Kevyn Smith
Web Designer
Information Architect
Marketing
Art Director
Strategist
Video
Product Designer
Generative AI
Creative Director
Animator
User Researcher
Graphic Designer
Production Artist
DEEPTI ILLA
Q
What are some of the golden rules you follow as a surefire method to deliver a compelling project?
Get crystal clear on the target audience and understand what they're thinking, doing and how our message/product/service can solve their challenges.
Q
How many years of experience do you have? With that many years of experience in the industry, what words of wisdom would you like to give to young Creatives?
20+ years. Less is more. Know your audience and buyer motivation deeply. Launch and learn fast. Don't sweat perfection.
Q
What was the first project you worked on professionally, and how did you land it?
I joined salesforce after a long interview process. I was there when they first built and promoted the software as a service space and then disrupted it again with their software cloud branding, the now familiar puffy white clouds on a blue sky background...touting sales cloud, service cloud, marketing cloud etc.
Q
How do you work with clients to ensure their vision is accurately represented in your work?
Three things:
- I go on a listening tour and take a lot of notes.
- I look for end user/buyer case studies of how my client's products are actually being used.
Q
What is your dream project?
Creatively address climate change topics and get people to take positive action based on really hard hitting messaging.
Q
How do you manage critical feedback on your work?
I like to give clients ample time to process my work and then ask them to come prepared to provide feedback in a live session. I document these learnings so my team can avoid repeating the same mistakes and also to build out a knowledge base for future projects.
Q
As creative professionals, a large chunk of our process is finding inspiration for our work. How do you come up with new ideas for your projects?
Read and watch the work of the best creative professionals across film, journalism, social media, music and more. I travel, try new experiences, and put myself in others' shoes to gain new perspectives.
Q
As someone who has witnessed the industry’s evolution firsthand, how has your creative process evolved?
I experiment a lot, which is something that has evolved as the tech industry became more open to new ways of working.
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