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When you know better, you do better

I am one of those people haunted by all their mistakes, however big or small. I cannot stop thinking of that stupid thing I said 15 years ago at 3AM in that kitchen. You get the idea. Yet, I am getting more and more used to how Americans consider failures. You either win or learn. And this is quite a cultural shift from the French way of life.

However, going back to the design core principles can be really helpful in helping us thrive while failing. The work of a designer is never done. It’s a never-ending iterating process that involves collecting data, exploring and implementing solutions, monitoring them, then collecting even more data and improving them a bit more each time until they fit perfectly.

I love so many things about this slow and passionate way of working. Above all, there is the idea that knowledge is the key to everything. It’s not about instincts or creative impulses. It’s about empowerment through knowledge.

I spend a lot of time watching American talk shows and British comedies. (I am particularly fond of Seth Meyers, Stephen Colbert, SNL, and Ricky Gervais. It’s also a way to improve my English and learn more about those cultures I love.

One day, I came across an interview with Oprah Winfrey on The Ellen Show. They were talking about Maya Angelou, possibly sometime after her passing. And this quote came out: “When you know better, you do better!

I must have blanked out when she said those words. Maya Angelou said, with wisdom and talent, I don’t have what I was trying to figure out all those years.

Not only it’s OK to fail. However, one may welcome their failure with joy as they are opportunities to do better. For someone with a stroke and anxiety, this is truly liberating.

And it’s even more than that. This is also a path to follow. This is a response to this search for meaning. When my time comes, what will be my legacy as I embrace my whole journey? What will I have done to empower others with knowledge? What tools will I leave behind so that people can tackle their share of complexity to make the world a better place?

I don’t have answers to those questions yet. I am humbly trying to do that with my students, but it’s not enough. I am feeling this urge to get back to work and start sketching something in this direction.

It’s now time to do better.

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