In this blog, Blossom talks about her experience overcoming hurdles to creativity in a shared creative space at the iHub. Through collaboration and iteration, not only was she inspired by others, but she learned about a new environment where she could thrive and produce excellent work.
Written by Blossom Otisi, Graphic Designer, Honours Bachelor of Science, CCIT Major, Computer Science and Psychology Minors.
When I first stepped into the iHub, I had a good understanding of what my creative process looked like, but when I was assigned my very first collaborative task with the team, I had no idea what to expect. The question that kept running through my mind was, “what’s going to happen when my creative point of view collides with my team member’s point of view”?
Working at the Innovation Hub has helped me overcome the hurdles of clashing visions and learn the value of collaborative creative space where, when done right, I can fuel inspiration, insight and feedback, and increase the quality of my output.
My Creative Process
Whenever I design something, I like to take my time to build up a concept before I get into the actual creative process. This means I do most of the work in my mind, where I spend a good portion of my process in thought and not action. For example, when I created Ctrl Shift C, a personal monthly editorial I released for the game Sims 4, I spent more than more than 75% of the time building the concept, drafting text, and planning content placement. When there was a task assigned with team members, however, I experienced clashes in both vision and pace. In the past, I have always preferred fully fleshed out ideas rather than rough drafts, which meant I focused more on productive meetings or discussions rather than rushing into creation. Other members in my group preferred to stick to their own vision and processes. We had to find compromises, and compromises took more time. These experiences taught me the importance of being collaborative with team members, being open to new ideas, and always going through an iterative process, no matter the project.
The iHub’s Creative Process
Coming into the iHub, the first thing I noticed was that collaboration was a big part of our creative methods. It took me some time to get used to this level of collaboration because my past academic experiences have been working solo. When our Graphic Design team was tasked with designing a project icon, we first brainstormed potential themes or ideas. Then, my team lead introduced us to 5-minute design ‘sprints’, where we created dozens of sketches for each idea, going through multiple rounds of feedback before landing on the final visual.
As someone who is used to spending more time thinking before creating designs, the design sprint process was a challenge for me. Creating multiple quick sketches proved difficult to me as I am someone who is used to planning out sketches before doing them. With a little bit of time and practice, I got used to the new process and began to reap its benefits. I learned from the work of my team members and riffed off their designs, which really challenged me to explore outside my comfort zone. Speed sketching was something I had never done before, but this process gave me a push into another realm of creative processes that I can explore in future. Sharing the space with others invited feedback and new perspectives where I could learn how others think and take inspiration from them.
My Future Creative Process
With this experience in mind, I have been able to explore a different creative process where I work in a shared space with other like-minded individuals. In the future, I intend to increase my awareness of other people’s perspectives through observation and feedback. Doing this, I won’t find myself in a situation where I clash with my team members because I can learn from their experiences and skills. Instead of struggling to find a compromise in group projects, there will be room for everyone to express their ideas and iterate on those ideas. Through active communication and collaboration, I believe that experiencing different skills and perspectives will play an important role in any creative space I share with others in future.
Having experienced the iHub creative process, my perspective of creative collaboration has transitioned to a positive one. I learned the benefits of observing and working with others. I learned that once I used team members’ unique perspectives to my advantage, creative diversity became a tool for innovation. While it may seem daunting at first, I encourage you to invite others into your creative space and take inspiration and feedback from them. You never know what you might create!
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