Have you ever watched in amazement as someone effortlessly navigates a complex tool, making magic happen, while you struggled with the basics? They always seem to know where every feature is and will fly through the tool to solve any issues. That, right there, is a power user in action.

These maestros don’t just stop at mastering the basics. They possess a deep, intimate knowledge of the tool. Using it as an extension of their very thought process. They have an endless arsenal of tips, tricks, and hacks at their disposal which makes them the go-to experts for advice.

As easy and magical as it seems, these power users dedicate countless hours of exploration and practice to get to where they are now. This is only possible because they have a strong sense of curiosity and passion for the tool. They channel this curiosity into their projects, consistently testing and exploring the tool's potential. It's this rich blend of diverse applications and relentless curiosity that sets them apart from the average user.

But you should know that power users are tool-specific. So, you might be a Grasshopper power user but only an occasional Tekla Structures user. With more tools coming out every year, it’s hard to keep up with them let alone master them. Even then, you might not want to master all the tools that you use.

Why You Can’t and Shouldn’t Master Every Tool

For those of us in Computational Design, we have to use many tools to do our jobs. The other day, I had six tools opened at once and out of the six, only Grasshopper and Rhino were the ones I genuinely wanted to master. The rest of them were a means to an end. They are programs that I had to read and write data from.

There are tools that we want to master and tools that we have to use because other people that we are helping are using them. To then someone in our field to master all the tools is a tall order. There are way too many tools to master and doing so will take you a very long time. You might not even be interested in mastering them all. And becoming a power user without genuine interest is almost impossible. Such mastery demands both passion and a powerful sense of curiosity. You cannot be a power user if your aim is to be a power user, it has to be an outcome of the effort taken to truly understand a tool.

As unrealistic as it is to master all the tools, we often feel the pressure to be a power user. The word “power” here is overly positive and it’s a buzzword that has been championed by companies and social media. It makes it seem like it’s a status that everyone should pursue. Yet it’s vital to know that not everyone should aim for this title.

I actually argue that the word "power" should be reserved for those who go the extra mile in their tool exploration and understanding. It shouldn’t be a title that people aim for if they don’t have a genuine interest. I am not saying that people shouldn’t be power users, I am saying that you should dive deeper into the tools you care about and let the “power user” status surface on its own without aiming to be one.

But that being said, if you do have the curiosity and the passion for the tool, how do you become a power user? After spending some time with Grasshopper and Revit power users, I think I found some commonalities between them that can help you become one.

Becoming a Computational Design Power User

Becoming a power user isn't an overnight process, it takes time and effort to get there. To master a tool is to understand everything that the tool can do, including its limitations. But, simply memorizing your program's feature list isn't going to get you there. Instead, you should immerse yourself in a variety of challenging scenarios. Which will force you into new ways of working with the tool, giving you new perspectives.

As beginners of any tool, we learn to use the tool from others — mentors, colleagues, etc — and we get stuck in a way of operating. As we become more proficient with the tool, the less we see out of this rut. We get complacent and only stick to tried and tested methods. But even if we are productive, there is a limit to how far we can go with this way of working.

It takes effort to step outside your comfort zone and explore new ways of working. It doesn’t feel productive, in fact, it can feel like you are struggling when trying out new ways. But that’s just our brain re-wiring itself to learn new things. That’s why it’s important to find diverse problems because it will force you to step outside your comfort zone.

For example, my current job involves a lot of parametric modelling for structural buildings. So, to add some diversity, I started modelling jewellery and generative art in my spare time. The idea isn’t to learn how to model other objects but to gain new insight from doing something radically different.

It’s vital to diversify the problems that you are solving with your tool and if you can do so in your workplace, all the better. But if you need some help diversifying, I have always found it useful to watch the way others work on different projects.

Going back to the Grasshopper example, I have learnt a lot from watching my colleagues work or even people on YouTube. Since my job is mainly structural models, I try to watch architects, mechanical or even fashion modellers to get fresh new perspectives. The goal isn’t to directly learn from them but to adopt certain techniques and strategies from others in your workflow.

To truly master a tool, you need a blend of hands-on experience and an open mind. Regular users don’t go beyond what they think is efficient and effective. But for a power user, we need to venture beyond that. We need to fully understand how the tool works and find out if there are better ways of working with the tool. We can’t settle on just being proficient.

Final Thoughts

Through relentless effort and unyielding curiosity, power users gain unparalleled command over their tools. This mastery offers a sense of achievement and control that's truly rewarding. But, again, it's essential to emphasize that not everyone needs to be a power user. Mastery should be a product of genuine curiosity and passion, not external pressures or forced ambitions.

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Thanks for reading

Braden.