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Future Media People

Useful, usable, delightful

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“Useful, usable, delightful” are three words that inspire every project. Great article with James Hilton, Chief creative officer, AKQA in this Guardian article about design.

I would add – classical designs aspire to be timeless for decades, whereas websites design aspires, at best, to stand for a few months. That’s where modern digital design has it’s challenges from evolving the methods.

James Hilton

Which media companies, business and delivery models and platforms do you consider to be sustainable and which ones will go to the wall?

Apple has successfully created an accessible and beautifully designed ecosystem to support digital content and services distribution. They’ve had an incredible head-start and are continuing to innovate with new ideas, making it even tougher for the competition.

What does the global media industry ten years from now look like?

The fact that Ashton Kutcher has more followers on Twitter than CNN Breaking News is pretty profound and shows the shape of things to come. Editorial content will continue to play an important role for people navigating through the world’s news, but the editor that a person follows won’t necessarily be sat behind a desk in a newspaper.

What projects are you currently engaged in on a day to day basis and how are these helping to change the face of the media and technology industries?

Three words define an AKQA project: Useful. Usable. Delightful. Our projects are driven by great ideas and stories that our clients and their audience can engage with, by innovating with technologies that are relevant and accessible. What that means is that we find new ways to use media types that people are already comfortable using to deliver them an experience they weren’t expecting and which changes a behaviour.

Who do you admire in this space? Who’s inspiring you? Who’s pushing the boundaries and how?

I admire storytellers; those who can engage and captivate through whichever medium is most relevant to their audience. The people who inspire me today, have always inspired me; Apple, Pixar, Bang & Olufsen and Baz Luhrmann. All of these people innovate, none of them emulate. They do not seek the approval of their peers, they create on their terms. Brilliant.


And what can we expect from you at the Changing Media Summit ?

Something for all the family I think; tears, laughter, a bit of drama and a clear moral. Probably.

One reply on “Useful, usable, delightful”

Three words define an great project: Useful. Usable. Delightful.

Our projects are driven by great ideas and stories that our clients and their audience can engage with, by innovating with technologies that are relevant and accessible.

James goes on to say, ‘What that means is that we find new ways to use media types that people are already comfortable using to deliver them an experience they weren’t expecting and which changes a behavior.’

I admire storytellers; those who can engage and captivate through whichever medium is most relevant to their audience. The people who inspire me today, have always inspired me; Apple, Pixar, Bang & Olufsen and Baz Luhrmann. All of these people innovate, none of them emulate. They do not seek the approval of their peers, they create on their terms. Brilliant.

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