Write here, right now

I am a ditherer.

That might seem surprising for someone who appears to get a lot done, but I endlessly analyse decisions about the smallest details of a project. Sometimes the things I spend hours considering aren’t even visible in the finished piece. I make sketches, produce 3D CAD models, discuss things with friends, build prototypes, seek opinion on twitter and internet forums all as part of my decision making process. I love Walt Disney’s quote that “the way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing” it’s just that working in that way is not for me.

This writing desk (although let’s be honest, no-one really writes things anymore, it’s for a laptop) has been in the planning for years at some level or other. The original inspiration was a table made by Chris Schwarz, although I’ve tinkered with lots of little details and construction methods (well I would, wouldn’t I?) Every aspect of this desk has been thought and re-thought.

When I have a project in the making I often have workshop time available in little chunks; an evening here, a weekend day there. This suits me fine as I can do all my dithering (or design development and planning if you prefer) in the gaps in between.

I find the result of thinking through every element of a project is a higher level of quality in the finished piece. More than that though, it means that I’ve already pre-worried every detail so I can feel familiar and comfortable with something from day one (this has the effect of making me feel slightly broken when I make something for someone else and it leaves here as soon as its finished) Let’s finish with a quote from me “attention to detail is the way to head towards perfection”