Strategies in Creative Professionals' Use of Digital Tools Across Domains

Abstract

On the basis of a qualitative study of five domains of creative work, this paper analyzes two recurring strategies in the use of digital tools, 'margins' and 'view-shifts'. These strategies are commonly employed by creative professionals across five different domains. Based on video from observational studies of music producers, video production, industrial design, graphic design, and service design, we conduct a thematic analysis to arrive at the two strategies. We furthermore examine the two strategies in relation to existing research into creativity and cognition, and discuss how this can inform future studies of the use of digital tools in creative work.