Johnnyboy11

Here

DXBtoDOH

The best part is the very end. And that's not saying much.

Overall, it's not as good or effective as it could be. And there are mistakes.

JLT was not built in 2011. It was around for quite some time before that.

Emaar Square was not built in 2010. It was already in situ and filled with offices in 2007/2008.

According to the clip, there was no Deira or anything on that side of the Creek in 1960. But the original growth in Dubai began over there.

Instead of doing a confusing zig-zagging around Dubai they should have just showed the larger map and all the new buildings/areas as they came into existence over the years. That would be much more effective in showing how rapid and extensive the growth was.

scrubbedexpat141

That's the spirit.

Millhouse

quite - he should sit on our investment committee.

DXBtoDOH

Sorry if I sounded harsh. What I do for a living is leaving marks all over other people's designs and sending it back to them and telling them to man up and do the job properly.

scrubbedexpat141

He's probably too honest.

Made me chuckle actually because I've just spent a few days with a senior guy in our business who was born moaning and will die moaning. Forced him to try and be more positive and pleasant for a few days. Managed it for a while too, fair play to him....but still, I'm amazed people can survive being so constantly negative and unhappy about everything.

DXBtoDOH

Well... I'll be careful not to read too much in your post for what it might be saying about me but I will admit to always being consumed by how things could be better. In my case, designs. I'm aware people bitch about me but there's a reason I'm their boss That aside, why spend all the time and effort to only go, say, 75% of the way, when it only takes that little more effort to make the final sprint and hit 100%. All the outstanding designs are done in that final 25% effort (even final 5% to be frank).

So when I saw the Dubai clip I could see that some work went into it. But if they'd put in maybe another 10% effort they'd have a final result that would be twice as good. Shouldn't a little criticism be useful in encouraging people to push themselves to go that bit further?

Ok, enough said

weasel decentral

I'm your opposite counterpart on that, I generally push to get something 80% complete then issue or continue.
I find that the drive for perfection is a waste of time when typically you'll reach revision Z on your drawings at some stage and the goal posts keep moving rendering the design/drawing quickly obsolete.

scrubbedexpat141

It was descriptive of him, not you. It just reminded me of his attitude: far more negative than you.

Contractor v consultant every day of the week.

I'm an 80% and fudge kind of guy but I bust a gut for the first 20% and am super motivated so in reality, it's like 100% effort into that 80% complete, so fundamentally it's perfect.

Fit out PM mate of mine could walk the client through hotel rooms up to 3 times each to achieve milestones. His record was showing the same room to a guy 4 times. Unreal.

Millhouse

I work with a 100% kind of person. I'm an 80% person.

The 100% person can never make a ****ing decision, complete a task and is in constant need of feedback and encouragement. Of course, he thinks I'm a cowboy who only does half jobs and he questions everything. It can be a challenge.

UKCityGent

Pareto wins every time unlike the perfectionist who cant afford to lose once

Dubaiexile

And it will all return to sand in a several years to come, amen!

scrubbedexpat141

This is me and my boss.

I've been given the task of updating templates for a new system.
I've done them very simple and very clear as a tone.
I know full well that if I go 100% and write the perfect templates, if they're cleared by the board and sealed with a kiss from the Queen, he will want to change parts of them and take forever over doing it.
Literally NO POINT in me doing it 'properly' because perfection will be edited.

DXBtoDOH

Walk around Dubai or any other place. I'm sure you've been left wondering why so many things seemed half arsed built or designed? Why did the sidewalk stop there instead of there? Why is the door placed here instead of the more logical there? And let's not even get into aesthetics. Or into the bits you don't see like infrastructure systems. There's a lot of badly designed shit out there that reflects the 50% or even 80% effort and people get frustrated by it because it's irritating or forces them to do things in an irritating way and affects their quality of life.

But when something is incredibly well designed you don't even notice it. And that is the goal. The perfect use of the space that you don't think twice about it.

I'm pragmatic enough to know that in many cases it's not worth the effort to faff around with the designs more than necessary. Weasel's comment is apt enough, clients are a pain and as their consultants we eventually have to defer to what they want. But there are certainly places where going for the 100% as much as possible pays off in the long run.

scrubbedexpat141

Fair comment. I won't tolerate shit in all circumstances so do things fully when it matters.

Guess my 80% is that 80% of the time it's not worth 100%
20% it is worth 100% effort.
So I'm 84%. Is that right?