Humanist Coffee Hour:
Fostering a Culture of Creativity through Science

THIS WEEK

We catch up with Guy Parton, owner of design studio, Hippocampus to discuss how to foster a culture of creativity through science.

Humanist: Hippocampus’s approach to solution design is all about harnessing science and creativity. Can you tell us more about this synergy?

Guy: We’ve always followed a cerebral approach to our work. Our agency is named for the part of the brain that consolidates incoming information, and that decides whether to discard the information, or to send it to the memory for storage.

At Hippocampus, we aspire to produce work that creates new neural pathways in the brain; new memories if you will. Because, while creativity may get you noticed, it’s the rigour of the science, and the strategy behind the creativity, that will get you remembered.

Humanist: So, how does this differ to the science of persuasive communication, considered by many in advertising to be an art form?

Guy: The simple truth is that you can’t change a person’s mind – you can’t rewire a person’s synapses. But what you can do, is create new neural pathways, using visually arresting and emotionally compelling communication. So, it’s less about persuasion, and more about priming; presenting a customer with a stimulus that will either move them away from, or towards action.

Humanist: Does this thinking form the framework for your creative reviews?

Guy: It does, yes, as does another component of neuroscience: Cognitive bias. We challenge our creatives and our clients to move beyond their personal biases. It’s amazing to see a person become suddenly conscious of a bias that, up until that point, was unknown to them.

Humanist: How does this improve the quality of the work?

Guy: Well, for one, it strips away assumption. A lot of clients assume that their customers know, and value, their products in the same ways they do. So, they expect to see advertising and design that speaks to their own levels of product knowledge and appreciation. This is a mistake.

We help our clients almost ‘unlearn’ what they know about their products because that knowledge can actually get in the way, and distance them from coming to know, and better understand, their customers.

Humanist: So, when a client lights up on seeing a features-laden product ad or a typical ‘pack-and-brag’ ad, it’s a sure sign of the bias they’re bringing to the approval process?

Guy: Exactly. That’s why we constantly incorporate the latest findings in neuroscience and behaviour science into our work.

Humanist: And it doesn’t negate the creativity?

Guy: On the contrary, it improves it. By applying the science of human motivation and decision-making which, essentially, are fixed formulas to the formula-free realm of creativity, ultimately, you end up with a stronger deliverable.

Humanist: You and your co-owner, Carolyn made the decision to move your design studio to the Old Biscuit Mill in Woodstock, Cape Town – one of the most creative and commercially successful hubs in the country. How has the location changed your culture?

Guy: It’s had a really positive impact. Woodstock is such a mix of cultures and diversity. And here at the Old Biscuit Mill, we are at the hub of Cape Town’s art, craft, design, fashion and food scene.

Humanist: Woodstock is home to several of South Africa’s top art galleries – what role does fine art play in influencing your portfolio of work?

Guy: We often visit the galleries and look at art as a team. Carolyn, particularly, has a passion for fueling the creative growth of our creatives. She’s a regular visitor at the Venice Biennale, and her own work hangs in the Constitutional Court in Johannesburg, as well as London, Paris and around the world.

Humanist: Carolyn’s design of Albie Sachs’s business card was nominated at this year’s Design Indaba ‘Most Beautiful Object in South Africa’ competition. What a wonderful accomplishment.

Guy: Carolyn would tell you that the inspiration for her design came from Albie Sachs himself. He may be one of the most highly regarded figures of justice in South Africa, but his ability to relate to the humanity in every person is what inspired Carolyn’s design.

Humanist: Staying with inspiration for a moment, how important would you say the physical work environment is for productivity? Did you design the interior space here at Hippocampus?

Guy: I think the physical environment plays an important role in building a positive culture. We’ve loved this space from the first time we saw it. And we’ve learned to leverage it to give our staff members and clients multiple workplaces.

The coffee bar is great for breaks and informal chats. The communal desk works for brainstorms, while the break-away areas offer quieter spaces for meetings and Skype calls.

Clients like working from our offices because it is a working studio – there’s an energy here that is infectious and that invites input and involvement.

Humanist: Critical reviews of creative work are necessary, but notoriously tough. How do you navigate the path between negative opinions and constructive feedback?

Guy: Everyone has a voice. And every voice counts. We encourage our staff members to use their voices. But also, to think before they make comments about their own or others’ work. I mentioned before, how we try to help our staff and clients move beyond their biases. It’s about bringing mindfulness into the review process. Because it produces better work.

Humanist: Great chat Guy, thanks. Final question, this has been the Humanist Coffee Hour; tell us, what’s your favourite brew?

Guy: It’s got to be a Colombian Flat White. And I know just the place…

Visit hippocampus here