Experts weigh in on the challenges and opportunities for creative professionals today and in the future.
Alexander Heilner
Associate Dean of Design and Media, MICA / The Maryland Institute College of Art
What is the biggest challenge people entering into the creative field are facing?
Artists and designers today face a professional world that is less stable and evolving faster than ever before. There is a constant need to keep up with changing technology that didn’t exist 25 years ago. So today’s creatives must learn how to learn on their own, and have the discipline to do so. The gig economy is not new to the creative world, but an uncertain economic picture puts a lot of strain on creativity at all levels, from employees at design firms to gallery artists and independent makers.
How is technology revolutionizing the arts and how has this changed the way people think and act?
New technologies have radically altered how we make in numerous ways. Fundamental design processes like repetition and iteration have been vastly accelerated. Remote collaboration is now commonplace in design and media industries, as well as the fine and performing arts. The democratization of technical manufacturing now allows a single entrepreneur to produce a short run of their product, whereas just ten10 years ago, mass production was the only way to do so profitably. Similarly, artists working in less lucrative fields such as education and social justice now have many of the same tools at their disposal as major commercial corporations.
How can creative roles lead to a business’s success?
Creativity has always been a key component of successful businesses. “Disruptive” is really just a trendy way of saying “thinking outside the box”; though smaller businesses are now able to leverage technology to make a broader impact. What has changed is that businesses outside of traditional design fields are now explicitly recognizing the value of having trained creative thinkers at the highest levels of research and management.
What are 3 skills you would want your students to be qualified with as they enter the workforce?
The most important skill set today is deep information literacy – the ability to locate, identify and evaluate important ideas; to sort the meaningful information from the noise; and to articulate a creative response with an understanding of one’s audience.
Richard Wilde
Chair, BFA Advertising and Graphic Design, School of Visual Arts
What is the biggest challenge people entering into the creative field are facing?
The biggest challenge actually happens during students’ design education, when they must understand that they have to embrace the process of solving problems. Armed with this unique ability, the daunting task of finding a job that complements their skill set is minimized and sets the stage for further development and challenges throughout their career. Students need to be equipped to take a 360 approach, taking a project from inception to completion in a comprehensive way. In recent years, the designer’s scope has expanded to include creating content, storytelling, developing case studies, designing for social innovation and an understanding of entrepreneurialism. At the same time, their ideas must be broad enough to be reconfigured to work on all platforms and medias.
How is technology revolutionizing the arts and how has this changed the way people think and act?
Technology has truly revolutionized the design and advertising worlds. It has redefined culture, norms, social interests, consumerism, education, entertainment, the dictating of new habits and how one is informed. Yet what stays constant is the need for creative thinking.The ability to generate new ideas that can impact social behaviors through new technological platforms represents new challenges for designers, as they can apply their design thinking to help navigate platforms during development. They can then elevate the platforms’ aesthetics to engage others to use them. This responsibility lies in the designer’s hands and is ultimately necessary in creating a visual culture with a positive impact.
How can creative roles lead to a business’s success?
Creative roles, —or
more specifically, —thinking
in a new way, coupled with a variety of technical executional skills, are the
essential disciplines that lead to success in the business community. Original
vision can help in carefully articulating meaningful strategies and positioning
in the marketplace. These are supported by effective design that leverages the
company’s inherent strengths and differentiates its position.
It is here where branding can be the difference between success and failure. This creative, all-encompassing direction can function as a company’s mantra, which gives clarity to its purpose and can help it attain a leadership position.
The ability to interpret market research and have the designer distill this information into effective aesthetic formulations can speak to the masses and impact in a positive way. This is a most valued asset for any business.
What are 3 skills you would want your students to be qualified with as they enter the workforce?
The single most important
quality one needs to sustain a creative career in the arts, as previously
mentioned, is the ability to think in a new way, which can be achieved through
the art of questioning, probing, playing, daring ——in
short, creating a condition where new ideas can emerge. It is here where the
process is embraced, which permits solutions to present themselves. This is
possible in an educational program with a diverse, highly intensive curriculum
with a passionate faculty. Having a knowledge of technology and the ability to
work on multiple platforms is also important.
I’m not sure if one can categorize this as a skill set, but what would complement innovative ideation and a wide range of executional abilities is a sense of self-worth, purpose and a belief in your ability. Having that sense of purpose helps in navigating past any hurdles that you might encounter.