I am fortunate to work around people with many varied, interesting, and oftentimes complex interests here at Taylor Studios. I am always curious to see how people have chosen to devote their time to their studies. In particular, I enjoy learning how people have chosen to dig their “knowledge trench.” In a world of limited time, a person can either devote their time to learning a great deal about a very narrow subject base (a deep narrow trench), or spend a little bit of time learning about a number of topics (a shallow, but wider trench). While the former gives a person expertise in their field, they may lack contextual information in adjacent fields that a better-rounded person might have. On the other hand, a person with a varied background might never make very specific conclusions that a person intimately familiar with the subject can visualize.

One of the unique challenges we face here at Taylor Studios is that we are often required to familiarize ourselves with subject material quickly to converse with a client about a something they may have devoted years or decades studying. By doing this, we ensure that we understand their world and can portray it accurately, keeping in mind visitors without any knowledge of the material. By having both types of knowledge accessible (broad, shallow knowledge here at Taylor Studios, and deep, in-depth research with the client) we are able to create the unique and engaging spaces that we do.

Which of these describes you? Are you a deep trench learner, deeply vested in your field or interests? Or are you a shallow trench individual, someone who is always finding new interesting studies to venture into? If you could change, would you?