unit 07 - Creative Industry Awareness

The Creative Industries sector is comprised of 12 different sub-sectors, which are:

• Advertising
• Architecture
• Arts and antique markets
• Crafts
• Design
• Designer Fashion
• Film, video and photography
• Software, computer games and electronic publishing
• Music and the visual and performing arts
• Publishing
• Television
• Radio

The bigger companies today that once relied on just one main focus are now branching out and creating many many more divisions in their company. The biggest example of cross-industry ownership would be Virgin, that company started out as just a small record shop and now has multiple different divisions excluding music, such as:

• Mobile
• Trains
• Airlines
• Broadband
• Phone Service
• Television
• Banking

Industries within the Creative Media Sector would not be able to work without working with other industries, for things like creating advertising for the Television/Ads on the high street, website creation, Publishing Brochures/Leaflets/Business Cards to help the other industries apply more to their audience and give the audience more access to the different products that the industries deal with. So if a small company that sells bicycles wants to get their products out there and into the public eye more, they could hire a website designer that creates and maintains their website. They could also hire a graphic designer that would maybe create a better logo, create brochures/leaflets/business cards which will get their business out there.


There are 4 stages in a Creative Media project life cycle, which are:

• Initiation: In this first stage, the scope of the project is defined along with the approach to be taken to deliver the desired outputs. The project manager is appointed and in turn, he selects the team members based on their skills and experience. The most common tools or methodologies used in the initiation stage are Project Charter,Business Plan, Project Framework (or Overview), Business Case Justification, and Milestones Reviews.
• Planning: The second phase should include a detailed identification and assignment of each task until the end of the project. It should also include a risk analysis and a definition of a criteria for the successful completion of each deliverable. The governance process is defined, stake holders identified and reporting frequency and channels agreed. The most common tools or methodologies used in the planning stage are Business Plan and Milestones Reviews.
• Execution and controlling: The most important issue in this phase is to ensure project activities are properly executed and controlled. During the execution phase, the planned solution is implemented to solve the problem specified in the project's requirements. In product and system development, a design resulting in a specific set of product requirements is created. This convergence is measured by prototypes, testing, and reviews. As the execution phase progresses, groups across the organization become more deeply involved in planning for the final testing, production, and support. The most common tools or methodologies used in the execution phase are an update of Risk Analysis and Score Cards, in addition to Business Plan and Milestones Reviews.
• Closure: In this last stage, the project manager must ensure that the project is brought to its proper completion. The closure phase is characterized by a written formal project review report containing the following components: a formal acceptance of the final product by the client, Weighted Critical Measurements (matching the initial requirements specified by the client with the final delivered product), rewarding the team, a list of lessons learned, releasing project resources, and a formal project closure notification to higher management. No special tool or methodology is needed during the closure phase.

There are many techniques and activities to get you going if you are either stuck or you just cant think of any more ideas or are just not happy with what you have created. For example if you were thinking of creating a logo design and you were stuck, here are a list of different things you can do to give you ideas:

• Brainstorm with Mindmaps: This is the classic way of brainstorming. You start with a word then create a spider like diagram with associated words, these words can be as loosely or closely associated as you want to the original word. You can create mind maps with paper and pencil or use mind mapping software.
• Brainstorm with Doodles: Instead of sticking to the classic text brainstorm mind maps the addition of doodled images can really help generate ideas. You start to see visual similarities and associations with the look of things as well as their written meanings.
• Visual Metaphor: Moving on from the pictorial mindmap you may also start to think of visual metaphors. Is the concept that you are trying to get over that the product is as light as a balloon, as strong as an elephant etc.
• Play-on-words: A website that I find really useful especially for advert concepts is rhymezone.com. You simply type in a word and decide the type of words you want to get back you can choose from many things including rhymes, synonyms and related words, all things which can help springboard new ideas. A great little feature I like to is the “match these letters” feature. I used this a while ago when I was creating brochure concepts to promote 16 cities in the UK. I thought 16 looked very much like ib and so put in to “match these letters”. From this I got the word vibrant which I used for one of the headings in this form V16rant Cities.
• Moodboards: Moodboards are a great way to get your creative thoughts flowing. You can create moodboards either with a large sheet of paper that you stick bits of graphics on that relate to your theme or have the “feel” you are looking for. Alternatively you can do this electronically.
• Random Words: Using Random Words to boost creativity is a creative technique that is very useful. In essence you take a random word and introduce it to whatever subject you are brainstorming about, however random it may be. Sometimes the most outlying names are the best that catch the audiences attention. This technique would come in most useful for a graphic designer for projects such as advertising or when more out of the box thinking is required. The idea of the random word is to stimulate ideas you may never have thought about before. Say for example you were creating an advert for some new form of chocolate you might pick a random word ie. car, you then need to think how the car could apply to chocolate – a chocolate car, a chocolate that doesn’t melt so keeps your car clean, a chocolate bar on wheels, a chocolate bar which comes with a mini car journey game on the inside of the wrapper etc.
• Rephrase the question: Rephrasing a question is a creative technique I heard of recently whereby you rewrite the question you are asking of your self as a designer. So instead of "How can I create an advert for a new chocolate bar" ,you instead rephrase this "How can I make this chocolate appeal to men/women/children?What makes this chocolate different?How can I increase the sales of this new chocolate?Why would someone want to buy this chocolate?"
• The ideas is that you take away the rigidity and limitations (ie create an advert) and open your mind to other possible solutions you may not have explored. Instead of an advert you might and up thinking of a teaser campaign or some other sort of promotion which would be more effective. Of course this is not so great if your client insists on an advert but then you probably just have to re-work some of your ideas a bit.
• Forget Colour: If I am working on something like a logo quite often I will work only in black and white, this frees me up to think about shapes and how things work together without worrying about colours. This can work for page layouts too. Start by mapping out your basic layout form (after preliminary sketches) n black and white on computer before adding in colour later.
• Mirror a Shape: If you are producing a layout based design for a company look to see if there is an element of the shape of the logo that you can echo. If for example the logo has an angular icon can you use that same angle to cut up your page in some way or to make an usual picture box shape to house your images.
• Do an Image Search on Google: Decide on several keywords which relate to your topic then search for them using google images this should throw up ideas you may not have thought of. Collate useful images from google using iphoto or similar to use as reference.
• Look at What Else Your Target Market Might Buy: Think of your target market, think about what products they like and might buy, look at the designs of those products. 
• Restrict your Design: How could you only use typography to get the message across? How could you use mainly photography to get the message across? How could you use mainly diagrams or symbols to get the message across?
• Also another idea is to try concentrating just on an element of your design. Try for example restricting yourself to just creating great looking headings (sketching first). This immediately takes the pressure off yourself. Once you have a strong heading see how you can apply elements of that to the rest of your page – is it smooth, rough, spikey, rounded, modern etc.
• Keep Scrapbooks and Sketchbooks: Being creative is always difficult when the pressure is on, so keep a sketchbook and scrapbook to hand. Use the scrapbook to collect interesting design material together. Use a sketchbook to keep your design ideas and thoughts in one place.
• Other ways to help Creativity: Don’t forget how much it can help to talk through a project with a friend to help springboard ideas. If you are really stuck, move onto something else allowing your mind to think about the creative project in the background. It is amazing how the best ideas often happen when you don’t realise you are thinking about your design project – in the car, in bed, walking the dog etc.

All businesses need aims and objectives to succeed. Without these aims the business would not be able to focus on certain targets and will not be able to compete with other businesses who are considerably more organised than them. For example, an advertising company would have aims and objectives like:

• Reputational aims: The company would want to ensure they have a good reputation among the general public. This is both an aim and an objective. Companies can enhance their business reputations by sponsoring local youth organizations or charities and by maintaining excellent customer service. Reputational aims and objectives also include advertising and publicizing the company, especially new or smaller businesses.
• Advertising their own business: Advertising is a more exact way of demonstrating a business's reputation to its target audiences. An aim might be to get the company name spread to a certain age bracket that the company hasn't targeted before. An objective might be running six television ad campaigns during that age bracket's most popular TV shows. Being an advertising firm themselves, they would want to make their own adverts the very best they can be to promote business potential with clients.
• Profit: The ultimate goal for most businesses is profit. Without financial gain, a company cannot stay in business. During an aims and objectives meeting, a certain percentage increase in the company's profits may be discussed. Any financial gain is discussed, and ways to increase it brainstormed. The desired percentage increase decided on is the company's aim, and the ways it plans to increase profits are the objectives. Being an advertising firm, they would want to get their business out there in the public eye and use as many advertising techniques that they know to promote their business and get the most profit out of what they do.
• Future: Future aims and objectives are similar in purpose to a one-year or five-year plan. Company officials will discuss the long-range aims and objectives they want for the business, and what direction they see the business heading. They will determine aims for each of the other types of general aims, such as advertising and profit, and will draft out a rough plan to achieve them. These future aims will then be analyzed and steps outlined to meet objectives. The reputational aims will have a lot to do with the future plans and the profit aims, as reputation can very commonly make or break a business.

In a good team, there are generally 4 types of people, these are:

• Creators
• Leaders
• Implementers
• Completers

These are all what is needed for a cohesive team that works. I will now go through the details of each category of people.

Within the Creators, there are 2 types of people, they are:

The Plant: The Plant is the team's source of original ideas, suggestions and proposals: the ideas person. The Plant tends to be the most imaginative as well as the most intelligent member of the team, and the most likely to start searching for a completely new approach to a problem if the team starts getting bogged down, or to bring a new insight to a line of action already agreed.
Positive qualities: genius, imagination ,intellect, knowledge
Negative qualities: up in the clouds, inclined to disregard practical details or protocol

Resource Investigator: The Resource Investigator (RI) is probably the most immediately likeable member of the team. Relaxed, sociable and gregarious, and easy to interest and enthuse. RI's responses tend to be positive and enthusiastic, though they can dismiss things as quickly as they take them up. The most popular;  the diplomat; the 'Fix-It'; extroverted; enthusiastic; curious. The RI's. ability to stimulate ideas and encourage innovation can lead people to mistake them for an ideas person, but the RI does not have all of the qualities that distinguishes the Plant. They are, however, quick to see the good ideas when they come across them.
Positive qualities: a capacity for contacting people and exploring anything new; an ability to respond to challenge
Negative qualities: liable to lose interest once the fascination has passed

Within the Leaders, there are 2 people, they are:

Co-ordinator: The Co-ordinator is one of the best suited to lead the team even though that may not be their 'formal' role. The Coordinator is the one who presides over the team and co-ordinates its efforts to meet external goals and targets. They are the social leader; calm; self-confident; controlled.
Positive qualities: a capacity for treating and welcoming all potential contributors on their merits and without prejudice; a strong sense of objectives
Negative qualities: no more than ordinary in terms of intellect or creative ability

Shaper: The Shaper is full of nervous energy: outgoing and emotional, impulsive and impatient, sometimes edgy and easily frustrated. Quick to challenge, and quick to respond to a challenge the Shaper is the task leader of the team. The principal function of the Shaper is to give a shape to the application of the team's efforts, always looking for a pattern in discussions, and trying to unite ideas, objectives and practical considerations into a single feasible project, which the Shaper seeks to push forward urgently to decision and action.
Positive qualities: drive and a readiness to challenge inertia, ineffectiveness, complacency or self-deception
Negative qualities: proneness to provocation, irritation and impatience most prone to paranoia, quick to sense a fight and the first to feel that there is a conspiracy afoot and he is the object or the victim of it.

Within the Implementors, there are 2 types of people, they are:

Team Builder: The Team Builder is the most sensitive of the team; the most aware of individuals' needs and worries, and the one who perceives most clearly the emotional undercurrents within the group. If you want to know the mood of the team ask the Team Builder. Supportive; uncompetitive; mediator; socially oriented; rather mild; sensitive
Positive qualities: an ability to respond to people and to situations and to promote team spirit
Negative qualities: Indecisiveness at moments of crisis

Team Implementer: The Implementer is the practical organiser; the one who turns decisions and strategies into defined and manageable tasks that people can actually get on with. If anyone does not know what on earth has been decided and what they are supposed to be doing they will go to the Team Implementer first to find out. A practical organiser; conservative; dutiful; predictable. Research has shown that a high proportion of Team Implementers end up in leading roles in industry - they do the tasks others find too uninteresting but are necessary for progress and survival!
Positive qualities: organising ability, practical common sense, hard-working, self-disciplined
Negative qualities: lack of flexibility, unresponsive to unproved ideas

Within the Completers, there are 2 types of people, they are:

Monitor Evaluator: In a balanced team it is only the Plant and the Monitor-Evaluator who need a high IQ, but by contrast with the Plant, the Monitor-Evaluator is a bit of a cold fish. By temperament serious and not very exciting. The ME's contribution lies in measured and dispassionate analysis rather than creative ideas. Analytically rather than creatively intelligent; sober; unemotional; prudent
Positive qualities: judgement, discretion, hard-heartedness
Negative qualities: lacks inspiration or the ability to motivate others

Completer Finisher: The Completer Finisher worries about what might go wrong and is never at ease until they have personally checked every detail and made sure that everything has been done and nothing has been overlooked. Completer Finishers are not common in business and when you find one , treasure them! Checks details; worries about deadlines; chivvies; painstaking; orderly; conscientious; anxious.
Positive qualities: a capacity for follow through, perfectionism
Negative qualities: a tendency to worry about small things, a reluctance to "let go"