A few years back, Rick Rubin was interviewed by Anderson Cooper on 60 Minutes. Their conversation produced a clip that has lived on, at least in my corner of the internet.

The clip features Rubin admitting he has no musical or technical ability and explaining to Anderson his value to the musicians with whom he collaborates.

Take a look (0:29 - 1:01):

His taste is what makes him valuable.

I was reminded of this interview this week when reading a recent edition of The Surfer’s Journal. The magazine featured two standout articles:

  • “And Laird Hamilton Stands Out” by Chas Smith. This is a great article I’m mentioning because it featured a cameo from Rick Rubin.
  • “Aesthetics: Tom Adler” by Scott Hulet. A deep dive into the style and impact of designer and publisher Tom Adler.

The Adler profile struck me for a number of reasons.

  • Throughout the article there was an emphasis on font selection. In an era where major decisions including decision are increasing being outsourced to machines, it was refreshing to read about and feel the power of being deliberate about the details.
  • One of Adler’s flyers featured in the profile (for a Jeff Divine slide show at Mollusk in San Francisco) features an image rotated 90 degrees. To make an edit like that takes just a few seconds and is something I’d imagine most people reading this have done on their phone at least a few times. But the impact of the decision in this context was so disorienting it really impacted my point of view. Again, this is a small decision with huge impact.
  • Much of Adler’s work is additive. He has published photo books featuring the work of other artists: photographers, designers, authors. His bio by Danziger Gallery includes this line: “Yet as compelling as James’s pictures are, it was Adler’s sensibility and skill as a book designer that fully brought the works to life.”

To be clear, all this gives me hope. Adler’s work stands out due to his tasteful attention to detail and his ability to elevate the work of others. His taste in both the artists he identifies and how he presents their work has enabled him to build his own profile and career. To me, it feels very analagous to Rubin’s place in music.

As we enter an era where technical and creative work (perhaps all work) is increasingly reliant on the work of others, namely via use of LLMs and agents, I have hope that the role of human taste will retain its value. In fact, it’s possible that our ability to pay attention to detail will grow, creating better experiences for everyone.

The tools may change. The importance of taste won’t.