My name is Craig Wong, a New York-based creative who’s done stints at ad agencies including Accenture Song, Droga5, AKQA, Deutsch, JWT, and Digitas. Along the way, I’ve had the great fortune to create award-winning work for Coinbase, Harley-Davidson, Verizon, LG Electronics, the United States Marine Corps and Bank of America.

I consider myself an Art Director and Designer hybrid. I started my career with more traditional advertising work, focusing on the ‘big idea’ and integrated marketing campaigns but quickly pivoted toward digital media once the industry trended in that direction. The pragmatic approach of design systems and thinking resonated with me and I found my stride in creating robust digital work. Luckily in my current position, I’m able to flex both the conceptual and pragmatic sides of my brain.

After bombing my math and science AP exams in high school, I focused all my energy into the one thing I was (somewhat) decent at: art. However, I didn’t want to be a starving artist so I pursued advertising as a way to make money while keeping that creative outlet.

TL;DR: I wasn’t really good at anything else.

I’m currently the Head of Creative for Marketing at ConsenSys, a web3 company developing software for the Ethereum ecosystem. The Creative+Design™ team I lead is responsible for creating work in support of our existing and emerging web3 products and services. We operate at the cutting edge of technology, incorporating web3-native tactics that bring to life otherwise traditional marketing tactics in new ways.

Creativity is the ability to think beyond the expected to make something—and it could be anything—that speaks to people in a visceral way.

What makes something ‘creative’ can be subjective but I can confidently say that anything you find boring, uninspiring, or unworthy of your attention is not a creative idea or design.

I find myself following a process most creative-minded people follow: that of getting briefed, panicking when you can’t come up with any ideas, unexpectedly finding inspiration during a shower and presenting your ass off to sell an idea.

Creative exploration. It’s always inspiring to see what ideas are generated (during the aforementioned shower) when given the freedom to explore, unhindered, before the reality of budgets and client demands settle in.

I gravitate to designs that are clean, minimal, and structured. I believe that creative work, whether through copy or look and feel, should never get in the way of the message that’s being communicated.

Being based in the United States with its current political climate, I think brands have become extremely mindful to not offend anyone. In doing so, they’re less willing to take risks, which in turn leads to creatives taking less risks in their thinking.

Winning the 2023 MUSE Creative Award is validation that the work our Marketing team is creating is impactful, effective, and memorable. Consensys, and the web3 industry as a whole, is relatively young so to get recognized with this award gives us the drive to make bigger and greater work in the future.

This project, called The Merge: Ethereum, Evolved., was a multi-channel marketing campaign promoting awareness and education for The Merge, a massive technical upgrade to the most used blockchain, Ethereum. Through a simple narrative framed around three core aspects of The Merge—sustainability, security and future scalability—we were able to educate audiences about this pivotal moment for the network.

The biggest challenge with this campaign was creating work that spoke to both mainstream audiences as well as people already well-versed in web3. “Web3” may have entered the public vernacular but it’s still confusing for people and rife with negative connotations. We needed simple messaging that reinforced all of the positive changes The Merge brought to Ethereum.

In winning this award, I hope others recognize the creative opportunities within the web3 ecosystem, whether it’s building the next world-changing project or marketing it.

How fun it is, how inspiring it is, and coworkers’ Spotify playlists you come across. Not necessarily in that order.

The tools to make something creative have been democratized across borders; I don’t believe there’s anything truly unique about any one country in regards to the creative industry.

The industry will continue to be shaped through the adoption and use of emerging tech. Last year was all about metaverse with brands scrambling to show up in that space. Same story this year, only with AI. With how quickly new tech is emerging, it’s more important for brands to learn how to leverage these tools for long-term brand engagement instead of hopping on the current trend to create a spiky moment that disappears like a fart in the wind.

I’d tell them to not get discouraged when things don’t go their way. Whether it’s not getting that job you wanted, not selling your work to a client, or not winning an award, it’s not the end of the world. There will always be another opportunity that presents itself.

And don’t take things personally. It’s a tough industry and it takes time to develop thick skin. Although criticism of your work may feel like a direct attack on you as a person, rest assured it’s not.

In addition to the trove of videos and learning platforms which teach design skills, it’s equally important to develop soft skills alongside a balanced outlook and perspective. I always recommend finding mentors that can provide you with guidance throughout your career. One such platform is ADPList where you can connect with mentors in your profession or fields of interest.

I can recite π to 20 decimal places from memory.

I’ve been fortunate enough to have great bosses and mentors throughout my career from whom I’ve learned so much. But the person that shaped me most was my mom. By her single-handedly raising two boys, I learned persistence, perseverance and a humbling sense of gratitude.

Be a sponge. Soak up every interaction, curiosity, and experience you come across and make the parts of them a part of you. Rinse and repeat.