Driven by new technologies such as mobile, the change within the industry is happening rapidly. Mobile devices are increasingly being used to capture inspiration on the go and to create content anywhere at any time. This opens up a world of strategic possibilities. It is no longer necessary to hunker down in your own private creative cave to make something magical: you can do it right here, right now.
"Creatives are going mobile. The availability of new tools and techniques means that creatives must now work across multiple mediums and disciplines," says Simon Bromfield, Territory Account Manager at Adobe Systems Sub-Saharan Africa. "In order to ensure that their contributions are valuable and credible, the creative process cannot ignore the impact of technology and digital analytics."
Social media, one of technologies most vibrant spin-offs, is quickly emerging as a top source of inspiration. Gone are the days of relying solely on museums and trade publications for inspiration. More and more, creatives are seeing social media as the best source of inspiration compared to sources that are more traditional. Inspiration and collaboration are propelling participation in online creative communities.
Research gathered from Adobe's survey shows that two-thirds of creatives believe that their role will be significantly different within the next three years. Creatives seem to be dealing with this brisk pace surprisingly well. Of the more than 1,000 creative professionals and 500 students interviewed, 96% indicated that they are happy in their chosen career. Even though creatives have the pressure of "creating more, at a faster speed than ever," the overwhelming majority (93%) still believe that their companies or clients recognise their contributions.
"It has become essential to diversify skills in order to overcome uncertainty and complexity and drive market leadership," says Bromfield. "Creatives will fall behind if they don't stay current with changes and become skilled in more than one creative discipline."
Creativity and design thinking are becoming more important to business and exercising a stronger influence on organisations. Creatives who are able to show versatility and take full advantage of the technologies at their disposal stand a much better chance of taking control of their professional destiny.
