When crossing the street in Saigon, cross with confidence!
With a stream of mopeds and a very relaxed attitude towards traffic lights, crossing the road can be a hazardous mission in Ho Chi Minh (or as the locals still call it, Saigon).
Some of the O Street team are in Vietnam this week. I was out with a local last night, and in reference to crossing the street, he said:
“When you think you are ready, just go for it confidently and don’t hesitate.”
This seems to be the secret in dealing with the ‘organised chaos’ of urban Vietnam. However, it also felt like a good lesson in general business. As a designer, having confidence in the strength of our own experience has helped us create some of our best work. It is counterintuitive to our Scottish sensibilities, our humility (or Scottish Cringe).
The quality of design O Street delivers is, on the whole, not a binary science. Our very human experience and insight are what separates our service from what clients can get from AI (yes, sorry, I said the dreaded word!) Knowing in our gut that one direction will work and another will fall at the first hurdle is something that we know in our bones through hard slog and lessons over years of hard knocks and client successes.
Becky has joined us on this trip. One of O Street’s secret design weapons, this is the furthest Becky has ever been from home. Meeting personal challenges, our comfort zones, is something O Street have always encouraged. We want the business to grow stronger, but more than just that, we want the individuals who work with us to grow stronger as individuals, too.
Today at lunch, I saw ‘earthworm fritters’ on the menu. I confess, I chickened out. But, I feel that is a personal challenge I need to face. Insects are a sustainable protein source that would allow us to reduce our carbon footprint and instil responsible eating habits for future generations. Earthworms though… Okay, if we get enough comments or likes on this blog, I’ll do it next time we’re in Vietnam!
