Design
professionals who leverage tools and technology and, at the same time, have
people skills, are essential to the future of the industry. They are Superusers,
the protagonists of the latest book by Randy Deutsch.
Randy Deutsch is an architect, educator, workshop leader, writer, and international keynote speaker. I had a chance to interview him about his book, Superusers: Design Technology Specialists and the Future of Practice.
First, I
was curious to know why he chose this topic for his fourth book. He explains: “Right
now, it made a lot of sense to focus on the individual, not focus on
collaboration and building teams, and really define what each individual team
member should be.”
Who Are Superusers?
IT,
technology, and tool specialists are typically experts in a relatively narrow
field. Designers, especially architects, must have a wider perspective. Superusers
are design technologists; liaisons between business needs and technology
solutions. They demonstrate certain skillsets and mindsets.
Randy
illustrates the nature of a Superuser’s skills with a T-shape that IDEO made
famous. The vertical bar represents the depth of related skills and expertise
in a single field. The horizontal bar visualizes the ability to collaborate
across disciplines with experts in other areas and to apply knowledge other
than one’s own. It also denotes human interaction.
Randy
points out what makes Superusers different: “Unlike previous generations, they
define everything they do in terms of delivering value. They are high
performing and high functioning people who reframe any assignment that they’re
given. If somebody says to them, you need to rationalize the building façade,
or something along those lines, they’re going to reframe the assignment from a
financial, performative, even liability-reducing standpoint, but at the same
time —and that’s what
sets them apart—they don’t
treat design as a separate thing.”
Why Do We Need Them and
How Do We Keep Them?
According
to Randy, Superusers have identified that, in an environment of ever-shrinking
fees, the only path to our salvation is through automation. He says that
architects work in a profession that has its roots in an artistic tradition
spanning hundreds of years. The tradition assumes that the act of “design” is
irreducibly human, erroneously so, as Randy argues.
Some will see Superusers as a direct challenge to their livelihood. However, the industry needs their passion and capabilities if it wants to thrive in the digital future of AI, machine learning, automation, and robotics.
Superusers must
not be non-billable tech people or internal consultants; they also need to work
in projects. That way, they can educate and inspire others in their teams. Superusers
can also be in managerial positions, and in that way influence the design and
business.
Superusers
are tempted to cross over to startups and tech companies; not solely for the
money, but for the chance to work in an environment in which they are valued. Fun,
which is another driver for Superusers, can also play a part in the
transition.
Some see crossing
over as a natural evolutionary process. Nevertheless, Randy points out that if
we can keep Superusers in our industry, they’ll help us transform much sooner.
“One
requirement that they absolutely need is the freedom to make decisions: freedom
to connect with others and to communicate with others. Not to follow very
rigorous and strict approaches to things. That they can experiment, fail, fail
fast, and continually improve,” Randy reminds us.
The Ten C-Factors and
Superpowers
For the
book, Randy interviewed several individuals who can be labeled Superusers. He
breaks down certain distinguishing features or attributes common to all Superusers.
Interestingly, nine out of the ten so-called C-factors are “soft”:
- Curiosity – Superusers are driven by
curiosity, especially about the world outside technology. - Contextualizers – They look at the
world beyond the imminent problem. - Connectors – They are energized, not
drained, by being around people. - Communicators – They are able to get
the word out to others. - Collaborators – They need to work in
teams. - Capacitors – They have the capacity
can take multiple assignments by working smart. - Continual improvers – They strive to
improve what already exists. - Concentrators – They are able to
focus. - Computational thinkers – They
have a mindset that enables them to think computationally. - Coders – They are coders who program
or script, or at least understand what coding entails.
What makes Superusers
interesting for the firms who want to hire them for their teams are their
special skills or “superpowers.” They cover problem-solving and communication
skills, interpersonal and conversational skills, question-asking, thought
leadership, and storytelling. They also include three intangibles: drive, the ability
to prioritize, and the ability to think in 3D.
“I did not
say this in the book, but just like learning coding, or learning a
computational tool, similarly, all these soft skills, attitudes, and mindsets
are things that we also can develop and learn,” Randy adds.
Are You a Superuser?
I told
Randy that I identify as a Superuser and asked if he does, as well. He does not
label himself as one, but says that he’s gifted at recognizing those attributes
in others. For that reason, he helps recruit and connect Superusers with firms
all over the world.
“I think
that is incredibly important for our industry that we all aspire to become Superusers.
So that way, together, we can raise each other up, we can help make our field
more productive, and not just rely on the tech folks to do it,” Randy
concludes.
You can learn more about Randy Deutsch and his latest book at randydeutsch.com.
Randy is a keynote speaker at WDBE 2019.
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