What is a Creative Technologist?

The term “Creative Technologist” has been around since the mid-2000s, but it really took off in the early 2010s as more companies began adopting User Experience (UX) as a core design principle. Creative Technologists often quickly build prototypes for apps or web interfaces, making them valuable to UX teams that want to test early, fail forward, and learn fast. However, a Creative Technologist’s role goes beyond just building prototypes. In my position, I am at the center of ongoing, evolving conversations about best practices, accessibility, and user experience. I collaborate across creative, technological, and production teams to help them speak the same language.

A solid understanding of code is crucial for a Creative Technologist. At the very least, we need to confidently discuss the latest technologies with developers. Creative Technologists might specialize in web, mobile apps, or other consumer technologies, but it’s important for us to be able to execute prototypes, build components, or create landing pages.

While there are overlapping priorities between a Senior Software Engineer and a Senior Creative Technologist, the key difference is our focus. A Senior Engineer might have a knack for complex math problems or algorithms. In contrast, a Senior Creative Technologist often thinks more user-centrically, creatively, and iteratively. Instead of just asking how to make a button perform a function, they consider where the button appears in the user journey and how it’s design aligns with the overall branding and visual identity of the product.

Neither role is strictly one direction or the other, but my focus has always been creative. In web development, I am more interested in design principles and making the page look and feel good. I also love writing code and have pulled many an all-nighter deep in a coding session without realizing it. However, I would get bored if I were only designing user interfaces or strictly building back-ends. This distinction from a designer or engineer helps define the role of a Creative Technologist.

Another key aspect that distinguishes a Creative Technologist from other roles is the ability to present ideas effectively. It is crucial to communicate across a broad spectrum of people in different environments, Creative Technologists understand how to tailor presentations to avoid confusing their audience and recognize when listeners need more context.

As a Creative Technologist, my day-to-day tasks vary greatly. Some weeks, I function almost as a creative director; brainstorming and prototyping solutions for upcoming product launches. Other weeks, I act more like a tech lead, troubleshooting and debugging complex issues that arise during development. Sometimes, I’m working on digital content strategy, advising on the best platforms and tools to amplify our brand’s online presence.

So, while this might not give you a precise picture of what i do, I hope you now have a better understanding of what a Creative Technologist does.

Perhaps you’ll even think, “We should hire one of those”.