Next Digital

Next Digtial - Creative Director

Next Digital (now GrowthOps) was a player in the digital design and development space from the early days. Its early incarnation as Web Development Group (WDG) was one of Australia’s first proper digital only agencies.

Across four years (2006-2010) I led the Creative Department within the business. Our studio of designers and developers partnered with clients like Ford, VicHealth, Dairy Australia and Vivas Lend Lease.

Together, we produced work that worked. We created a positive culture and we became a robust business unit. To operate in this role, it required skills in three main areas.

Clients Liaison

The trust of a client is often hard-won*. It’s almost always earned slowly; by proving expertise and talent, by operating with transparency and by delivering on projects. In short, by keeping promises. There were ample chances to do this in client briefings, presenting work, running workshops and even answering the phone. We travelled this path to build great ongoing relationships with our clients - and it paid off. The expectations were clearer, the candour baked-in and the outcomes better.

* By clients I mean both internal and external

Team Management

Technology doesn’t produce the best creative work, people do. To create a supportive culture that encourages growth, trust and excellence is not an easy thing. This is what I strive for - and what I aimed for in the studio. Our roundtables were a chance for the team to share ideas and designs, to pose questions and to commend one another. Our process encouraged collaboration and yielded results – for the business and for our customers.

Art Direction

The best creative direction isn’t direction at all - it’s often a nudge or a question. Asking designers to look at the problem anew opens up new perspectives. In turn, this can be the frame that ultimately makes a better product. The studio worked together well, and we were looking through the eyes of the user well before most. When hands on, I directed creative projects in a way that bought people along and demonstrated value.

I loved my time as CD at NextDigtial, watching the department and the staff grow and flourish.