Quality part 1 — Obscurity

Even with accepted industry standards quality tends to be hard to define. It is often subjective, qualitative, not easily measurable, and poorly communicated.

Naturally, quality is deeply personal. Shaped by lived experience and financial circumstances, each of us has a unique sense of quality, defined on our own scale of quality. It is also relative, relying on existing points of reference to define, making comparison fundamental in our perception of quality.

The use of language around quality frequently leaves it open to interpretation. It is typically implied and not clearly defined, relying on vague descriptors to improve clarity.

In most contexts, quality is not actually measurable either, relating to subjective features such as surface finish and aesthetics.