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Creative Technologist: cross-functionality at the service of innovation

By the experts of the Micropole Centre-Est UX/UI studio.

In the age of cognitive, innovation and technology, the digital experience is at the heart of the competitive battle and requires an increasingly fine-tuned synergy between different areas of expertise. Marketing and communication, creative and technological skills are now integrated simultaneously (or almost simultaneously) within design methodologies that decompartmentalize business lines. At the heart of this new trend are new ways of working and an emerging profession: the creative technologist.

THE DESIGN SPRINT: A NEW WAY OF WORKING

Developed by Google Ventures, the design sprint is an innovation method inspired by the principles of lean start up and design thinking. Thanks to an express implementation of design thinking in five steps or days, the design sprint allows to create a first prototype in a short time. It is therefore in this multidisciplinary context that empathy between various fields of expertise is encouraged.
This dynamic, which places technology as a vector of differentiation, has two major advantages: it allows for the design of digital solutions that are often more innovative, and it encourages co-creation between different areas of expertise such as strategists, creatives and developers, allowing each one to contribute his or her contribution under the coordination of a conductor, the creative technologist.

CREATIVE TECH': JOB OR METHODOLOGY?

In fact, it's a job. A job with a thousand and one faces, a hybrid position that links different poles by relying on transversal competences and an exacerbated capacity of popularization. The creative technologist is indeed a developer, a creative but also a strategist, while being innovative and in constant evolution.
As you read this last sentence, you are probably thinking that the job requires the curriculum vitae of Leonardo da Vinci and that finding a crea tech' with so many skills is impossible...

Coming from various backgrounds (development, design, marketing...), the creative technologist is the opposite of a specialist as he rarely adopts an omniscient point of view. A solid background in user experience and web design coupled with a good understanding of technology is a must. An interest in behavioral sciences is also a plus, especially a knowledge of Nudge theory ("A gentle method to inspire the right decision", book by Cass Sunstein and Richard Thaler, Nobel Prize in Economics 2017). The range of his skills is varied but his function is precise: to design new solutions that integrate the technologies of the moment.

Curious by nature, the creative technologist is accustomed to regular and thorough technological monitoring. They are also adept at using agile work methods such as scrum or devops. He/she is in constant contact with the marketing teams, developers and creative people.

Upstream of the launch of a project, he must anticipate all levels of the production chain, and identify all the obstacles that could complicate its implementation. Then, he/she designs and produces digital product strategies (generally in the form of prototypes). As a true "Mister T", he or she is comfortable with taking risks in a "Test and Learn" logic.

IMMERSION AS A MANTRA

Always at the forefront of innovation, the creative technologist catalyzes differentiation and engagement through emotion. They respond to both business objectives and user needs.

The digital solutions developed do not distill a message in a linear way but are intended to embark users in a real story. By relying on all the emerging technologies available such as voice interaction, virtual and augmented reality, artificial intelligence, data-science... the proposed solution must provoke surprise and emotion of a new experience and allow new creative approaches.

Although they are not yet included in the list of "star" jobs in the digital industry alongside data scientists and developers, this new job will soon find its place in the process of digitizing a brand, a product or a service. A force for cooperation between teams within the company and beyond, the crea tech' reinvents the digital experience every day through the prism of augmented creativity. A profession that is still in its infancy today, it certainly has a bright future ahead of it.

AND IN SITUATION ?

Within the Micropole Digital Centre-Est cluster, the employment of creative tecnhnologists has enabled the implementation of a concrete project integrating the use of connected glasses for one of our clients in the field of chemical silo inspection. This voice recognition application allows its users to work hands-free. In the chemical industry, where safety is paramount, employees will now be able to measure data in the field and record it instantly and safely in the app using voice.
Experimentation and innovation labs such as Micropole Group's OpenGround are also the ideal playground for a creative technologist: testing, experimenting, prototyping, being up to date and comfortable with today's and tomorrow's technologies, in order to offer customers attractive and innovative products.

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