Class Reflection 1.24.11

The topic of deadlines is an important issue to discuss as unfortunately, most tasks get completed only when a mandatory deadline is instilled.  The brilliant movies created by Pixar would never become realized without a deadline since they would probably still be working on the first one.  The bottom line...nothing is perfect.  One can spend an entire lifetime tweaking a project, and never be done.  So the question is, when do you stop designing?  Are you missing out on important aspects or opportunities if you stop too early?  How do you know?  The prominence of the evolutionary phases of technology thus comes to mind as a single individual is never going to take an innovation to its fullest potential.  The steam engine was able to become what it is today only because it was passed down to various people who took it to the next level.  The computer is what it is today because of the same evolutionary transition.  I would have never thought I can, for instance, video chat my friend in another state through a "computer" that looked like nothing more to me than a green screen of numbers and letters in my second grade classroom.  The lesson learned: take a design as far as you can within a set period of time.  And what is this magic amount of time?  I believe it's when you can look at your work and see you have brought up a question, idea, or inspired someone to take it further.