I am a Creative Technologist. Creative Technology space is a new and emerging field that allows me to play with new tech and find creative ways to use it. After completing my Bachelor of Science in Animation and Multimedia, I have enrolled as a student at Miami Ad School Europe, Hamburg(MASE). The positive and encouraging learning environment at this campus has given me the chance to explore and pursue Creative Technology as a long term career option. I will graduate in December with a Masters Diploma in Creative Technology.

As I grew up I got into coding and tech with PC Logo. It was a simple software for kids to help them learn about basic algorithms and develop coding logic. MS Paint and PC logo acted as catalysts in growing my interest in computers and design. Thereafter I learned Q-BASIC, V-BASIC, Html, C++, and other software languages. I got so deep in coding that I started missing my artistic side. Once I realized that my true calling lies in creativity and artistic design, I decided to pursue my Bachelor of Science in Animation and Multimedia. This course helped me to develop my design skills and learn new techniques to express it. I always wanted to find the right balance between my two passions which I found as a creative technologist.

As a child, I was always drawn to technology and my parents always provided me the latest gadgets. I lived in India where the use of computers was not so prevalent back in the days. However, I was lucky that my dad got me a computer when I was 3. Those days, I used to spend most of my time playing with MS Paint. It really helped me explore my creative side.

As I grew up I got into coding and tech with PC Logo. It was a simple software for kids to help them learn about basic algorithms and develop coding logic. MS Paint and PC logo acted as catalysts in growing my interest in computers and design. Thereafter I learned Q-BASIC, V-BASIC, Html, C++, and other software languages. I got so deep in coding that I started missing my artistic side. Once I realized that my true calling lies in creativity and artistic design, I decided to pursue my Bachelor of Science in Animation and Multimedia. This course helped me to develop my design skills and learn new techniques to express it. I always wanted to find the right balance between my two passions which I found as a creative technologist.

I love working in 3D, which is my favorite kind of digital design. It just opens so many possibilities and adds a completely different dimension to my creativity. I use creations in Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality to make them come to life. Seeing something on a screen is cool but now we have the power to be immersed in a whole new world with Mixed Reality. It is the future of digital design.

There are so many good designs out there. According to me, a “good” design is scalable to multiple platforms and formats. It should have the ability to be versatile. For example, It should look good on a billboard, computer screen, mobile screen, etc. It should also be versatile in terms of medium, for example, It should be able to perform well on a cover page or as a small logo or as an Instagram post. A good design will perform, convert, astonish, and fulfill its purpose.

I don’t like to be bound by a specific design style in my projects. I love vibrance in my design and experiment with a plethora of colors and shapes. Most of the time, my design reflects my mood at that time. I take inspiration from minimalistic flat design and Swiss/International design.

I first dive deep into research, explore what is out there to find out the latest expectations. After I gather my findings, I create a new theme that acts as an outline for the new design for my project. The next step in the process is to create a mood board that helps me finalize the colors and other elements. I work on a defined guideline which makes my design process easy and fast to follow.

I love going through the D & AD website for art direction. Instagram, Youtube, Behance, and Pinterest are full of inspiring works too. However, sometimes the best resource is the most neglected one. I often find myself going through google image search. It is such a good place to kick start the creative process.

Flat design is back in the trend. I love flat design, It’s so simple and impactful. The exciting thing about it is that when incorporated with 3D, a flat design creates very contrasting and eye capturing visuals.

I could not have been happier when I came to know that I won not only one but two golds. My team worked really hard and when your hard work gets recognized, it is the best feeling ever.

Winning the Vega awards has provided me an accomplishment, which makes me stand out among the crowd.

We entered two projects, Afinity and Mayor. Both of them cater to a niche which makes them even more special to me.

Afinity - Virtual reality has not been used to its full potential as an empathy machine. So far, it has mostly dominated a consumer market. We wanted to expand its horizons in the B2B market. Hence, we came up with the idea of making a sensitivity training application for corporates, schools, hospitals, warehouses, etc. Sensitivity training exists as a video in most workplaces. It never makes an impact because it lacks connection. Afinity is a virtual reality application that is used as a sensitivity training tool for workspaces and schools. We make sensitivity training an immersive experience for the employees and students by making them see things from the perspective of a disabled person. Afinity makes them experience the challenges that disabled people face in their day to day lives especially at work. Afinity aims to make people compassionate and empathize with persons with disabilities.

Mayor - Touristification of a locale may seem beneficial but locals may not always agree with this idea. Apart from the obvious economic upside, it brings a lot more issues in the city like crowds, pollution, an increase in rates of commodities, etc. All this leads to friction between tourists and locals. To ease this friction, Niantic developed ‘Mayor’. It is an application that caters to both locals and tourists. The locals recommend their favorite spots and activities to tourists. Tourists can vote for these recommendations. Each month the local with the most votes gets to be the virtual mayor of the city. Being the mayor brings a lot of perks such as discounts, free parking, and the like. With Mayor, locals get a new way to enjoy the touristification of their city.

During this time of COVID-19, the world is almost at a standstill. All my team partners were in their respective homes in different countries. The distance and the different time zones were the biggest challenges while trying to collaborate with our team members.

Winning an award as a student is the best way to get recognition and let the Industry know about your talents. And of course, recognition like this makes it a bit easy to stand out among a pile of other resumes.

1. The reach - Due to the digitalization, the Digital industry offers by far the biggest opportunity. With a cell phone in every pocket, your work reaches everyone at a rapid pace.

2. The vast amount of opportunities - With the growth, the number of roles and opportunities for professionals like me have grown too.

3. The transparency - Being online makes all projects open to scrutiny. This makes it almost impossible for someone to copy your work.

Being one of the oldest civilizations in the World, India has a vast pool of creative content in our mythology, history, and our heritage. Being invaded by several cultures in the past 10 centuries has given us an opportunity to pick the best tenets from all those cultures. Digital/computer education started in India in the 90s. Therefore, we have a large pool of young and experienced population thriving with talent. I am sure in the coming years, we will start making a major impact on the creative industry.

I believe that AI and Machine Learning will play a major role in the future of the digital industry. This will also lead to new innovations in design personalization and open new opportunities for creativity.

With the evolution of fast internet and data, I believe that virtual reality and augmented reality will be more integrated into our lives.

I am still a student. If I can give any advice to my fellow friends, I would say never give up. Keep exploring and investing your time on projects that let you express your creativity. If you believe in your idea then just have faith in your work and you never know when it will get recognized and bring you success.

As a student, I have to budget my expenses. That’s why I love free or inexpensive resources. Thanks to our wonderful industry we have access to amazing free and inexpensive resources. Some platforms like Udemy offer great value courses at a very low cost. I am also a big fan of edx, it is a platform to earn certificate courses from esteemed universities right from the comfort of your home.

I always wanted to become a scientist. I had a major interest in science. But My creative side took over and I got into this industry. As a creative technologist, I get to live the best of both worlds :)

I take inspiration from my father. I have seen him reach new heights from a very humble beginning. He always tells me that there are ample opportunities for you lying around everywhere. You just need to have the right skill and knowledge to grab them.

Persistence plays a key role in my success. My mother always inspires me to try and try until you succeed and that’s exactly what I do. All that I have learned is due to my hard work and my persistence to keep on trying until I’m satisfied with the outcome.

Everything you can dream of is possible and anything can happen if you try for it hard enough. All I can say is that never stop dreaming. Dreams do come true.