Agencies and the Future of Tech

These days, technology moves fast – perhaps too fast for some. Research presented in the 2018 Digital Trends for Creative and Design Leaders report suggests over half of senior design and creative agency staff feel pressured to keep up with emerging technologies, placing it above “increased pressure from clients” as the biggest worry for creative professionals. Furthermore, 38% reported that they feel stressed by the prospect of using new creative formats, like augmented reality and data visualisations, in their work.

For Steve and the team, however, every technological advancement is a challenge to be gleefully welcomed and tackled. We are optimistic about future technologies and innovation, and Steve himself has always been a fan of new inventions.

In fact, he remembers that when the Apple Mac first emerged, people would often ask if he worried that he’d soon be out of a job. “Not at all”, was his answer. And Steve was right not to worry. After all, when it comes to creativity, it’s not the tool or technology that matters, it’s how you use it.

What’s more, this shift to new tools, methods and technologies is by no means a new phenomenon. For example, with the invention of the French Curve, Da Vinci didn’t worry that it would compromise his work. On the contrary, it was a new tool in his box, a new string to his bow – something to be optimistic about, and, more importantly, something to master.

New advances and new opportunities

It is this same enthusiasm and zeal for new opportunities that drives us at Steve Edge Design. Our digital and web development team always have a finger on the pulse of technological progression, constantly learning and implementing new developments into our work; the way we build websites has changed dramatically in the past few years alone.

New metrics by which to assess our digital performance are constantly developing. We are rigorously measured against Google Insights and GT Metrics for our web optimisation and are proud to achieve on average over 85/100 for both mobile and desktop website builds at launch. We practise what we preach, and our own site is above 94/100 for both desktop and mobile.

As digital innovators, we are in good company. Business Insider reports that investment in augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) services is estimated to exceed $200bn by 2021. VR is already taking off as a property sales and marketing tool, benefiting many of our clients. Meanwhile, our own VR services are currently undergoing research and development.

However, state-of-the-art tech doesn’t just represent a chance to develop oneself and one’s own skills. We are excited about the thought of the collaborative opportunities that come with it. As creatives, it’s a thrilling prospect to be able to partner with new people. Cutting edge technology allows us to do just that, while also embracing new techniques and formats.

In short, other agencies may feel pressured by tech developments, but at Steve Edge Design we couldn’t be more optimistic. The Apple Mac didn’t put Steve out of a job and neither will today’s inventions.

As Steve succinctly puts it: “Shift happens. Deal with it!”