Personal Philosophy

These principles influence how I reflect on my personal and professional work.
The last update of this code occurred on 28-August-2020. - AJRA

Philosophy as a series of principles

1. My code is based on 3 personal principles: truth, honor, and service.
   In my personal and professional life, I move towards truth (and I know full well that I will never fully reach it). In seeking truth, I strive to act honorably. I serve life by enabling others and myself to act upon that truth. I can summarize this code in the mantra at the bottom of this page.
   
   

2. I support growth by serving creative professionals.
   One way I serve others is by supporting creative professionals. I strive to support customers to the best of my ability so long as supporting them does not compromise my ethics. I may not always agree with my customers, but I will loyally support them to the extent which is possible.
   
   

3. Authenticity, kindness, and compassion are pillars of an honorable life.
   When I provide constructive feedback or critique to clients and colleagues, I strive to demonstrate respect and diplomacy without sacrificing the clarity of my message. I do not advocate for belittling gossip, even if some psychologists consider part of our human nature. I avoid using passive-aggressive tones or indirect communication as I find it may seem disrespectful. 
   
   

4. I believe preparation is a form of respect.
   I believe that preparation is a defining trait of a professional. The more I prepare, the more professional I feel. The less I can prepare, the less comfortable I feel. The less comfortable I feel, the less likely I am to confidently contribute to a project, product, service or solution.
   
   

5. I set ambitious but realistic expectations on projects.
   Regardless of the service I provide, my output of this work is only as good as the quality of the input. When clients work with me, I refrain from promising outcomes that are unrealistic.
   
   

6. I think visually in order to understand the problems and communicate opportunities.
   When faced with a complicated challenge, I deconstruct its complexity into simpler, interconnected parts. I visualize these interconnected parts into low-fidelity visuals (such as sketches) or high-fidelity visuals (such as a journey map or road maps). 

Philosophy as a visualized process