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Design a boat for myself?
I don’t think so…
Don’t
get me wrong. I have the utmost respect for my own ability. I really
believe, however, that someone who designs their own boat makes the same
inherent mistake that doctors who diagnose their own ailments and
lawyers who litigate their own cases are prone to make. It is not a
question of competence. It is a question of objectivity.
One of the
most important qualities that any designer brings to the table as he
works with his client is objectivity, and objectivity is extremely
difficult to maintain if you are your client. I have seen this
play out time and again for individual owners and even for skilled boat
builders who have built successfully for other owners and now decide to
build a boat for themselves. When your own focus becomes too narrow, It
becomes difficult if not impossible to keep the bigger picture in mind.
Suddenly, "can the dog get on and off easily", "the boat can’t be more
than xx feet" or my all time favorite "the cutlery drawer can’t go
there", begins to drive the project. The boat is never the better for
the exercise. A good designer keeps the center of attention on the big
picture items, which will likely dictate the overall success of the
vessel. Of course it is important to keep all issues on the table. It is
more important, however, to make certain that the boat evolves into more
than just a collection of unrelated features.
If for heaven
sake, the location of the cutlery drawer is best moved to another
location, the owner should know. The overall location may end up being
the designer’s choice, your owner’s original choice, or a third option,
an option that was never even considered. That is the design process
working at its best. It is hard to achieve when you are working for you.
But that’s
just my opinion.
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