World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF) Foundation, through its WIEF Businesswomen Network (WBN), organised the WIEF #iEmPOWER webinar on Creative Industry: Harnessing Emerging Technologies, on 19 August 2021 at 11:30 am – 12:45 pm (GMT+8) via Zoom. 158 participants from 15 countries attended the event.
‘Creativity is a big word and applies to many aspects of daily life. To me, it’s trying to creatively develop work that’s meaningful that can actually touch people’s hearts or inspire some kind of change or encourages them to transform or maybe just make them smile, or just illuminate their day a little bit better.’ Peter explained.
Peter stressed that while launching new products, getting new sales and grow more users are usually the focus of most businesses, they should also spend time to think about why a certain product is designed. ‘I would like to invite the creative industry to be a little more holistic in our definition of project success. I think we should embrace explore experiment, but let’s have a more harmonious understanding of how we can together serve the needs of people’
Adjustment and finding new ways to thrive in the digital era is crucial for creative industry practitioners, artists and professionals. Thus, enabling them to keep up with technological transformations, remain dynamically competitive as well as relevant, while staying true to their mission and values.
‘Architecture has been digitalised in many ways since mid ’90s. I think we are very blessed that when I got into the industry as an architect to practice we already had the digital platform where we could easily get the drawings and start our work on a digital.’ Marina said.
Marina explained that the usage of drones in architecture is a game-changer when it comes to accessing areas that are not accessible by humans. ‘The city of Aleppo was badly destroyed in the last war. Drones were sent to assess the damage, and immediate rebuilding activities were done based on that assessment.’ According to Marina, the usage of technology and digitalisation has made construction work much easier and faster than before. 3D modelling walkthroughs and animation are useful to help people understand the spaces, light and airflow in a building, while 3D printers are now capable to build an actual building.
Raymond explained that the creative industry has been a quick adopter of technology, being at the forefront of adopting various software and tools. ‘State governments in Malaysia have been quick to adapt by using applications such as TikTok and Snapchat to create content and attracting the mass.’
The creative economy and the platform economy are converging. ‘The intersection of technology, the creative industry and the delivery channels that we have will make it very interesting for us to explore in the future.’ Raymond said.
The balance between embracing and optimising the latest and greatest of technology and one’s social responsibility is a continued struggle. ‘If somebody would come and suggest to me to use 3D printers to build buildings, I would hesitate because we need to think about the people who work in the industry, the job that it creates and the economy that it generates. It is mandatory for us to think about the whole spectrum, including our social agenda and not too focused on productivity.’ Explained Marina.
The global lockdown has expedited technology and changes the way people communicate. Peter The digital realm has taken over and the rate of content consumption among users. Therefore, industry practitioners should pay attention to the impact of their contents and only produce contents that are beneficial to the mass and not too focused on maximizing users clicks.
‘Professionals in design industry should reach to our own souls what is that deep sense of purpose, what are we really trying to do here. Each of us should reflect and look at how we’re spending our time, what are we designing, what are we creating. How we can try and move people and help people in a more holistic way.’ Peter said.
Marina added, ‘whatever you create, think about humankind and nature. Think about where we are and the existential crisis that has been happening over the last few decades. So think creative, be creative, but with relevance and responsibility.’
The creative industry is important in terms of its economic footprint for employment and revenues. It also stimulates inspiring innovation as well as contributes positive direction for social impact, communities and quality of life.
UNESCO Global Report 2018 recorded that cultural and creative industries created close to 30 million jobs worldwide, primarily for people aged between 15 to 29, with nearly half of which were women.
‘That was an awesome session. I am looking forward to similar sessions, with continuous focus on optimising technology such as AI, to overcome the negative effects caused by the pandemic.’ Malik Fadjiar, a participant from Singapore said.
