From program development to life design

This article talks about how we can design our life and what it can be related to program design.
It is my own experiences, and some I saw for some close friends too.
This isn’t the guide I could write about “How to change your life & have fun by creating your path?” but just a kind of introduction to some concepts (at the end) amongst a lot of other sweet words

This is not my best photo, but it is just me.
I’m just a human, but I decide where I want to go.

Cycling 74: Max6 makers
One of the thing I really like today is the fact I’m now identified and I gained recognition by the developers & teams themselves.
For instance, Cycling 74?
I often need to discuss about the guts of Max6 just before to choose a way or another one.
Because we are speaking (almost) the same language, I can now discuss directly with them and I really thank them all for that!

I have some other precious contacts who are very important for me.

Indeed, talking directly with developers is very precious.
I’m a developer myself and I need to know about directions, ways those editors want to take.
More, it helps Design the Media A LOT.
Indeed, when I’m teaching, I used to say to my students which way they could use for their projects and, for instance, to know that MGraphics inside JSUI is very well supported and for a long time is precious for them in case they want to go to pure LCD drawing in Max6.

So, in this post, I wanted to thank a lot: Darwin, Jeremy & Gregory from Cycling 74.
They rock and they are inspiring gurus for me.

Also, I wanted to write they are considering myself as a programmer and Max hardcore user too and I’m proud of this.
This gives me a lot of strength and to Design the Media too.

Thanks to them.

But they probably trust me a bit because I made all to be the one I am today.
I have to confess something: I was an IT architect before and absolutely not a technology to art developer.
Not seriously I mean. I was only the one I didn’t want to be but who earned money.

Me & development : From Technology to Life
If I had to summarize myself, I could say I’m a maker.

I like to listen, learn, keep going on but adapt myself to fit my needs too.
But what I like the most is : making & building things.

I liked
- to build networks of data informations as an IT Engineer,
- to build security architectures too,
- to make my protodeck (from the ground up! and before that I didn’t know electronics)
- to design softwares & plugins
- to design music (I have to write this article about “designing music is just design”
-  to design sounds

I really hate graphic designers who use design only for their purpose.
It is a bit fashion to behaves like them, but it is also boring.

I also like to use the word design about life.
It is a bit utopist & probably very reductive to think you can design your life as a program and I would not do that even if it would be possible.
But I’m now sure we can design our life as we want.

It requires a huge work on yourself but if you want to do that, you just can and just have to begin today.

If there aren’t same logics in program & in life design, if you used to program, you have some reflex and you used to:
- take decisions often quickly considering hypothesis
- go back because it doesn’t work
- respect some personal deadlines
-  try to be as efficient as possible
- organize a bit your flow of ideas into piece, mindmap or more
- not to workaround too much

All these concepts can totally apply to your life.
It has to be natural and maybe you don’t work like that.

In my case, when I decided to quit my previous boring job to live the life I wanted to live, it has just became natural and even if I thought about that since a long time ago, all became natural at a particular moment.

If you are in that initial situation, please, trust me and fight a bit with yourself.
The worst issue is : the workaround.

We ALL think it is impossible.
I heard some people: “hey man, you are making cool stuff, but you know I have kids, I have a loan etc you know.. it is impossible for me”
I hope you can imagine their face when I just answered to them my daughter was only 2-years old when I quite that job and I already had this huge loan on my head for our appartement too.

I mean, don’t jump in the fire, but please, understand that maybe … there is just no fire at all and you just have to walk where you thought you could die in one second.
My advice
Don’t wait to much before making something.

And if you can only do something 50% today, just … make it without thinking you have to wait, plan, schedule, delay, think more, ask advice etc.
YOU are your best life developer.

Trust me

(please comment if you don’t agree, agree, love or hate my words ; please share this article to many people too. I’d love to discuss in comments)

Related posts:

1. The 6 rules to design the best user interfaces
2. Design the Media’s first video (french)
3. My tools are used in the real life !