“Learn the balance of business and creativity. The job of a successful footwear designer is to balance commercial targets and fashion/innovation. Often these can seem like completely different ends of the spectrum, but the best products service both.”
“Often, in terms of the creative industry, consultants can be categorized into those that offer one of two kinds of services. The first is the “doer” which is your typical freelance designer making sketches, doing CAD, etc. with the end goal of making “things”. To some extent, this is a bottom-up approach that looks at a problem and creates a product as a solution.
The second is approach is a more top-down, strategic process that is guided by a brand’s goals, opportunities and vision. Often, this is titled creative direction. Typical deliverables for these types of consultants are brand marketing reports, business plans, position analyses, and specifications for other to create from.
The way I try to work is to combine these two. Not just giving “creative direction” for others to do the work, but being creatively involved in all aspects of the product to focus the direction of the brand. This is Directive Creation”…
Designer Q&A with Richard Kuchinsky on Design Droplets / Australia
via: designdroplets