If you spend your life chasing flyer miles for that exclusive platinum card, you end up like Ryan Bingham (played by George Clooney in Up in the Air), disillusioned by the goals you've been chasing and by the disregard that real life has for rules.

Interestingly enough, as important as the final product is;

Design is all about the process.