Overcoming Barriers to Creativity

by The Creative Group

Breaking new creative ground can be a challenging proposition for designers. In a recent survey by our company, eight out of 10 in-house designers said its difcult to convince senior management to accept ideas that deviate from the prevailing corporate style. And more than a quarter of respondents cited their companys unwillingness to take risks as the most frequent obstacle to creativity. On the bright side, many in-house designers feel they can exercise more creativity than they did ve years ago. However, it remains difcult to break certain barriers. Following are seven strategies for overcoming challenges and enhancing creative freedom. audience, for example, or the brand awareness (i.e., return on investment) an expensive design element generated in an earlier campaign. Avoid talking up the coolness factors of your ideas; you need more substance to boost your powers of persuasion.

Design is not just window dressing. Glenn

Arnowitz, director of corporate graphics at Wyeth, a global pharmaceutical company, says its imperative to talk about design as a core business competency. You have to recognize and communicate the value you offer and understand the role of design in your company, Arowitz says. Thats why its important to involve yourself within business strategies your rm is pursuing, whether its moving into a new international market or acquiring a competitor. Knowing your companys larger goals will help you make a stronger case for your designs. nicate effectively with everyone, from your bosss boss to the person in IT who troubleshoots your computer problems, is key. When it comes to critiques, avoid a know it all attitude that suggests the person asking for changes to your work has no concept of real design. No one wants to work with someone who sees himselfor herselfas superior. Instead, remain open to constructive criticism and, if you disagree with a point made, focus on the business aspects of why you believe your design works.

Give examples. If you want to convince the VP of Marketing to use an entirely new color scheme for the rms deliverables, do some research rst and present relevant samples. You might take a cue from Ann Brenner, art director for Healthy Advice Networks. I use examples of good design from high-prole companies to show non-creatives concepts that may work well for our audience, she says. And when presenting color palettes, I bring articles about what the colors represent and how they are successfully used in print, interior design and fashion design. Avoid jargon.
Direct, concrete statements are typically the most powerful. While every profession has its own lexiconfrom Web 2.0 to CMYKsuch buzzwords perplex the uninitiated. Remove design-specic jargon from your vocabulary when presenting to non-creatives. By speaking in laymans terms, youll make a more persuasive case.

Work on your soft skills. The ability to commu-

Show youre a winner. Entering your work in design competitions will help build your credibility. When outside organizations recognize your design savvy, youll earn respect from those working around you, as well as upper management. Such credibility can go a long way when youre pushing for an edgier annual report design.
Its true that those on in-house teams often have to work extra hard to push through new ideas. However, incorporating the suggestions above will help designers earn the respect of those with whom they work, making it easier to enhance creative freedom on the job.

Educate and enlighten. Part of the reason for tight project budgets and warp-speed turnaround times is a lack of knowledge about the creative process. Many non-creatives simply dont appreciate the style guidelines with which you must comply. They might not be aware of the cost of original photographs, for instance, or realize how much time it takes to produce a 75-page brochure. Do your best to diplomatically enlighten non-designers about the intracacies of your job. Build your case. You wont be successful breaking new creative ground if you cant tie a design concept back to your companys business objectives. To help sway others to your line of thinking, focus on relevance to the