Reflection:
Do It With Others (DIWO) starts with an individual interest to share. Which leads to the integration of ideas, knowledge, perspectives, and hence breaks the boundaries between working spaces and professions. I find it feasible because collective effort is highly valued and is in demand in the 21st century where globalisation became the hot topic, asserting influence on every industry.
Mr Garrett mentioned taking an interest in different ideas, rather than attacking them. This contributes to the effectiveness of a creative collaboration, and collective effort is the cradle for a greater potential. When different levels of expertise are involved in creative collaboration, a multi-faceted approach to solving a problem can be developed with depth. It includes diversity, expands the knowledge base, and hence is a more holistic way of working together which had evidently benefited every industry.
In ADM, we are constantly exposed to the idea of DIWO. Be it projects, where we brainstorm as a group and take on various job allocations to develop the final outcome, or updates on OSS posts, where precious ideas and even processes are freely accessible for anybody to learn and take reference. Exchange and integration of ideas help us to improve and discover better solutions. Academic matters aside, it is not unusual to see students collaborate with seniors, mentors, and even prominent artists from outside for art projects, for example, regular exhibitions held in the ADM gallery.
The other side of the story, which was neglected by Mr Garrett, can the downfalls of such collective effort. It would sound naive for an amateur like me to pinpoint various negative impacts and externalities. However, I do feel that DIWO might not be the best solution at all times.
Mr Garrett mentioned that DIWO works if the parties are able to drop their position and barriers of power when working on a project. As unique individuals, one’s idea might collide with the rest. Not to mention seniors and professional artist’s ego when it comes to the things they are passionate about. When this happened, ‘group think’ and effective collaboration will be hindered, and so is the progress. I also assume group decision-making takes longer to process, which can be a challenge when deadlines are up and coming. A group with diverse capabilities also means proper consideration is essential for effective job allocation.
Reference:
Online lecture by Marc Garrett, 2018
McCue, T. (2012, June 18). Do It With Others – Maker Community Manifesto. Retrieved March 10, 2018, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/tjmccue/2012/06/12/do-it-with-others-maker-community-manifesto/#779afdaa7151
http://www.psysr.org/about/pubs_resources/groupthink%20overview.htm