Why Bear Grylls Would Make a Better Designer Than You
Posted June 24, 2010 in Graphic Design, Inspiration
Bear Grylls, the star of the hit show Man vs. Wild, defines what every man really wants to be.
For the frequent rock dwellers who don’t know Bear or haven’t been able to catch Man vs. Wild on the Discovery Channel, picture a man that you could drop out of a plane anywhere on the planet (literally anywhere) and he would survive.
Now picture that man waiting for you when you got back to the airport, probably with some dirt on him, maybe with a little bit of something else’s blood. Bear Grylls can tackle any environment with his keen resourcefulness, endurance, and testosterone.
While I am not entirely aware of Bear’s computer skill set, I am going to go ahead and bet the house that he is a better web designer than you are. Where does my confidence come from? Well first, I have never seen Bear fail to do anything. This guy kills things that kill people and then he eats them… I am serious. He eats them. So am I going to say that Bear sucks at web design? Heck no, I don’t want to get eaten. Apart from the threat of consumption, Bear employs several survival techniques that act as pretty solid advice in the web design world as well. In this post, I’ll share Bear’s techniques and explain how they apply to web design.
Know Your Surroundings
Before taming any type of harsh terrain, Bear makes sure that he is familiar with his surroundings. Knowing the pitfalls of the environment you are working in will save you a lot of trouble throughout your journey. Think of the Amazon jungle as Bear’s Internet Explorer, the complete lack of any helpful features forces you to make do with the most basic of tools that you have at your disposal and improvise unique solutions to complex problems.
Along the same lines, whether Bear spends the night in a cave, in a tree, or inside of a gutted camel (seriously) often depends on the kinds of visitors he might be expecting in the middle of the night. There is no one size fits all solution for every type of environment just like there is no such solution for every web project. The targeted user base for each site should guide your design and development.
Start Small
Have you ever tried to start a fire with a stick? I would be willing to bet that less than 1% of the people who read this have ever started a fire with a stick. Bear starts fires with sticks in his free time. It’s what he does to relax at night. Apart from showing how much of a complete bad-ass this would make you, it also shows that a little bit of patience can go a long way when it comes to achieving a desired result. Starting a fire with a stick is not a quick process, but if Bear was unable to start a fire before sleeping at night he would be forced to fist fight snakes, wolves, bears, dinosaurs, and all of the other crazy shit that hangs out where he does.
If you are able to watch this fire starting process without feeling incredibly lame about yourself, you will realize that all of this stick business has the single goal of producing one tiny hot ember. So, if you find yourself starting from nothing in the idea department it always helps to get something small going. We all have trouble starting projects from time to time, as if we have no spark to get us going. Rubbing a stick may be a lot more work than we want it to be, but it can build a fire and sure as hell beats sitting in the dark.
Recycle
Ever wonder how many different uses one climbing rope has? Bear doesn’t. Bear can use one rope to climb a mountain, kill a wild animal, cross a ravine, build a raft, lasso a tornado, start a fire and build a hammock all in one day. When Bear gets his hands on something useful he uses it until it falls apart and then he keeps using the pieces. In Bear’s world, almost nothing he comes across is entirely useless either. Everything can serve some sort of purpose.
So, don’t throw away the work you don’t use right away. Designs that aren’t selected can be reused, either in their current condition for a different project or recycled into something entirely new. Don’t be afraid to use the pieces either. Maybe widget A would look good as a part of this new design or widget B could provide a huge improvement on that design. Using work that you have already done is a huge time saver and a very resourceful way to ensure that a limited amount of the work you do goes to waste.
Rest Is Important
Bear may not take a lot of things lying down, but he knows it’s important not to wear yourself out too much. Sure, tying yourself to the edge of a 50 foot cliff so you don’t fall off in the middle of the night and get killed by coyotes (or the fall) may not result in the best night’s sleep, but it’s better than nothing. Does Bear really need the sleep? It’s hard to say…
In the web design world we may find ourselves buried in loads of work and tempted to run a marathon without stopping. However, taking some time off or getting some rest will keep you from getting burned out on your project and often will result in higher productivity and quicker results anyway. Having 40 energetic hours of work a week is often much more productive than 60 or 70 hours of overworked malaise.
Something else to keep in mind is that you may not be the only one who needs a break from a project. Much like the world needs a break from Bear at night your client may need a break from you. While web design or development projects may be what you do day in and day out, they are what your client does day in and day out. Keep in touch with your clients and make sure they are happy, but be careful that they aren’t overwhelmed with project updates and feedback requests; most of the time 90% of their day is devoted to other tasks.
A Man’s Gotta Eat
By far the best thing about Bear’s adventures into the wild places of our planet is the fact that this guy will kill and eat anything. Actually… I take that back. He doesn’t always kill things. Anything small enough to fit in his mouth like spiders, slugs, insects and deer, he just eats alive. Of course, he can’t eat everything because a lot of the plants and animals he comes across will freaking kill him if he eats them.
So, while it’s important to know which meals are going to be poisonous you also need to have something on your plate. When you are starving for work, it’s important that you are capable of reaching outside of your comfort zone or taking some jobs that wouldn’t always appeal to you. When large projects are scarce, smaller ones can be a life saver. It’s up to you if the work is dead or alive when you get started.
Brand Yourself
In a recent episode, Bear was strolling through the Texas desert and stumbled upon a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake. Of course he went through this speech about it being one of the most poisonous snakes in the world, but I didn’t listen to any of that because I knew full well that this snake was about to get its ass kicked and of course, be eaten. Bear has built up such a personal brand of bad-ass that I actually feel sorry for all of these terrible creatures that could kill me in their sleep.
Bear builds this brand by walking the walk. So, keep in mind that your personal brand is a representation of who you are and who you are can be made up of what you do. Bear would not be so awesome if he was known as the guy who sometimes kills poisonous snakes and sometimes they kill him. Along the same lines, you can’t build a personal brand of being a good web designer if sometimes you put 100% into a job and sometimes you don’t.
What About You?
We’ve translated the survival principles that Bear Grylls uses in the television show Man vs. Wild into principles for web designers (and by extension, other freelancers as well).
How well does your freelancing business stack up against the principles in this post? Can you think of lessons that freelancers can learn from other celebrities?
Share your ideas and thoughts in the comments.
Image by gregor_y
Related posts:
- 50+ Articles to Make You a Better Web Designer
- How Teaching can Make You a Better Designer
- From Print Designer To Web Designer… Take The Leap But Don’t Get Wet… I Did.
- Interview With Grace Smith – Freelance Web And Graphic Designer
About the author: Jason is a young freelance web designer serving the Midwest United States. He specializes in clean, detail oriented designs and top notch XHTML/CSS development. Jason's website is www.jasonagross.com. Follow Jason on Twitter @JasonAGross.
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42 Comments
Jordan Walker
June 24th, 2010 at 8:35 amAlmost positive Bear would use the keyboard for a club, the power supply wires for a snare, create a GPS / Radio / Flashlight with the motherboard, and use the monitor to shave with the platters from the hard drive.
Chris Gannon
June 24th, 2010 at 8:40 amFYI from a UK perspective Bear Grylls is considered a laughing stock and most definitely NOT the definition of what ANY man wants to be. The footage of him being ‘dropped in the middle of nowhere’ were revelealed to be lies and that he didn’t actually stay out in the wilderness overnight, nor did he sleep inside the rotting carcass of a moose. He actually stayed in a hotel for the entire time eating take aways.
I take your analogy but be warned that it won’t wash with UK readers and suggesting he’s a ‘better designer than you are’ is just asking for trouble :)
Bailey
June 24th, 2010 at 8:42 amThis was seriously the best thing I could have read this morning. I cracked up the entire time I was reading, and now I’m feeling like I need to go be more like Bear (only smaller and female and working more indoors than out). I’m a writer, not a designer, but all of these principles can really easily be translated to the way I work. Thanks!
Mathew Carpenter
June 24th, 2010 at 10:43 amBear failed at trying to create a credible TV show. I’ll assume he fails at web design.
Mike
June 24th, 2010 at 10:48 amHah – thats funny. I always figured the camera man was holding a camera in one hand and a cheeseburger in the other, while the guy with the boom mic kept a hand on his 9mm pistol on his hip. But the analogies still work, even if Bear really doesn’t. Thanks for the read.
Zlatan Halilovic
June 24th, 2010 at 11:45 am@Chris Gannon: But what did you expect? In reality shows, there’s always something happening “behind the scenes” that we don’t know off. I’m not trying to defend the guy, heck, this is the first time I hear that he’s been staying at the hotels all the time; I’m just saying that you shouldn’t be surprised. Anyway, I still find this a good article.
Greg Johnson
June 24th, 2010 at 11:49 amThe article was good for a laugh.
Cheers.
Chris Gannon
June 24th, 2010 at 12:03 pm@Zlatan Halilovic Oh I’m not surprised by that at all – I know how these shows work (having worked on the digital side of some them) – I’m more surprised that people actually believe these shows ;)
Zlatan Halilovic
June 24th, 2010 at 12:22 pm@Chris Gannon: Oh really? That’s cool :) Anyway, if anybody believes everything happens the way it’s shown on TV, then they’re being naive.
Nunya
June 24th, 2010 at 12:23 pmThe analogies of bears adventures to website design are great. i’m a Ghanaian and i’ve never seen his shows but from the little research i’ve made, this bear guy and his show dont seem to be legit. but the analogies to web design make sense and i can relate.
Jason Gross
June 24th, 2010 at 12:26 pmWith exception of Survivor, The Bachelor, 24, Lost, and Fox News… Nothing on TV is real and must be taken simply for its entertainment purposes.
Wow Jack Bauer would have been a great one too…
Rupinder Singh
June 24th, 2010 at 12:27 pm@Chris Gannon: Here the point is not abt the truth behind the reality shows, its how u can survive in the web design industry by applying Gryll’s methods.
I dont care whether the show is a fake or not but the article was helpful.
.,
.
thanks for the wndrfl article mate take care
-
365 Concepts
Laura Spencer
June 24th, 2010 at 12:31 pmThanks Jason for sharing such an entertaining analogy. I think it was a fun read, and it forces us all to “think outside the box.”
Chris Gannon
June 24th, 2010 at 12:54 pm@Rupinder Singh I suppose my point is that if you are going to use an analogy then it must resonate with the reader and not have a distracting under current. Plus, it was a heads up on the potential reaction from UK readers (like myself, who are often alienated by predominantly US-focused articles), and who, in this instance, won’t take this particular analogy seriously.
Jordan Walker
June 24th, 2010 at 2:05 pm@Chris Gannon – Suppose then an analogy with Mr. Bean would have been a little closer to home?
Jordan Walker
June 24th, 2010 at 2:09 pm@Chris Gannon – Would an analogy that resonates across the Atlantic that you may take more seriously than a crack American pseudo-survivalist be Mr. Bean?
Rachel Freedman
June 24th, 2010 at 2:22 pmWithout fail, Bear drops trou in every episode. Not sure how a naked bum would aid him in web design.
Chris Gannon
June 24th, 2010 at 3:17 pm@Jordan Walker It’s clear you have totally misunderstood my point given Bear Grylls is British.
:)
Amber Weinberg
June 24th, 2010 at 3:50 pmLOL I’ve never seen this show before, but this post cracked me up, thanks for the post, Jason.
Cover letter format
June 24th, 2010 at 3:54 pmThis statement is my quote of the day “Your personal brand is a representation of who you are and who you are can be made up of what you do.”
TheAL
June 24th, 2010 at 5:10 pmGotta admit, I’m more in the Les Stroud camp. I’d run for the hills if he ever started making websites!!!
GUS the Gamer
June 24th, 2010 at 5:23 pmChuck Norris is a better designer than you :P
Jae Xavier
June 24th, 2010 at 5:39 pmBear is no match for Chuck Norris.
Chuck Norris once visited the Virgin Islands. They are now The Islands.
Chuck Norris puts the “laughter” in “manslaughter”.
Chuck Norris can delete the Recycling Bin.
Once a cobra bit Chuck Norris’ leg. After five days of excruciating pain, the cobra died.
Tony
June 24th, 2010 at 6:08 pmThat picture ain’t even Mr. Grylls!
Bjorn Theart
June 25th, 2010 at 2:42 amMan you just maid my day with this post. I watch his show, and l just love it. And yes, Bear is a better designer than I am. Even if he wasn’t, I wouldn’t dare say it to his face, he might eat me :-)
Excellent post Jason
Richard Ball
June 25th, 2010 at 4:07 amso basically the analogy of this post is saying – Yeah, you must do Everything by yourself!
Pete Morley
June 25th, 2010 at 5:07 amI was going to bring up that he spends most of his time off camera in a hotel. But Chris beat me to it.
I’d say Bear was more like the fat IT guy in the office down the corridor from our studio who knows how to maintain a phone line, fixes the odd PC and somehow manages to convince people to buy his shoddy MS Frontpage built, tables driven websites for £800 a pop.
If I were to be a survivalist designer, I’d be Ray Mears any day.
Dan
June 25th, 2010 at 5:11 amHi,
I think you should only be allowed to dis Bear, if you also have;
Serverd in the armed forces,
Broken your back in a parachute accident,
Then gone on to climb Everest.
Of course elements of the show are faked, its, TV.
Funny atricle by the way.
Dan
Bjorn Theart
June 25th, 2010 at 5:16 amAnd off course the man drank his own urine when he was in the Outback
Chris Gannon
June 25th, 2010 at 5:18 am@Pete Morely – LOL! Be careful or you’ll get flamed as most people here probably haven’t heard of Ray Mears and if they have, they’ll most likey assume he’s American and you’re having a pop at him ;)
@Dan – the guy is a first class twit which is why he’s been promoted to the dizzying heights of Chief Scout (of cub scouts fame).
Pete Morley
June 25th, 2010 at 6:03 amOh hell no, I’d never badmouth Ray, just in case he found out.
Chris Gannon
June 25th, 2010 at 6:16 am@Pete Morely Yeah you’d be stalked, trapped, killed, skinned, cooked and served up between two banana leaves.
Rob
June 25th, 2010 at 7:04 amI have to laugh at the comments on any video about Bear Grylls, especially Chris Gannon’s comment about him being the laughing stock of Britian.
There’s always going to be people who thought that Man vs. Wild was a real show and that Bear was put into all these situations and left to fend for himself and then have their hearts broken when they find out it’s not. Search Youtube for some of his interviews, I’ve seen him admit plenty of times that he does sleep sometimes in hotels if they’re near and he does have food / water with him. The aim of the programme is to show viewers what to do if they somehow end up in the situation he is in, how to get food, water & survive. It’s for entertainment more than anything else.
Anyways there’s my little rant,
Ben G
June 25th, 2010 at 3:53 pmNice analogy… This post cracked me up, thanks! great for a Friday afternoon at the office!
Ross
June 28th, 2010 at 4:13 amI liked survivorman better….
Eric
June 30th, 2010 at 11:45 amBear critics aside, Jason made some great points here. With all the tools we have at our disposal today, it’s easy to get lost or distracted looking for that next perfect all-purpose tool, when sometimes all you need to get started is a stick and some rope.
Resourcefulness is a key skill to have in the digital world just as it is the real world. Thanks for the article, Jason!
B. G. Hennessy
July 11th, 2010 at 10:52 amGreat metaphor for keeping the big picture in mind. I enjoyed the humor,we could all use a little more of that.
Ada
October 3rd, 2010 at 3:18 pmI love Bear Grylls shows, his love of nature, courage, adventurous spirit.. his skills :>
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