1.
ROCK Stars?
What Can
Creative
Leaders
Learnfrom
Originally presented at RE:Design UXD Conference 2013

2.
Hi. I’m @nanotim.
...and I’m very grateful to be here
with you, today.
TIMRICHARDSEVP,STRATEGYAT

3.
I do this.
I work at a digital
agency focused on
making marketing
more useful, and
making products and
services more
relevant.
A fair amount of my
time is spent working
to align groups of
clients and teams on
strategy and vision.
The whiteboard
serves this purpose
well. It starts blank,
then, together, we fill
it. It tells a story of
the conversation.

4.
And, sometimes, I do this.
I also experiment
with music in Los
Angeles. I make
music. I perform
music. It has always
been a part of my
life, and I love it.
I’ve learned much of
what I bring to work
from my play. This
conversation hopes
to lend some
important lessons
from music to the
violently expanding
fields where
creatives are leading
products,
companies, and
teams.

5.
The role of a Creative Leader
is quickly evolving.
Digital connections
have changed the
way that thoughts,
feelings, and ideas
move around the
world, between
people.

6.
As the world evolves, so must we.
We will need new skills.
Technology has also
changed the very
concept of a
product, a service,
and what marketing
is.
Creatives are leading
more and more
teams, and our
various backgrounds
may not have
prepared us to lead.

7.
Modern companies need us to lead
in service design, UX, brand, and
product.

8.
Sometimes, all at the same time :)
Marketing is readily
mixing with product.
Products
increasingly are
accompanied by
digital services.
These shifts are
impacting the role of
the creative leader.

9.
Today, We Will Learn 3 Things...
...like 3 chords. It just works.

10.
Chapter 1
(Kick Out) The Jams

11.
We’re not in an assembly line
anymore.
When brands,
products and
services were
created linearly, roles
were duly
specialized, and
handoffs were
critical.

12.
Work is much more like a band
today.
You can’t often rely on stage sound.
We need to share a language.
Today, brands,
products, and
services need to be
created in teams -
for various reasons -
including the always-
on nature of the
world, the nature of
digital convergence
of technology and
communications.

13.
Since these new,
modern, teams don’t
actually, physically,
work together
constantly - and
since each team
member can often
represent such a
drastically unique
perspective and
divergent motivation
- we must create a
shared language
between team
members. Like
music.
Music is an effective
shared language
between bandmates.

14.
This shared language is particularly
important during improvisation.
The band establishes a known pace and
theme, then each member can diverge and
improvise on that theme.
Key phrases are used, signaling when the
soloist intends on re-joining the theme.
Members respond with their own
emphasis, answering the soloist.
Dizzy dives into a particularly free solo, but
lets everyone know he’s re-approaching
the theme. Bobby Timmons, the pianist,
responds with a new emphasis in his
comping, and it becomes clearer to see
how everyone “hears” that the everyone’s
about to re-join, and the solo will go to the
next player.

15.
Each player takes a
turn. Each time, the
group returns.
Modern teams need
similar ability to
iteratively diverge
and converge.
Teams can use
patterns and shared
processes to allow
each to diverge, and
return. This way,
great work is done
within the confines of
a shared pattern -
without the
limitations of strictly
linear handoffs.
Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers - A Night In Tunisia (live '58)
http://youtu.be/I9z9sU5dXnw

16.
It might be tempting to do it all
yourself :)
Creative leaders
today are powerfully
multifaceted. We
might be tempted to
“work out the vision
completely” before
bringing it back to
the group - and
that’s often what a
team might thrive on
- but, that vision
must remain
malleable, allowing
the team to
internalize its
meaning and impact
to each of their
perspectives and
positions.

17.
A great example of
doing it all yourself,
Edgar Winter. Clearly,
a virtuoso - in nearly
every instrument!
Hard to tell what the
objective of this
performance is...to
revel in the idea that
he’s playing so many
instruments? Or, to
rock the audience?

18.
Of course, this
performance was not
played for a live
audience.
Nonetheless, Edgar
goes from soloing on
the largest
synthesizer that any
of us has every likely
seen, to making the
rounds onto the
saxophone, and
back to the synth
again, this time to
repeatedly and
dramatically
“pounce” onto the
sure-to-weigh-50lb
keyboard. Spectacle!

19.
“Why, yes. I did, in
fact, played every
instrument on this
song!”

20.
“Nice onesie, guitar
player. Where’s your
cape?”

21.
“And, yes - I am
better at every
instrument that each
of the players on
stage right now. I will
challenge each of
you to a contest
throughout this song.
Prepare your effing
selves.”

22.
The Edgar Winter Group “Frankenstein” (The Old Grey Whistle Test 1973)
http://youtu.be/Qrv7I1gqaoE
At least they get the
big rock ending right.
Its a shame that
Edgar could only
play timbale for the
finale, and not,
somehow, all of the
instruments at once.

23.
Prototyping, journey design
tools, and collaborative processes
are great for iterative design,
for instance.

24.
Chapter 2
This is Happening Right Now

25.
So, what part to I play in this
band?
?
Now, many teams
already have leaders.
Or managers.
But, the new creative
leadership requires
each player to do a
bit of leading along
the way - taking the
baton, and handing it
back off - in the
context to this
“jamming” process.
Creative leaders can
rise above this
jamming - not unlike
a drummer - and
help keep rhythm,
and incite new
improvisation.

26.
Or, sometimes like a
conductor, the creative
leader can provide
nuanced
encouragement to team
members to continue
exploring.
New creative solutions
can come from any
direction - and we might
be surprised at how
critical elements emerge
from unsuspected
sources - like Michael
Anthony’s signature
harmony vocal work for
Van Halen - the
understated glue
holding the rock giants’
sound together.
Van Halen: Dance the Night Away (live, 1979)
http://youtu.be/ouymzr6azKo

27.
Some roles have leadership
implied in the charter.
The new creative
leadership in brand,
service, product,
and communication
imply a new kind of
creative and
forward momentum
to all of our efforts -
providing a kind of
“spiritual” center to
our work -
providing the a
clear vision of the
“soul” of the work -
tying directly to an
intimate
understanding of
people - and the
culture that
surrounds us.

28.
Creative leadership needs to
bring the show.
So, as creative
leaders, we must
shift into a new
mode of leadership
- making each of us
a curator of the
iterative creative
experience and
process.
Increasingly,
creative leaders
must be confident
in leading a process
that will draw
insight from
business case,
consumer insight,
cultural relevance,
and brand
foundations.

29.
Do it like Rock Stars do.
Iteratively. Hours of practice. Play
it 1000 times.
The only way I know how to do this, is to
iteratively build and refine the story of the
work.
Develop the rationale, the solution
description, the approach - through
numerous “mini-presentations,” informal
conversations, quick “lightning round” run-
thoughs with various members and versions
of the team.
Compose your main ideas on notecards,
basic slides, or on a whiteboard. Just
include the main “beats” of the story that
investigates the challenge at hand, and
presents the strategy.
This is important: Say the actual words that
tell the story. In order. Write down those
words as “beats.” Evaluate the beats. Then,
evolve them.

30.
Prince, for example,
is famous for his
rigorous, incredibly
detailed practice
sessions, working
out very particular
nuances of
seemingly
improvised
elements of
impending
performances.
This Purple Rain
era video was
promptly removed
after I found it.
Prince isn’t so big
on sharing.

31.
Your constant practice pays off
when you can focus on
communicating with your
team...not delivering information.
This kind of
rigorous practice
and re-shaping
ensures that the
creative leader is
focused on
communicating
with the team and
shaping the
conversation.
In this way, the
team benefits from
the creative leader’s
mastery of the
subject and
solution space -
and all players can
participate at a
higher level.

32.
The creative leader
who’s focused on
communicating,
evoking, and
listening to the
team must know
the material cold.
It may seem very
pedestrian to say it,
but we don’t know
what we will say in
a creative
presentation until
we say it - and
chances are, we
won’t say it right
the first time. Or the
third time :)
Dana Carvey - “Guitar Humor”
http://youtu.be/WHk7c5aUXVs

33.
The product must evolve early.
We can save ourselves from our
selves :)
In addition,
constant iteration
and collaborative
exploration can
ensure we don’t fall
victim to our first
idea...which is
seldom the best
idea, or the idea in
the best execution.
Differentiating
between the
insight, the strategy,
the idea, and the
various possible
executions of that
idea, is increasingly
important as we
work across so
many fronts.

34.
Songwriters and
bands, no matter
their working style,
end up evolving the
execution of their
work, together, over
time.
Mick had the idea
and general melody
for “Sympathy for
the Devil” upon
walking into
Olympic Studios -
but, it took many
many iterations
before reaching the
version we know
and love today.

35.
The general rhythm
changed many
times. The phrasing
of the vocals, too.
Each iteration
provided progress
toward a more
powerful execution
- a more perfect
groove.
The idea and
concept remained,
but the execution
evolved. Each
member and
collaborator helping
to interpret it, and
shape it.

36.
Various versions
featured different
instrumentations and
moods. One scene
features Bill Wyman
offering a seemingly
new take, directing
the rhythm to fall
behind the music a
bit, although Keith is
credited with the
suggestions for the
new beat and
additional
percussion.
Every little
contribution seemed
to shape this now-
classic song.

37.
Rolling Stones - Naissance de "Sympathy for the Devil " (One+One) 1968
http://dai.ly/10typUf Even with most of
the tracks
recorded, Mick’s
vocal approach
really seemed to
slide into place near
the end. Still, the
song seems to be
missing a critical
element - until the
crowd of
contributors record
the signature
“whoo whoo” vocal
accompaniment.
Who knows what
shaping led to this
key element? Only
heavy collaboration
and iteration could
have produced it.

38.
Creating alignment iteratively
keeps the hard work happening in
the room - creating momentum.
Creative leaders
must work to keep
the “mojo” in the
room when
collaborating and
presenting to
stakeholders -
again, emphasizing
the need to simplify
and completely
know the story of
the work - and
focusing efforts and
time on iteration
and communication
- as time together in
a company can be
so rare and often
mis-spent.

39.
Like experiences we design,
your teams’ experiences with you
are your real product.
Thus, the real, or
first apparent
product of the
modern creative
leader is the
creative experience
brought to the team
of contributors and
stakeholders.

40.
This Will Test Your Working
Knowledge of Communication
So often, we think
of our “pitches” as
needing to be pure,
unadulterated,
stream of
consciousness
feeds from our
creative minds.
Rather, we need to
take into account
the receiver of our
message, and the
various sources of
noise that might
disrupt or warp the
decoded meaning
of our message.
Ray and Charles Eames "A Rough Sketch for a Sample Lesson for a Hypothetical Course" (1953)
http://vimeo.com/19906179

41.
You May Need to Learn
How to Method Act
This approach to
conducting creative
development isn’t
unlike the concept
of Method Acting -
where the active so
completely
internalizes the
context of their
work, that they are
able to feel the
feelings of the
characters they
portray, and
completely
understand the
purposes of their
actions.

42.
This wasn’t a Beatles record.
This was a Sgt. Pepper’s record.
Real innovation and
highly functional
aesthetic can come
from this kind of
creative leadership.
For example, The
Beatles
approached the
development of the
Sgt. Pepper’s
Lonely Hearts Club
Band album from
the perspective of a
different band, time,
and context.
The Making Of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1982)
http://youtu.be/0irqVH031UI

43.
Some of our favorite products
evolved drastically - and
continue to.

44.
Chapter 3
Simple Works

45.
The practicality of communication
will force us to be masters of
simplicity.
New constraints will
present themselves
as we lead our
teams to innovate
together.
We must work to
simplify not only
our work - but, also
the language we
use to evoke
participation and
collaboration.

46.
Great rock stars
seem to
understand the
hopes and dreams
of the audience,
and how they are
fulfilled in a live
performance, or
other musical
experience.
They understand
how broadly
available their
concepts need to
be. So, they
simplify - even if an
idea is complex or
powerful - to ensure
“inception” of that
idea.
Dave Grohl “Interview with Kyle Gass and Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters” GM Next Plug-in
http://youtu.be/oojzmjJ3ugE

47.
We don’t design materials.
Or aesthetic. Or communication.
We are designing behavior.
And action.
It is precisely
because our media
have greatly
evolved into
behavior, or
experience design,
that we must
simplify our
language.

48.
Make it easy to understand.
“Consumers don’t go to the
meetings.”
?
If we simplify our
language early on -
even as we’re evolving
the product or design
or solution - and
understand what it will
take to create empathy
with our idea from a
consumers point of
view, we won’t be stuck
with the task of
explaining it to
consumers later in the
process; we will already
know this. If it takes a
long time to explain in a
design meeting,
chances are, it will still
be confusing by the
time it gets to a “real
person.”

49.
3
Simplicity in Communication. Def Leppard
+ the Riff.Arenas Changed Everything
How Did Rock Adapt?
The popularity of big,
rock music drastically
changed what it meant
to see a rock band
perform live. With larger
and larger audiences
joining the rock throng,
stadiums and arenas
started to fill up.
With such a large space
to fill, and limitations in
getting the right sound
to the audience, rock
music changed. It’s not
the only reason for the
change in rock, but it
was clearly a
contributing factor for
how many bands made
their post-arena records.

50.
Another exercise in simplicity. Def
Leppard believed that rock could
appeal to a broader audience. This
band understood how to reach an
audience with simple, powerful songs.
They wrote slower, less chaotic rock
songs, compared to their
contemporaries.
They set out to be the biggest band in
the world - looking to “selling rock
records to Michael Jackson fans.” The
music was built for stadiums. The
songs were almost co-owned by the
audience, with the easily understood
and chanted choruses - built for the
big, communal rock experience. The
complete separation between the
elements and careful orchestration
made for something that translated
well to these new, larger audiences.
Classic Albums: Hysteria
http://youtu.be/Vkh8WL2-4xA

51.
Designing behavior means
our insights might be more
important than our designs.
Today’s creative leader
is judged on our ability
to move people - not
just win awards.
Consumers increasingly
fatigue of attention-
grabbing, but useless
interactions with
brands.
Just like the insights
behind the design of
Def Leppard’s music,
insights become the
critical element for
development and
management in
creating an amazing
experience, an
enjoyable product, or a
useful service.

52.
Insights help us understand
the challenge space.
As a creative leader, everything we
produce must have a purpose.
Aesthetic must evoke emotion.
Communications must be in alignment
with peoples’ motivations.
Brands must, today, be useful - fulfilling
their greater purpose - moving beyond
those of the brand category.
Ecosystems must be built around the
natural influence systems in any given
cultural space.
A clear understanding of the challenge at
hand is critical to the modern creative
leader. Separation of strategy and idea
from execution will ensure proper
evolution and co-ownership between the
various creative and business partners.

53.
There are many
frameworks available to
us to understand needs
and motivations of our
customers.
Remember, we may not
be the right folks to be
commissioning and
executing primary
research to find these
insights - but, creative
leaders today must ask
the tough questions
around why people
would want to interact
with our product, and
what will keep them
coming back.

54.
Beyond Maslow’s Hierarchy - the
world is constantly looking to
understand and overcome
modern humanity’s problems
through conceptual models.
Models that lead to joy, positivity,
or resolution might include Tony
Robbins’ “6 Human Needs,”
“Spiral Dynamics” and “Integral
Theory,” or Mihaly
Csikszentmihalyi’s “Flow.”
Modern creative leaders are
increasingly responsible for
actually making life better for
people -a tall order. Joe Pine often
discusses this theme in terms of
leading to economic growth,
achieving and maintaining
authenticity, or understanding and
fulfilling your brand’s purpose.

55.
Identify a
powerful and
accessible truth.
Tell a story.
Demonstrate an
archetype.
Show how it
works.
Provide an
invitation. Offer
a return on
attention and
effort.
Clear benefits of
Co-creation.
Example: Design A Co-Creation
Virus
+ + =

56.
The Harlem Shake videos are a
great example of an insight at the
center of a successfully mobile
content concept.
The truth at the center? “When the
bass drops, you are allowed to go
crazy. In fact, you’re encouraged
to do so.” We’re all waiting, as it
were, for the bass to drop, it
would seem, right?
Simple formula. Clear rules of
engagement. Low bar to
participation. Fun. Spectacle. And,
when you’ve created it, you’re part
of something bigger. You belong -
but, you did it your way.
Harlem Shake (Matt and Kim Edition)
http://youtu.be/DABphlXEyW8
Know Your Meme - Harlem Shake
http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/harlem-shake

57.
What is your
brand purpose -
beyond your
category.
What physical
and emotional
needs drive us
into this
category?
Offer
communication
and service
worth paying for.
Find white
space in market.
Example: Useful Marketing

58.
The next generation of
products and marketing
are services.

59.
That’s it :)
Rockstars have taught us to be
better creative leaders.

60.
Take Away 1: Learn How to Jam
Use tools and processes as a
shared language for improvisation
in collaboration.

61.
Take Away 2: Work It Out Together
Save yourself from the first
versions of the idea. Separate
insight from execution, and iterate
on the product intensely.

62.
Take Away 3: Practice. Practice.
Learn the core elements of your
work cold by constantly telling the
story, evolving it, and focusing on
emoting the vision and listening.

63.
Take Away 4: Simplify
Consumers don’t go to the
meetings. We can’t expect
people to work to understand our
product or message.

64.
Take Away 5: Develop Tasty Licks
Work your experiences, strategy
and rationale down to bumper
sticker-style handles - so people
can sing along :).

65.
Now, you must go rock.

66.
DragonForce - Through the Fire and Flames (HD Official Video)
http://youtu.be/dG7Rl3qxUqY The perfect ending.
Part rock music video,
part live performance,
part instructional video
- complete with picture-
in-picture how-to
footage :)

67.
TIMRICHARDSEVP,STRATEGY
Would love to know your thoughts.
Don’t hesitate to reach out :)
@nanotim
http://www.linkedin.com/in/nanotim