In the modern workplace, creativity is no longer confined to traditional roles or industries; it’s an essential part of every team’s toolkit. As the creator economy continues to expand, driven by the rise of digital tools and platforms, there’s a growing need to empower employees to become creators within their own workplaces. With the right level of abstraction and the proper tools, any team member can transform from a consumer into a creator, building innovative solutions that drive productivity and collaboration. At iviva, our mission is to equip workplaces with the tools they need to unlock this creative potential.
Andy Warhol creating art on the original Macintosh Computer
The creator economy is a $100 billion industry and it’s growing by 10% annually. It has been fueled by easy access to mobile computers, social networks, cloud and AI.
When we talk about creators, we are either talking about
- Media content creators – Creators with podcasts, Substack, Medium, Instagram, TikTok
- Designers and Engineers – building software and other products out of whole cloth
What enables creators to exist and flourish? You need the right tools.
Creators need tools
History has shown that in order to unlock creators, you need to equip them with the right tools.
Content creators came alive once Youtube and Medium provided them the (* cough *) medium to express themselves.
In order to create, you need tools. In order to create great work, you need great tools.
To create great work in the digital space, that means you need great software.
What makes a creative tool great?
Tools that unlock maximum creativity need to have the right level of abstraction.
Painters need to work with paints, brushes and a blank canvas. If you gave a painter horse hairs and raw pigments, they wouldn’t get very far.
Conversely, tools also need to be abstract enough to create something surprising that doesn’t fit a mold.
If you give a painter a paint-by-the-numbers book and ask her to draw inside the lines, don’t expect a masterpiece to be produced.
Most tools people use today end up being paint-by-the-numbers books. The tools let you easily accomplish something but there’s nothing fun or surprising about it. It doesn’t give you the feeling that you are in control and have the power to create. There’s no delightful experience that comes out of it.
Workplaces are for creativity
People don’t think of workplaces as places for creativity but in fact, some of the most prolific creators are in the workplace!
The most popular creative tool that was made was specifically built for workplaces – Microsoft Excel.
Excel as a creator’s tool
Excel was designed as a software package for accounting.
Today it’s used for
- Financial Analysis
- Todo Lists
- Wedding Planning
- Data Collection
- Modeling HVAC chiller optimizations
- Process control simulations
- Managing fantasy football teams
It provided the right level of abstraction (cells and formulas) that unlocked a large number of creative outputs.
