Good Systems Make Space For Good Living

If you give me 2 systems, i am going to lean towards the one that is more efficient; I choose systems that talk to each other, and let us talk better, too.

5 years ago, between Keynote and Google Slides, I went with Slides, because it’s democratic. The designer imports their design on one slide, WHILE the copywriter is drafting the messaging formula in the same deck, the account director seems progress and leaves comments, creative director keeps track of what's answered, and instead of uploading a 543MB file into dropbox for client to receive, we send a Slides link. You know what? It worked for us during lockdown.

4 years ago, between Excel and Notion, I picked Notion. Why? Because a campaign tracker could become a social calendar, a social calendar becomes a KPI dashboard. It made data human, and workflow visual. You can create an entire onboarding document or wiki on Notion and publish it on the net - as good as a website without having to employ a designer or developer. Intuitive and not just a numbers crunching tool.

3 years ago, between Photoshop and Figma, I went with Figma. Not that Figma entirely replaces what the Adobe Suite does. But, with Figma you are able to see logic in motion. It's a collaborative board. You change copy on the design while the designer is working on the next social post, while another designer is working on a landing page for same client, on the same board!.

Suddenly you do not have to hang about, waiting for designer to export their file and send you a JPG on Whatsapp and then you go back to them asking to 'add a full-stop' and a full 2 hours goes by. But WHY?!

Of course, the shift isn't smooth. There’s always resistance from the WhatsApp loyalists who send 4 min-voice notes. Also, can't do a keyword search to track the conversation. The horror!

But then, a few weeks (or months) in, something happens. Tasks move faster and comments get sharper. I see how collaboration turns into muscle memory, and then people slowly stop hating me. It takes time. Creative love a good push back. Don't I know.

But, hell, I'm persuasive AF and am in for the long run when it comes to making creative processes smoother, because good systems make space for good living.

Efficiency is kind. It gives back time, clarity, and focus. And, these are the very things that make creative work worth doing in the first place.