Working 9 to 5: What a Way to Crush Creativity.
Blame Henry Ford!
Back when the world was working in factory assembly lines it made sense to standardise the workday. Everyone came in at 9 in the morning and left at 5 every evening. In those days, that was fresh thinking and it revolutionised the way we’ve seen work ever since. Today the 9 to 5 workday looks as modern and functional as an old Ford rusting behind the garage.
It’s not easy to spark creativity after being packed away like a sardine during your morning commute then trying to push through the same old clichéd chit-chat with your colleagues (sorry, guys, I do love you but not before noon).
@dudewithsign understands.
As a designer, I quickly realised that the 9 to 5 doesn’t work. It dampens creativity. I know this all too well. I have been lucky enough to work at some of the best design agencies in the world. While I took away incredible skills from those experiences, I also left with a clear understanding that creativity can’t be scheduled.
I started the Design-Hungry collective as a modern-day solution to modern-day needs. My team isn’t all in the same place at the same time. Trying to get the best creative minds out there into one room and having them all be at their best at any given hour is like herding cats. Traditional office spaces and scheduling are often an obstacle in our field.
Enter the world of digital nomads.
Whether we’re drawing, designing, coding or writing we’ve all come to the same conclusion: the office does more harm than good. Co-working spaces are popping up on every corner and they allow us to live out dreams. At the same time, this freedom takes our work to the next level. Not feeling inspired at 8am? Why bill a client for you to stare blankly at your screen? Go skiing. Run around the block. Start work at 10am when you’re feeling energised and ready to take on the world. Finish at 7pm with a whiskey sour in hand. Working when and where you want is a win-win for everyone.
Working with clients around the world, I’ve found that having a far-flung team is a crucial asset too. Not only are we more in touch with under-the-radar trends popping up all over the planet, but we’re more available. Spanning multiple time zones, there’s always someone on the team who is bright-eyed and bushy-tailed while the rest of us are snoozing.
But, sure, the traditional Henry Ford in you is probably asking the big question: how do we work together if we’re not in the same room? The bottom line is that you build trust from honest relationships and epic results, whether you’re face-to-face or not. You just need to choose the right creatives for you and your brand. We understand it isn’t easy to take the first step into this new digital era but we’re pretty certain that once you’ve had that first real conversation (have you heard of Skype?) you’ll be sold.
If the end product is flawless, delivered on time, and the client has enjoyed the ride, everyone wins. What does it matter that we went for a mind-freeing, inspiration-absorbing run before starting at 10am every day that week?
As we enter into a new nomadic era, it’s time to ditch the factory mentality. No one wants their design to look like it came off the factory line. Fresh thinking creates fresh results.
Perhaps the way Coronavirus/Covid-19 (which has recently been brought to my attention that you can say to the tune of “Come on, Eileen”) is spreading across the world, we’ll all be considering the life of a digital nomad a little sooner than expected.