The Question: Where do you see Landscape Architecture going over the next several years and do you think the downward turn we are experiencing in the job market turning around for us?
Exploration and Review: My question was answered in several different ways and all of the answers were narrative in form. The question was framed in an open ended manner, literally asking for the respondent's opinion. The answers I received were linked to the responders experiences in the field and perhaps, maybe a little bit biased based on where their personal interests/work experiences lie. To be fair, knowing the responders and what their backgrounds are has maybe made my evaluation and interpretation a little biased too. After reviewing the question, I still wonder if it could have been framed differently, but in order to do that I had to evaluate what it was that I wanted a specific answer to. I have concluded that I truly did want just an opinion. Except for the the last part of the question, ("do you think the downward turn..." ) I didn't expect a "yes" or "no" answer. I don't think I would re frame the question but rather, turn into two questions.
The responses I received were interesting and there were several categories that emerged. Two of the responders, saw the field of LA becoming increasingly more collaborative with other disciplines. Two of the responders felt that success in the field was entirely up to the individual and shouldn't be dependent on industry trends. Two others were a bit unsure of the future of the field and its trends. The common ground for all of the responders was that the future success and sustainability of the field lies on being open and flexible to a changing market whether it be in a large firm or individual practice. Overall, five of respondents were optimistic about the future and one unsure but seemingly hopeful.
In general, the responses I received were expected given the nature of the question. There were two outliers however. One of the answers was quite philosophical in nature and after reading it several times, I realized that only one sentence in the paragraph attempted to answer the question but did so very indirectly. The other responses were quite definite in their opinions and answers. The other answer that didn't quite fit with the others addressed why the role of the landscape architect was important but did not address the future trends of the field.
So in my experience, the outliers reveal most of the important data... What does the indirect answer tel you about the nature of the question? And what does it tell you about what you were interested in? Is there information to be gleaned here?
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