I’ve always believed in intellectual diversity, bringing different types of minds together to solve complex problems. In my most recent role, I discovered a specific collaboration that’s particularly powerful: pairing creatives (writers and visual designers) with scientists (in our case, behavioral scientists) to design and build customer experiences.
They have important things in common.
Scientists and artists tend to be intensely curious, deep observers of the world. Although our career paths were very different, I was drawn to writing for the same reason some of my colleagues were drawn to psychology: We are fascinated by other humans.
Another common thread, which serves both groups well in the business world, is intellectual humility. Our skin thickened by years of failed experiments and soul-crushing writing workshops and design reviews, we know that feedback is a gift, that first drafts are never good, and that being wrong is an important step on the journey toward getting things right.
Scientists can make creative work more effective.
Adding scientists brought intellectual rigor to my team’s creative work. They challenged us to slow down, begin with the right problem to solve, and take a hypothesis-driven approach. The creative and science teams used a behavior mapping process that considered potential barriers and solutions before deciding, collaboratively, on the specific intervention to design. The creative team could appreciate the complexity of the problem to solve, instead of working from an oversimplified creative brief.
The scientists also pushed us to spend more time designing our testing and learning plans. Marketers appreciate the value of research, but scientists take it to another level.
Creatives can help scientists make stuff and make it relatable.
When a scientist can describe an idea to an artist who sketches as they speak, it offers an immediacy and efficiency that creates smarter designs for the organization – and, ultimately, the customer.
Scientific theory is abstract, and scientific terminology can feel impenetrable to outsiders. Creative professionals in marketing roles have spent our entire careers honing the skills to choose the precise words, images, and channels to reach broad audiences with clear, emotionally resonant messages.
Creatives are skilled at creating simplicity from complexity. We’re experts at surgically removing words to fit the constraints of tweets and banner ads, while inserting enough panache to capture consumers’ hearts and minds. The challenge of translating abstract scientific theory into something concrete and relatable is a familiar one, as marketing is rife with abstract concepts such as brand personas and value propositions.
It’s good for the team.
An intellectually diverse team of curious people is conducive to creative solutions and mutual learning. It invites employees to broaden their skills and add unique achievements to their résumés.
As our project concludes, and I take stock of what I’ve learned, I especially appreciate what I learned from the scientists: specific concepts, ways of working, and ways of thinking that I never encountered in my previous roles in marketing and communications.
If you have scientists and creative teams collaborating in your organization, please share – I’d love to hear how it’s going.