Nerds Have More Fun
– By Brian Pelcak, designer
How Empathy Informs Our Process
nerd n. A person academically or intellectually talented but socially unskilled.
My name is Brian, and I’m a nerd.
I have been most of my adult life.
Turns out, most of my friends and colleagues are, too.
Why? Because everyone likes to have a little fun in life, and nerds seem to have the most fun at having fun (even if it is a bit awkward at times, as indicated above by the Oxford American Dictionary).
In fact, there are more than a few nerds out there who have turned having fun into something wildly imaginative – and successful.
Take, for instance, that sage of the internet Wil Wheaton. He even played a nerd on television (Star Trek TNG). Yet, now, he has enjoyed – much as the rest of ‘us’ have – a recent nerd-renaissance of sorts. Suddenly, it has become ‘cool’ to be smart. So much so, Mr. Wheaton once again appears on television, in his very own half-hour show, waxing poetic to his nerd-centric fan base about precisely how cool it is to be “intellectually talented.”
There are many other examples of this modern-day ‘nerd phenomena’: What was once a bastion of solace for high school nerds the world-over, groups like the AV and Glee Clubs have garnered wide acceptance (The Onion and Fox’s Glee, respectively). There has been an explosion of interest in, and attendance to, ComiCon – not just in San Diego, but nation-wide. Perhaps this interest is being fueled by a significant resurgence in comic books, and their cinematic counterparts – we even have a modern era Tony Stark walking among us in the form of Elon Musk.
Morgan Freeman continues to capture our attention in Through the Wormhole, while Neil Degrasse Tyson has proven a worthy successor to the much beloved COSMOS series. Both Star Trek and Star Wars are further enjoying a renaissance of their own, owing much to JJ Abrams (honorary nerd).
And let’s not forget the work of J.K. Rowling, and her enigmatic protagonist: Harry Potter. I can’t think of a more appropriate example of how such a wildly imaginative kernel of an idea could spawn a multi-generational, influential, and inspiring model of the value of intelligence. For, indeed, Ms. Rowling is a very intelligent writer and storyteller. Perhaps, even, a nerd herself.
Magic, Science Fiction (and Fact), Super-Human Potential, and Intellectual Humor are bundled within the average nerd’s psyche. It’s what allows us to make referential jokes related to film scenes (like Back To The Future)…and to have a deeper understanding of what it takes to inspire, educate, delight, and positively influence people in their environments.
It is here that I wish to make a distinction from the previous working definition of “nerd.” We are not “socially unskilled.” Far from it, in fact.
If anything, we are more empathetic than most.
At PGAV, we embrace these ‘nerd phenomena,’ along with pop culture, allowing us the opportunity to interpret our world differently than others do. This differentiated awareness allows us to be keenly aware of human emotion, and their needs across many different situations. This brand of nerd-induced Empathy is omnipresent throughout our design process. We often find ourselves making reference to a proposed guest emotional arc in terms of character types. For instance: Does the intensity of the guest experience appeal more to Tony Stark or Professor Xavier?
In addition to this empathy, we apply our collective intellectual knowledge-base of 125 design staff, whose backgrounds are as varied as a Marvel franchise, and then further painstakingly evaluate each design challenge through the lens of 50 years of industry experience.
We are well-read and continually curious for new information, ever with our ears to the ground and our eyes on the horizon. We maintain a careful balance of optimism and cynicism that keeps us creative, yet realistic (respectively). We are Makers and tinker-ers, who enjoy a great story and a good Trivia Night (it’s a real thing here in St. Louis).
We are all a kid-at-heart, chronically seeking to create moments of wonder and excitement – which is probably why we have so many toys scattered throughout our design studio.
Nerds, indeed.
