This document discusses the role of the creative technologist. It defines the creative technologist as a key member of the digital creative team who helps lead projects from concept to delivery. The creative technologist both writes code to build software and platforms, and also leads strategic thinking. Some of the main responsibilities outlined include managing emerging technologies, building prototypes, enabling agile workflows, and sparking creative thinking through research and experimentation. The role of creative technologist has grown in importance as technology has increasingly disrupted advertising.

1. The Role of the Creative Technologist
Scott Prindle
Executive Creative Technology Director
Crispin Porter + Bogusky

2. Moore’s Law
The number of transistors on a chip will
double about every two years.
Gordon Moore, Intel co-founder, 1965

3. More processing power, falling costs

4. Source: http://www.staps.uhp-nancy.fr/informatique/eniac_fichiers/eniac4.jpg

5. http://www.apple.com/iphone/gallery/#gallery01

6. "The computer in my cell phone today is a
million times cheaper and a thousand times
more powerful than the computer that we
used at MIT when I was an undergraduate
[1965]," he says. "That's a billion-fold
increase. And we'll do that again in the next
25 years.
Ray Kurzweil
Source: http://www.newsweek.com/id/197812/page/3

7. More storage, falling costs

8. 5 MB in 1956
Source: http://www-03.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/storage/storage_350.html, http://www.snopes.com/photos/
technology/storage.asp

9. 64 GB in 2011
Source: http://www.sandisk.com/products/usb-flash-drives/sandisk-ultra-backup-usb-flash-drive

10. Faster bandwidth, falling costs

11. Source: http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/219665/february-24-2009/1997-flashback

12. Who are these guys and what do they have in common?
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Zuckerberg, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sergey_Brin, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_page,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Dorsey, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_berners-lee

13. Technologists (programmers) are driving cultural, social,
and economic change.
Mark Sergey Larry Jack Tim
Zuckerberg
Brin
Page
Dorsey
Berners-Lee
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Zuckerberg, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sergey_Brin, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_page,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Dorsey, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_berners-lee, www.facebook.com, www.google.com, www.twitter.com, http://
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Wide_Web_Consortium

14. Rapid advancements in technology are
bringing about tremendous disruption to our
business.

15. We’ve shifted from a traditional model

16. To a hybrid traditional/microsite model

17. To a growing digital ecosystem driven by complex
software and algorithms

18. It makes sense then to integrate those
who live and breath software and utility –
creative technologists (programmers) –
into the creative and strategic process.

19. Culture clash at first

20. Technologists think in code

21. And think in left-brained, logical, rule-based
constructs
If this condition is true
then do this
Else
do this
While this condition is true
then do this
Do this, this many times

22. And structured data and APIs
That we use to search, sort, filter, edit,
and save.

23. And speak in a long list of acronyms
XML, HTTP, SSL, JDBC, AJAX, CSS,
HTML, FBML, SQL, TCP/IP, FTP, RGB,
W3C, ASCII, CAPTCHA, COM, API, CPU,
CORBA, GPS, DHCP, XHTML, CSS, FAQ,
GSM, WAP, GUI, GPRS, I/O, IP, ISO,
KBPS, ITV, IVR, JPEG, MPEG, LAMP,
MIME, WYSIWYG, XSLT, ZIP, "
T3, TDMA, SMS, SMTP, SVG, RAM, PGP,
POP

24. And are relatively new to the world of
advertising.

25. What do we call this position?
- programmer?
- developer?
- software engineer?
- creative programmer?
- interactive developer?
- software architect?
- creative coder?
- data processor?
- creative technologist?

26. A tour through our bookshelves can help
better define the role.

27. The early years: brochureware and the
beginnings of ecommerce

28. Source: http://www.amazon.com/HTML-XHTML-Definitive-Guide-6th/dp/0596527322/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1291566619&sr=8-4

29. Source: http://www.amazon.com/Programming-Perl-3rd-Larry-Wall/dp/0596000278/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1291566664&sr=1-2

30. Source: http://www.amazon.com/Expert-Oracle-Database-Architecture-Programming/dp/1590595300/ref=sr_1_1?
s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1291566696&sr=1-1

31. The emergence of digital branding: the
microsite era

32. Source: http://www.amazon.com/Essential-Guide-Flash-CS4-ActionScript/dp/1430218118/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1291566723&sr=1-1

33. Web 2.0 and the rise of social media

34. Source: http://www.amazon.com/Ajax-Definitive-Anthony-Holdener-III/dp/0596528388/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1291566750&sr=1-2

35. Source: http://www.amazon.com/Mashups-Strategies-Enterprise-Jeffrey-Hanson/dp/032159181X/ref=sr_1_1?
ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1291566772&sr=1-1

36. Source: http://www.amazon.com/Essential-Facebook-Development-Successful-Applications/dp/0321637984/ref=sr_1_1?
ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1291566798&sr=1-1

37. Source: http://www.amazon.com/Groundswell-Winning-Transformed-Social-Technologies/dp/1422125009/ref=sr_1_1?
s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1291566868&sr=1-1

38. Computing extends beyond the desktop

39. Source: http://www.amazon.com/Mobile-Design-Development-Practical-Techniques/dp/0596155441/ref=sr_1_1?
s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1291566933&sr=1-1

40. Source: http://www.amazon.com/iPhone-SDK-Programming-Advanced-Development/dp/0470683988/ref=sr_1_4?
s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1291566956&sr=1-4

41. Source: http://www.amazon.com/Hello-Android-Introducing-Development-Programmers/dp/1934356565/ref=sr_1_1?
s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1291566985&sr=1-1

42. Source: http://www.amazon.com/Introducing-HTML5-Voices-That-Matter/dp/0321687299/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1291567009&sr=1-1

43. Source: http://www.amazon.com/Digital-Television-Third-Satellite-Terrestrial/dp/0240520815/ref=sr_1_1?
s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1291991530&sr=1-1#reader_0240520815

44. We’re in the advertising business now.
Shouldn’t programmers know about
traditional advertising? And know how to
make advertising concepts?

45. Source: http://www.amazon.com/Ogilvy-Advertising-David/dp/039472903X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1291566827&sr=1-1

46. Source: http://www.amazon.com/Kellogg-Advertising-Media-Bobby-Calder/dp/0470119861/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1291566849&sr=1-1

47. http://www.amazon.com/Truth-Lies-Advertising-Account-Planning/dp/0471189626/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1304005692&sr=8-1#reader_0471189626

48. http://www.amazon.com/Hey-Whipple-Squeeze-This-Advertising/dp/0470190736/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1303949861&sr=8-1#reader_0470190736

49. Back to titles. The industry has rallied
around the title “Creative Technologist”
Source: http://markavnet.wordpress.com/2010/06/22/what-the-heck-is-a-creative-technologist/, http://www.thefwa.com/job/creative-technologist-1oe,
http://www.impactful-conversations.com/2010/07/creative-technologist-new-role-in.html

50. Number of Posts
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
is growing.
Jun
2009
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
1.1.09 ‐ 7.13.11
May
Jun
2010
Jul
Crea/ve Technologist(s)
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
And conversation and buzz on the topic
Mar
Apr
2011
May
Jun
Jul

51. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/businessclub/people/8676619/Geeks-to-inherit-the-Mad-Men-legacy.html

52. The role of the creative technologist

53. The creative technologist is a key
member of the digital creative leadership
team.
And helps lead projects from briefing,
through concepting, system architecture,
development, and final delivery.

54. 1) The creative technologist writes code
and makes functional software.

55. Source: http://www.linkedin.com/groupItem?view=&gid=2830357&type=member&item=52771925&qid=5e0b3aaf-1fa0-459a-88c3-
f01c773c5ec8&trk=group_most_popular-0-b-ttl&goback=.gmp_2830357

58. 2) The creative technologist leads
strategic and creative thinking for brand
utilities and platforms.

59. This isn’t throw away brochure-ware. These are major
brand investments that need to be architected to live
over the long term.
Source: nikeplus.com, fiat.com/ecodrive,www.dominos.com/pages/tracker.jsp, www.openforum.com

60. Brand utility can become the driver for broader brand
messaging.
Source: http://more.dominos.com/wp/2011/07/times-square/, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5Q2Y2ZQ-4Y

61. 3) The creative technologist brings
emerging technology thinking into the
creative concepting process.

62. A couple of years ago our toolkit was
somewhat limited:
- Flash
- HTML
- Video
- Databases

63. Technologies in our now toolkit include:
- Flash
- Tablet devices
- HTML
- Augmented reality
- Video
- Voice recognition and
audio detection
- Databases
- Physical computing
- Mobile
- Augmented reality
- Facebook
- NFC
- Twitter
- E-readers
- Geo-location
- Connected TV
- Multi-touch interfaces
- Automotive technologies
- APIs/Mashups
- Robotics
- Near field communications

64. This year’s Cannes winners show the wide
range of possibilities.
Source: http://www.canneslions.com/work/cyber/index.cfm?award=1

65. 4) The creative technologist manages
complexity and change.

66. Rapid advances in technology can be
intimidating and overwhelming.

67. With an in-depth understanding of core
computer science and IT principles, this
rapid change and complexity is
manageable.

68. The ecosystem will continue to expand and
grow in complexity.

69. 5) The creative technologist builds early
prototypes to test ideas, interactions, and
functionality.
This creates momentum and is very
helpful in selling through ideas.

70. Dominos: visual builder prototype

71. Dominos: visual builder live
Source: http://www.dominos.com

72. 6) The creative technologist enables an
agile workflow.
This helps to ensure high-quality, on-time
deliveries.

73. 7) The creative technologist manages
relationships with client IT stakeholders.

74. Source: http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9197888/Why_CIOs_Should_Friend_CMOs,
http://www.informationweek.com/news/global-cio/trends/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=227700221,
http://www.cmo.com/leadership/cmos-cios-can-relationship-be-saved, http://www.chiefmartec.com/2010/10/align-or-redefine-the-cmo-and-cio.html

75. 8) The creative technologist sparks
creative thinking through emerging
technology research and
experimentation.

76. Art, science, and play had merged into the
magical activity of programming, with every
hacker an omnipotent master of the flow of
information within the machine.
Steven Levy, Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution
Source: http://www.amazon.com/Hackers-Heroes-Computer-Revolution-Anniversary/dp/1449388396/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1291568052&sr=8-1

77. Augmented reality (AR) prototyping

78. BK: augmented reality banner

79. Experiments with multitouch table

81. Experiments with the connected
vehicle: Trike Plus

82. Experiments with the connected
vehicle: Trike Plus

83. One happy family now

84. Technology will continue to bring about
disruptive change in our business.
The creative technologist will play a lead
role in creating ideas that carry across the
rapidly expanding digital ecosystem.

85. 5 points for technologists to consider
when joining a traditional advertising
environment.

86. 1) Enable ways to say “yes”

87. 2) Don’t promote technology for
technology’s sake. Start with an idea
and address a business need.

88. 3) Don’t just say you’re creative, show it

89. 4) Understand that frequent change is
part of the creative process.

90. 5) Be respectful of the creative vision
and strive for pixel perfection.

91. 5 points to consider when introducing
technology into a traditional
environment.

92. 1) Hire technologists who can
communicate and collaborate

93. 2) Include technologists in the full
project lifecycle – from initial research
and briefing, to concepting, through final
project delivery.

94. 3) Understand that making software is a
significantly different process than
making TV, print, or radio. Be respectful
of the complexity and time
requirements.

95. 4) Train technologists on traditional
marketing and branding principles.

96. 5) Position technologists to educate
clients on emerging technology trends.

97. Good resources on technology
Blogs
- Creative technologist group on LinkedIn
www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=2830357
- radar.oreilly.com"
- www.digitalbuzzblog.com
Books
- HTML and XHTML: The Definitive Guide, Chuck
Musciano and Bill Kennedy
- Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution,
Steven Levy
Industry Organizations
- 4A’s Creative Technologies Committee"

99. Thank you.