Inspiration for how to be better at my job can take many forms.

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The other night I saw “Project Hail Mary.”

Aside from it being a masterclass in filmmaking, the thing I can’t stop thinking about is how it communicated complex ideas to the audience.

I love science. I’ve always been a science kid, tech nerd, sci-fi geek.

But even I have my limits.

This movie made the most complex science feel fresh and easy to understand.

A last ditch effort to save humanity.

Dr. Ryland Grace must operate as an astronaut, scientist, biologist, linguist, and engineer.

As the story progresses, he explains each step.

Each problem.

Each solution.

Enough detail so we never feel lost.

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I wondered how many of us can take a lesson about how we communicate our jargon—our own complicated science within our professions.

As an Architect, I have to communicate complex information to both contractors who will build the things I design and the people who just need to use them.

Both audiences need to understand what I’m doing, but in different ways and different levels.

Next time I have a meeting, write an email, or have a conversation about a project, I’ll stop and think about this film.

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I’ll ask myself, “How can I be clearer like Dr. Grace?”