Ep 139 Career: The Hard Truth About Creativity’s Role in Business Today (and Yesterday)

Show notes

Hey, everyone—welcome to the 139th episode of The Crazy One Podcast.

As always, I’m your host, Stephen Gates, and this is the show where we talk about creativity, leadership, design, and a whole bunch of other things that matter to creative people.

Before We Dive In…

If you enjoy the show, leave a review, tell a friend, and remember—

We’ve got a YouTube page full of great tutorials and videos.

And if you’re looking for coaching, a keynote speaker, or creative help with your next design or innovation project, reach out. Three years ago, I started CRZY Design, my own studio, and we’re doing some incredibly rewarding work—always looking for great problems to solve.

---

Today’s Mood? Spicy.

I’ll be honest—I’m feeling fired up.

Not angry, but agitated in that way where too many conversations lately have been keeping me up at night. It’s not just frustration—it’s this gnawing feeling that we’re stuck.

And a big part of that feeling?

I’m tired of everyone acting surprised about how we got here.

---

Design’s Current Reckoning

We’re at an unprecedented moment.

Design, creativity, and leadership are all at a crossroads. AI is reshaping everything, from how we work to how we’re valued. And the question I keep hearing is:

“Why don’t companies value design?”

Let’s pause for a quick reality check.

If that’s a surprise to you, we haven’t been paying attention.

This isn’t a new problem. Let’s rewind.

A Little History

• Over a decade ago, Fortune Magazine documented how design-led companies outperformed the S&P 500 by over 200%.

• At InVision, we ran the largest-ever study on creativity and corporate culture. The big headline?

  82% of companies ranked in the bottom tiers of design maturity.

 

So yeah—most companies don’t value design.

That’s not a revelation. That’s the reality.

We’re just being forced to finally reckon with it.

---

 

Design’s Value Got Reduced to Execution

And let’s be honest—some of that’s on us.

For too long, many designers believed their value came from executing visuals. But now, AI is disrupting the executional side of design, just like:

• Desktop publishing disrupted the printing industry

• Email disrupted direct mail

• And now, AI is coming for repetitive, visual production work

 

This shift isn’t new. It’s just bigger.

---

 

The Moment That Always Happens

Here’s what I’ve seen again and again:

You kick off a design sprint. You’ve got a brilliant idea.

Then someone higher up—the exec, the stakeholder—walks in and says:

“I didn’t ask for this. I don’t understand what you’re doing.”

Translation?

“I don’t trust you with my job, my business, or the future of this company.”

That’s the real barrier.

Not tools. Not talent. Trust.

And it’s why corporate culture and creativity are often at odds.

---

 

Why Transformation Fails

We keep trying to transform businesses.

But 75% of transformation work fails—because we try to change behavior without changing thinking.

You can scream “Design matters!” all day, but unless you change how leadership thinks, it won’t matter.

So instead of being stuck in frustration, let’s look at this moment differently.

---

A Moment to Shift Our Focus

What if we:

• Focused less on execution

• And more on storytelling, strategy, and impact

• Worked with people who value creativity

• Chose projects where our voices are heard

 

I’ve tried working with big brands.

But honestly? We do better work with medium to small brands.

Why? Because the CEO knows my name. That proximity and trust matters.

If you’re stuck in a toxic job or burned out after a layoff, here’s what I hear over and over:

“I regret investing so much in a company that didn’t deserve it.”

Time missed with friends, family, and life—only to be shown the door.

It’s brutal. And it’s real.

---

We’re Playing the Wrong Game

Let’s not be naive.

I got laid off from Starwood after our app ran in eight consecutive Apple keynotes, made the Apple Watch launch, and earned millions in free PR.

None of that mattered when the board decided to sell.

That’s the system.

If we keep pretending the system is fair or values design the way we want, we’re just enabling the abuse.

---

This Is Our Wake-Up Call

We need to rethink where we work, how we work, and why we work.

Yes, big public companies come with politics and pain.

But privately held companies, startups, manufacturing, healthcare—many of them are more open to creativity, innovation, and design.

So, where are we placing our bets?

“Crazy” is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

And I think too many of us are doing exactly that.

---

Why Hope Is Harder—and More Necessary

I get it. This is uncomfortable. Vulnerable. Risky.

But if we can shift our mindset, I think this is an incredible opportunity.

Yes, AI is messy.

Yes, it’s full of copyright, ethical, and legal issues.

Yes, it’s scary.

But ignoring it won’t stop it.

The truth?

People are losing the ability to think and strategize.

And in that vacuum, if we show up with clarity, creativity, and connection—we win.

Not with cookie-cutter chatGPT outputs.

With authenticity. With ideas. With heart.

---

 

Now Is the Moment to Be Bold

So if you’ve been thinking:

• “I want to take a risk.”

• “I want to pivot.”

• “I want to speak up and stand out.”

 

This is your moment.

Be weird. Be loud. Be different. Be you.

What cuts through now more than ever is authenticity, emotion, belief.

Does it always work? No.

Can it? Absolutely.

---

Final Thoughts

This is our industry’s inflection point.

Yes, it’s messy. Yes, we should have seen it coming.

But we’re here now.

So let’s stop mourning what was, and start building what’s next.

It won’t be easy.

But if we choose action over apathy, belief over bitterness—we can change it. We can build new paths, tell better stories, create real value, and finally take control.

Let this episode be a battle cry.

Let it piss you off.

Let it motivate you.

Let it do something.

Because the future isn’t waiting.

Let’s go create it.

---

 

As always, thank you for listening.

Stay crazy.

Tagged as:
AI in design AI tools c Canva corporate culture creative careers creative problem-solving creativity creativity in business creativity vs AI design disruption design industry design leadership design strategy design thinking value of design