#dynamicvision

I thought I’d post questions to Slack and get responses from those on my team who played. I figured I could write a few great articles based on their remarks, but I was wrong. I was perpetrating. Not to mention, my pieces were unrelatable because I myself, could not relate to their topic.

I always make an effort to give DV a chance to be part of any conversation in media that will not compromise our values. This game is one, and it’s hard to have much to say about it while being fearful of becoming one of the consumed. My boss was one of them; a player amongst many who found nostalgia, joy, and his inner kid from a game with a hype that existed 20 years ago.

After meeting with my boss, I carefully made my way over to my desk - slow and steady as if the anticipation of playing Pokémon Go was going to physically trip me the same way it was tripping my thoughts. I couldn’t believe I was going to give in. Before, I refused to play, but for the sake of research… I said, “game on!”

I took a seat, lifted my phone from my desk and stared at it with intensity. I have a Samsung - I don’t discriminate - so I navigated to the Google Play store. I was reminded that my last download was the Coaster app which allows me to purchase my train tickets with ease. It was practical. It made sense. It optimized my commute. It was not a game. Still, I typed “pokemon go’ in the search bar and its icon was immediately revealed. I selected it without looking at any other options.

“Oh-my-god”, are the words that broke free from my lips the moment I saw the stamped count for number of downloads. Ten million! Android alone! I counted myself as ten million and one and installed Pokémon Go. The install took a while and during that time I reached out to my colleague, Jaron. “When you have some free time… could you help me get started with Pokémon Go?” I asked him this via Slack, by which he responded that it was, “simple though”. My disregard was real as I responded with an, “Ok. When you’re ready to teach me lemme know! *smiley face*”

I did not open the app before lunchtime, but following the consumption of my usual grilled chicken salad, it was on. Jaron and I stepped out onto our office terrace so as to keep from disturbing the rest of the team with my elementary inquires. Within five minutes, I was set. I listened to the Doc, created my character, and then boom - like that - I was given the opportunity to catch three pokemon. It really was simple.

“Do you wanna catch a Pikachu?” Jaron asked me this with a full grin. “I can tell you how to get him as your first pokemon!” Best believe I was all, hell yeah! in return.

I should’ve mentioned earlier that Pokémon isn’t completely new to me. Back in elementary school my brother and I shared a binder full of Pokémon, watched the tv show religiously, and could be lured into unattractive chores in exchange for another stack of cards. We even participated in an afterschool program that was solely meant for kids to battle with their cards as a way to regulate combat on school grounds.

What I’m trying to say is that my excitement towards obtaining a Pikachu was genuine.

Jaron filled me in on the how. The when and where was left for me to discover. After the pow wow, I sat down at my computer ready to type with the urge to catch ‘em all never before feeling so real.

The remainder of my work day did not involve catching Pokémon. Jaron told me to wait. I was to walk away from the three given pokemon about five times before Pikachu would appear as a fourth option - life hack #256. Once the day’s work was done, I started to make my way to the train station. The moment I turn on my phone - depending on my situation - I go to selective apps out of habit. When catching my train, I open the Coaster app, but that had to change. I got to the train station and opened Pokémon Go. I watched as my character quickly relocated, followed by a phone vibration and the reappearance of the first three Pokémon. I counted “one”, then closed the app.

My seat on the train is always the same. Top level, coast side with a table. Here, I’m not only able to watch rolling waves hit California sand, but I can also people watch at each stop along the line. Today, I felt the need to go from people-watching to Pokémon-catching. Whenever the train came to a halt, I clicked open the app; and again, the relocation, the vibration and the appearances. Carlsbad Village - “two”. Carlsbad Poinsettia - “three”. And like that, instead of five, I only needed to “walk away” three times. Carlsbad Poinsettia Station was home to my Pikachu.

The smile that spread across my face wide, but not wider than my eyes. I tapped on Pikachu; a bright yellow target for the pokéball that sat at the bottom of my screen. I flung it at the Pokémon’s direction - or so I thought.

I could swear that my throws - swipes across my screen really - were accurate. A slight panic slipped into my thoughts as I began to anticipate the disappearance of Pikachu. I missed hitting that little guy over and over. Then finally, my sloppiest of phone swipes landed the white and red sphere smack dab in the middle of the electric bunny’s forehead. I let out the smoothest “yesss!” to express my victory. I watched a bright light take Pikachu up into that small ball. It fell to the animated grass and buzzed with a blinking red light.

This was it. My train was getting ready to pull away from the station. I tightened my left fist as though it were the ball that held my Pikachu. I knew that Pokémon can escape those pokéballs. I knew that if I left my current location, then I would leave behind Pokémon.

The ball settled. An overlay of my victorious first capture was displayed. I let out a sigh, only then realizing that I had been holding my breath. The Doc showed up to congratulate me and at the same time I gave myself a mental pat on the back.

I understand that this is in part to encourage person to person interaction that life deems necessary, but I was ok with that, and I’m still ok with that. What I was not ok with when getting out into the “real world”, was the sudden appearance of three and a half walls that hindered any immediate interaction from one colleague to the next.

I kind of get it though. Regardless of the setting that was provided for the growing mind, the space in which learned skills are ultimately used shouldn’t matter. That’s because somehow, between the calculus equations, biology labs, and reports on English literature, I was to learn to adapt. Right? What hiring manager wouldn’t like to hear from their potential new-hire just how well they conform to anything and everything? As someone who has been in the candidate hot seat before, I can say that I wanted to get that across with confidence. I wanted to be the, “company chameleon”. The truth however, is that I failed until I didn’t have to try.

Don’t get me wrong, I can adjust to my environment… eventually. The thing is that, I don’t have the time to change the preferences that I worked so hard to subconsciously build over the years. I learned in school how “change” impacts my success. Any time I was in a large classroom setting, I struggled. To obtain my degrees with flying colors I went from a large university to a small private school, but I digress. My point is that, like the large classroom setting, cubicles aren’t for me, and luckily I work for a company where that affirmation is shared. Cubicles don’t exist here.

The hook to the reel that Dynamic Vision cast out for new team members seemed to be that it’s offices are huge creative spaces. Instead of the traditional cubicle setup, everyone has the freedom to lean to one side of their computer monitor and say hello to a colleague. It makes sense, especially because we work in teams. Together we build and create in an environment so vast and open that the mind can metaphorically expand with ideas.

The Temecula headquarters is so open-engagement based that even the small offices within the space  have glass walls. Other than the area of desks, there are 14 other places at HQ where one can continue to be the mastermind behind the masterpiece while being a supportive member of a team. All spots are open, colorful, amongst plants and in some cases, beside windows you can stand in.

Then there’s the Oceanside satellite office. Team members that work there have complete access to the building’s rooftop that provides an ocean view. If that wasn’t the case, that view is still attainable from their desks thanks to the floor to ceiling windows. Here, there are also other areas to work, where one can change their setting, but still be available to lend a hand.