Technology driving change for creatives in ANZ

Adobe has released an APAC Creatives Survey, focusing on creative individuals and the increasing importance of technology, tools and platforms in this area.

Over 2,500 creative professionals were surveyed at the end of last year. They came from throughout the APAC region and included a range of different professions, from government workers to architects and web designers.

According to the survey, 71% of people in ANZ say mobile is transforming the face of creativity and design.

While creatives still use pen and paper as well as traditional computing devices during the creative process, they are using mobile more and more.

Tablets and touchpads are primarily used for content sharing and display, while smartphones are used for idea generation as well as seeking inspiration.

Over half in the ANZ region says mobile makes their work accessible to a broader audience, 30% say they use it to present creative concepts, and 33% say it allows them to capture inspiration on the go.

However, 38% of the APAC region say it creates more output mediums which makes their jobs harder.

Even so, Adobe says creatives indicated they'd like to use mobile devices to a larger degree during the creative process, using devices such as tablets, touchpads and smartphones for idea generation, inspiration, brainstorming, collaborating and content sharing and display.

A vast majority of those surveyed say the role of creatives is changing rapidly, and 61% of those in ANZ say new technologies is driving this change.

On top of this, 37% say the impact of social media is driving the changing role of creatives.

According to the Adobe study, social media also plays a part in how creatives measure their success, with 55% in the APAC region saying social media feedback and views are the ultimate measures of success in work.

Looking to the future, 20% in ANZ think app development skills will be most in demand over the next 12 months.

Creatives think digital storytelling (20%) and web design skills (17%) will also be in high demand in the next year.

The survey found where creatives are finding inspiration is changing, moving from traditional mediums to digital platforms.

Only 11% of people in the ANZ region say they find inspiration through TV advertising, whereas 41% say they find it through websites and online advertising. Online creative communities (38%) and social media (35%) are also primary areas where inspiration is found.

As well as contributing to inspiration, new technology is also factor in motivation, with 42% in the APAC region citing mastering new technologies helps to motivate creatives.