Disclaimer: A mere mortal’s attempt to understand the cosmos.
Thread I: Amber Cards
A long time ago, I became acquainted with the work of Roger Zleazny (the real Lord of Light) via his book Chronicles of Amber. And it was there where the concept of Amber Cards sparked an unexpected fascination and interest. Though, my version differs.
I have been working on this mental model to categorize my areas of interest and the tools which help me decipher their connections. Although the idea hasn't been flushed out completely and is still in its inception phase, I have managed to break it down into a Triad.
A Triad of three daily distant subjects bound together by a thread - three subjects interconnected by bridges of sorts. This framework helps me create mental models, where I can compartalize and tinker with the information, insights, or concepts that I come across.
Though it takes a while to create those mental models, it is extremely helpful in remembering, recollecting, and bridging information. It’s like how your brain’s autopilot mode kicks in when putting your clean socks away or pumping gas into your car.
The other area where it helps is tackling a new vertical “fearlessly.” In my experience, I have found that “fear,” which in HCI is often a derivative of a “steep learning curve,” can inhibit one’s interest and motivation to go further.
But, when you understand the nature of the subject and its neighboring nodes, the approach becomes more of an adventure. Rather than being sky-dropped into a new terrain, one takes a slower walk toward it, step-by-step.
Currently, my Triad stands as:
Architecture
Stories
Adventure
These are the three personas that bring their unique perspective to the game. Each has their respective characteristic traits & toolsets.
Thread II: Alpha to Omega
In one of my materials before “Binary Engines,” I discuss the different layers of abstraction when it comes to computing. They can be thought of as snippets on a thread which bind entropy with empathy. It took me a while to come up with that mental model, which converged after my various experiences in computing.
This thought experiment allowed me to “remodel” my resume in a rather unique fashion.
Thread III: Behind the Scenes
Thread IV: Tools
To unfold the different layers of abstractions and their relevance when combined, I had to pick up various tools along the way. Being a Teaching Assistant enabled me to learn faster. Tools became each for me. Formats were mere file extensions. And what particularly interested me was what was inside those formats (down to the very bits). If it was 3D Mesh, I was curious to know the format in which the mesh topology was stored. If it was a texture map, I was invested in understanding the color channel framework. Understanding the interface of each was the first step, and when you break down the interface into its components, I noticed that the various tools started to look the same (except ZBrush, which is still a wild beast to tame).
“Give us the tools, and we will finish the job”
Tools:
Game Engines: Unity & Unreal
Media: Adobe Creative Suite
3D Graphics: Autodesk Design Suite, Cinema 4D, ZBrush, Quixel, Substance, Octane Renderer
Mapping & Perception: MeshLab, Reality Capture, CloudCompare, Autodesk ReCap
Audio Design: Pro Tools, Logic Pro
High Level Languages:
C++
Python
Design Thinking & HCI:
Prototyping & Pathfinding
Usability/Heuristic Evaluations
Creation of Persona & Scenarios
Information & Interaction Architecture
Another important point I learned was that after a while, a tool becomes more of an accessory, an extension of one’s arm- a means to an end. It’s important to understand the inherent strength and weakness of each, how to use different tools simultaneously, and develop pipelines that intersect each other.
Thread V: Note to Future Self
Learn more tools. Prototype & Prototype.