“Jesters do oft prove prophets†– w.Shakespere, Tragedy of King Lear.
Being a prophet is much more exciting than someone who understands the present. It’s mystical to know the future. But the jester, the comedian, actually does a better job of knowing the present, this moment in time, better than any other profession. The skills of a comedian should be taught in every sociology, marketing, anthropology, or design research course. You can’t see the future without knowing the present.
You have to live your life on the ground and have things happen to you if you want to be a great comedian. You can’t write jokes sitting at home and imagining things. Just the same way, designers have a lot to learn from the methods of a comedian. You’re designing jokes for someone else, you have to know your audience and you have to know the real-world. The following are some inspirational skills from comedians.
Hyper Observance
Comedic performances, is just proof that they know the human spirit. Their time during the off-stage hours is where we can get inspiration. They are on-the-job 24-7, in search of the next joke. They are looking, listening, watching everything that happens around them. George Carlin’s observance on pattern-finding or any of the Seinfeld episodes bringing everyday social and object interactions to the exaggerated fore.
Art of Speaking Freely
The art of pointing out the stuff no one wants to say is one mastered only by the best comedian. They’re able to use the smoke screen created by the wall of laughter to talk about the taboo topics of politics, religion, sex. Every genre of every issue is used to speak their minds and bring to light, things we’re too afraid to say. Whether it’s Lewis Black critiquing Bush and religion or the politicomedic powerhouse Jon Stewart and his daily efforts to debunk the Republican propaganda, one laugh at a time. He possesses a skill so refined in story-telling, that his content, his candid designed presentations are able to relate at a human level through jokes. Delusions births the wrong designs, and jokes helps speak the truth.
Cultural Criticism
Using the power to truly speak without limitations, comedians critique their own culture through analysis with the intuition of a philosopher. Kat Williams may promote opportunities for African Americans to befriend white people or Maz Jobrani, part of the Axis of Evil comedy tour will make the audience see Muslims in a new light at the TED conference.
They’ll play off of stereotypes and assumptions we carry into the theater, and then they cleverly bring it to our attention on how we are wrong, and propose the right solution.
Trend Watcher
Some jokes lose its potency after a month or even a week. It simply just falls flat. As they say, “it’s funny because it’s true”, but if time passes by on their jokes, its no longer our current truth. Demetri Martin using mock presentations styles of corporate America to explain Hummer owners is one such example of bringing to light a trend to create humour. Like the evolution of trends, his jokes will certainly change a couple of years from now when the SUV dominance subsides. Louis CK’s amazement with technology and it’s affect on human acceptance of said gadgets also brings to light some changes happening as we grow accustomed to our built environment.
Tuned in on the Details of Human Relationships
Designers talk about user-centered design and understanding emotions. Kevin Hart does the same thing talking about those interactions we have with one another with all the emotions, reactions, and behaviors. He brings forth and enlightens us with our social interactions that we take for granted by objectively would seem bizarre. We can take this understanding and place it in our design-considerations.
How honest our designs would be if we were able to capture the perception of a comedian with the delight of laughter? How culturally impactful would our designs be if we could make those necessary commentaries and critiques on the status quo? How meaningful would our designs be if we had the skills of a comedian to bring forth the right level of appropriateness with an interesting hint of mischief? The next time you’re looking for some design, trend, or market research, maybe it’s time to recruit at your local open-mic.
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