30 June, 2010
Chad Hurley V Jonathan Ive
– who do you rate?
The Royal College of Art’s ‘Innovation Night’ hosted Chad Hurley, founder and CEO of YouTube. Post talk, I was surprised by a comment that Hurley had not given much away and that not much was gained in listening to him. In that person’s opinion Jonathan Ive, Senior Vice President of Industrial Design at Apple, had been far more forthcoming and inspirational. For me, Hurley’s session (which had been followed by a short interview with Dr Paul Thompson before being opened up to the audience) delivered several insights worth remembering.
Both men were very entertaining: Hurley offered some very useful tips to budding entrepreneurs, Ive made it easier to understand the Apple design process (without giving away any of Apple’s secrets). It’s good to know Apple don’t use Focus Groups - it’s not just me that thinks they’re a bad idea.
Highlights from Hurley’s talk:
- Trust people and don’t hide behind your lawyers; ultimately a piece of paper is not going to protect you
- Broadcast what you’re doing, it’s your best protection - working in secret leaves you vulnerable to someone else exploiting the opportunity
- Your original idea, the big one, might not be the one you end up with. Be true to your ideals but expect things to come out of your project that might be more commercially exploitable, - don’t be afraid to follow that path.
And the most valuable piece of advice of all that there are no rules. It’s a simple statement but has huge implications and acknowledges the role luck plays in our endeavours (I love Dieter Rams’ quote that the best bit of luck he had was getting a job with the Braun brothers).
It’s a huge privilege to be able to hear such men share their experiences and in Hurley’s insights I recognised my own career. Those who found the talk problematic have perhaps had different experiences to me - it’s difficult to appreciate the helpful advice of these hugely successful people if you’re not successful yourself.
Success is an interesting experience because it’s something that you hope for in the future and also recognise in the past; I don’t think people feel ‘successful’ in the moment - in my experience you feel stressed, overworked and exhausted. It’s when you look back that you see what the elements of success are and you find it easier to recognise them in the future. *
* Think about Wimbledon champions - once you win your first tournament, the next one’s easy.
30 June, 2006
Investment in creative resources
It is not easy to convince organisations that they should make an investment in creative resources, these can range from an in-house art department to a catalogue of royalty earners. Even when they do, attitudes can be counter-productive.
A major investment in equipment can be nodded through while the cost of a creative software tool can be stuck in an in-box for months. The explanation can be logical but the indisputable outcome is a poor return.
Getting a better return is a balancing act. The situation can go too far the other way and creative businesses themselves are not immune to unproductive people.
The proverbial red flag
Managing is a word to be used with care when dealing with creative types, particularly if the underlying thought is discipline, because this can act as the proverbial red flag and bring out their rebellious nature. And to a great extent that is the way it should be; while almost inevitably they will feel caged within an organisation, to make that all important return, they should still be wild.
Mentoring in this context is intended to stretch the individual to go further and do more and it is not always a comfortable experience for creative talent that is used to having ‘management’ as a cushion for their ego, keeping them within safe boundaries.
Being allowed to shine
Their motivation is not their pay packet, it can be a range of things. Good equipment and facilities are high on the list, thankfully Jan van Eyck was never asked to use powder paint when he wanted the finest (and the most expensive) pigments. Being allowed to shine among their peers is another, which also creates difficulties, as the ‘team’ model is the one most commonly promoted in the majority of work places.
There are good reasons why this task should be assigned to an impartial outsider, not least because it takes a careful blend of mentoring and motivating, and in most cases there is no one in-house with either the time or the skills to take this on.
The most important thing I have learnt as a practitioner is that the creative process can be much more effective and productive if it is well managed. I asked myself if this experience could be put to use to help others, and the answer has been most emphatically yes.
My experience tells me that in the right environment, managed sensitively, creatives can achieve amazing things but managed poorly they can be a disaster.
Those commissioning work also need help to interact in the right way with their creative partners.
January 8, 2009
Behind these short articles in the library there exists in-depth research. The articles have been written over a period of time and some have been updated off-line. The following selection serves to show the breadth of subjects I have enjoyed researching.
Each Case History is a précis of projects undertaken by Town Group and marketing managers will find the scenarios familiar. If you have a particular situation which requires some outside help, or would like to know more about a particular project then please contact me for further information.
Measuring & Auditing
Service auditing - measuring the quality, efficiency and
value of creative suppliers.
Measure results if you want value for money.
Creative Thinking
Creative thinking – providing synaesthetic solutions to complex challenges.
‘A problem is the difference between what we have and what we want.’ - Edward de Bono
Speaking Creative
Speaking Creative – how it improves results through clearer, better focused better communication.
It is all about what you say and how you say it.
Mentoring & Motivating
Improving the return on creative resource investment.
It takes more than financial incentives.
Motivating and encouraging creativity.