How to Avoid the Devil in the Details
Kill perfectionism. Done is better than perfect.
I am a recovering perfectionist, and when I say recovering, I mean that I frequently fall off the wagon. It’s no secret that perfection is almost always the fastest way to kill creativity; putting the details aside and focusing on the greater challenge at hand is no easy feat.
So how do we strike a balance between the details that are so often the hallmark of great work and charging headlong toward the goal?
The Broken Window Theory
According to the Broken Window Theory, if a window is broken, and left un-repaired, people will conclude that the community and its inhabitants have little regard for maintaining the environment. More windows will be broken further reinforcing this message of neglect, and the community will see greater acts of vandalism and crime.
As designers, creatives, and makers, the Broken Window Theory applies to our approach. When we’re working on a project, we’re always faced with questions and details that require our attention.
“Should I focus the next four hours on getting this line of code to work, or can I come back to it later?”
A question like this can be a very slippery slope–before we know it, we’ve sunk hours into something that doesn’t work and has seemingly little value on the broader goals. Yet, it’s the little things that add up.
Neglecting too many details, or casting aside key elements of the creative process amounts to a project that begins to lose its value. The team is less motivated to work on the project, and the obstacles become insurmountable.
Tackle things this way…
To avoid this, routinely weigh the smaller details against, the broader goals; I try to do this at the end of each day when working on a project. Setting aside a list of smaller items with a plan to revisit them at a particular point in time will keep your project sharp.
Devote time to the small details, clean up your code, organize your design assets, etc. Taking this approach allows you to continuously assess your surroundings while creating a better environment for success.
When I create a routine to identify and address the “broken windows,” I’m creating a system that keeps my perfectionist tendencies in check while allowing me to focus on making better decisions that result in fewer “broken windows.”
Jonathan Speh is an award-winning designer and Art Director at Idea Booth, a creative think tank specializing in disruptive ideas.
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