Why is a narrow scope for Master project better for mental health?
In short : When it comes to choosing a project scope for a master project I recommend that people shoot for too specific than too wide. Why?
reducing the scope of an idea means letting go of things which feels like a grieving process Widening the scope of an idea means exploring additional stuff which feels like getting gifts (if you’re curious at least)
Reducing feels like grief
When you have to iterate on a too wide project idea (for example regenerative service design) you basically go through a process of thousand griefs. Each time you narrow your topic you have to let a part of your project die. Because you are reducing.
One thing we know from behavioral economics is that loosing something hits way more than winning something.
Widening fells like getting gifts
Now compare that to a person who has to iterate on a project idea that is too narrow (for example: regenerative service design for after school services within the primary school of the village of Moutier in Switzerland). Iterating this project might mean looking at things from more distance. So you are not letting go pieces, rather you are adding to your project.
Which doesn’t feel like grief at all.
The other many reasons
Having a focused scope has a ton of other advantages when it comes to a Master Service Design project:
it makes selecting literature easier It offers a clear research gap It offers you a real context where you can test out stuff Etc.
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