One of my all-time favorite quotes is from UK-based urban designer Ben Hamilton-Baillie, a master of designing shared space intersections: “If we observed first, designed second, we wouldn’t need most of the things we build.” 

The Japanese phrase for what Hamilton-Baillie is talking about is "genchi genbutsu," which roughly translated means “go look and see.” It is a principle widely practiced in many Japanese organizations. The goal is to build skill in viewing problems and challenges from different perspectives, much like artists, sculptors, and photographers do when they look at their subject from every possible angle to enhance their ability to artistically render “the truth.”

I believe that the ability to survive and thrive in this world of increasing excess and unnecessary complexity lies in our ability to make sense of it, and to craft elegant solutions and stories through the tools and skills at our disposal. To do that, we must become better observers, better fact-finders, and better detectives.

To become better detectives, do what New York’s finest do: analyze art.

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