The world is changing rapidly and social media is the fuel.
A couple of years ago, my friend, kitchen designer Susan Serra convinced me to join Twitter. I had so many things going on at the time (some things never change) and I was hesitant to commit to another social platform. With Susan’s encouragement, I gave it a try and I’ve been tweeting daily ever since. Twitter is changing everything.
If you haven’t joined the conversation, I encourage you to join Twitter and send me a tweet. I will help you to get started.
Since I’ve known her, Susan has always been ahead of the curve. I met Susan back in 2006 just after I started blogging. She invited me to write a guest blog on her very popular site, TheKitchenDesigner.org and we enjoyed a friendly blogging battle, residential architect vs. the kitchen designer. You will learn more about Susan on an episode coming soon to The Entrepreneur Architect Podcast. Stay tuned.
During my first week on Twitter, Susan introduced me to several people who welcomed me to the conversation. One of those people was Neal Pann, a residential architect from Livermore, California. Today Neal co-hosts the Archispeak Podcast with two of his online compatriots, Cormack Phalen and Evan Troxel.
I’ve connected with dozens of interesting and influential people through Twitter. A few years ago, these connections would have been very unlikely. Even if we had met live at a convention or a conference, it is doubtful that we could have developed the friendships that we have today.
Evan Troxel and I have been talking these past months, on and offline, about the state of our profession and the need for change. We recognize a grassroots movement developing throughout the profession. Architects are coming together, dissatisfied and ready for action.
This week’s post is intentionally a short one. I encourage you to click on over to Evan’s blog and read what he wrote. I hope it inspires you to join us.
Project Undercurrent is coming.
I’m eager for education on twitter, as it’s the least understood part of social media for me. The part about conversation is clear, so I suspect it’s some of the shortened links and technical items of which I’m more unsure than fully don’t understand. “Following” is clear; not as certain about “re-tweeting” (though I suspect my intuition may be correct there) but still trying that on occasion. I did link my Pinterest account with twitter so most (perhaps all?) of my pins are tweeted. One of the twitter gatherings on which I participated with some in this group was very edifying in its use. Those of us hesitating to take wing may be hung-up on technicalities. Hmmmm . . .
Andy: I’m happy to show you around. Send me a tweet at @EntreArchitect.
I’m all in for change, new ways of doing things and re-thinking the whole approach to the architecture business, but in reality Evan’s blog is totally empty, it feels like he is just complaining because some old fashioned all-mighty design diva hurt his ego, That happens in every design studio in the world and will keep on happening because if you are part of a design firm you are in, not for overriding the partners design directions but to ensure they are enforced throughout the project. (I’m sure you -Mark- are the decision maker at Fivecat and sometimes sticking to your beliefs might hurt your collaborators feelings, that is just part of growing up as an architect !!) Evan’s blog could be any young architect’s letter written 30 or 40 years ago, NOTHING NEW!!! I believe that architect’s huge egos are responsible for a large amount of the issues that are currently hurting the profession. I hope the undercurrent posts complain tone changes to a creative tone, bringing up innovative ideas and creating spaces for driven architects to grow. Lets talk real changes
Yes Juan, generation after generation of architects have expressed similar dissatisfaction with the profession… and generation after generation have seen little progress. I have experienced two movements myself since joining the profession in the mid-nineties.
It’s not a matter of repositioning or rebelling. It’s the culture that needs to be fixed in architecture.
We need to let go of old mindsets and myths, and start fresh with a new ideas and new points of view. We need to fully embrace a psychology of success.
Architecture is a business and when we begin to build small firms with a profitable end in mind, we will begin to rebuild a profession based on respect, leadership and progress.
Project Undercurrent at this point is a group of motivated professionals seeking solutions and ready to take action. No plans have yet been established. If we ignore this passion and turn our back on the moment, we’ll never know if this is the time for “real change”. I’m excited about the possibilities. I hope you will join us.
I think, in order to be fully successful at change you and Evan must make sure there are strong women on board, people who have been disenfranchised by the profession (those of us trained but not licensed) but also people from within the system who don’t mind being ‘subversive’ using and abusing the knowledge from within the system (legal/legislative/traditional) to turn it all on its head. So women, the disenfranc hised, some young blood and some hippy old school types….
Absolutely Andrea. Anyone who is interested in participating is welcome to join us. The movement is yours. We are just helping to organize it into something that may make a difference to us all.