We call designers who can code “unicorns”. The term is a playful nod to how rare they are thought to be. A quick google search will reveal a number of articles that answer the question, “How do I find (and hire) a unicorn for my startup?” The articles warn that finding one of these mythical creatures is rare, and usually end with, “And really, how many designers can actually code well?”
We need to change the nature of this conversation. A unicorn is not simply a designer who understands SQL. A unicorn is someone who has a broad understanding of the design and implementation of tools, products, and services that make user needs the top priority, along with a deep expertise within a more narrow discipline.
The True Way transcends the minutia of Skill. There is no “Technology”. There is no “Design”. There is only a vision of how mankind should be, and the relentless resolve to make it so. The rest is details. –Bret Victor
Many will object and say that no single person can learn everything required to build something of sufficient complexity. Perhaps that is true. But this is about more than just a checklist of skills to master.
Humans increasingly spend their lives within the digital environments that we are creating. Having individuals who understand the interconnected nature of everything involved in the creation of these spaces can ensure that they remain humane and empowering for the people who exist within them.
Admittedly, before we can “transcend the minutia of Skill”, we must first come to an understanding of the details. Patient study slowly incorporates them into intuition, which then frees us to focus on the “what”, rather than the “how”.
This site will become a repository of advice, knowledge, and inspiration for those who wish to dedicate themselves to the patient study and practice of The True Way.