Curtis Maddox has been the Co-Founder/Creative Director at Portland-based creative agency, ENGIN Creative. Since 2012, ENGIN has focused on developing multi-platform communications, consumer experiences, and branded environments. The firm also specializes in strategic communication, retail strategy, branded environments, and interactive experiences.
Recently we chatted with Curtis to hear about his experience designing and presenting to clients in The Wild. Read how Curtis took his presentations from visual to immersive, creating better design experiences for his clients and his team.
What are your top 3 goals as a Creative Director?
Being creative means taking huge risks. While risk is inherent in our industry, it can get complicated for the business side and begs to be more calculated. Spelling out goals is necessary for any creative director because it holds you accountable to the vision.
I‘m focused on:
How does using The Wild help you work toward achieving these goals?
The Wild really makes our design services richer. It adds a literal dimension to how we can visualize and sell a concept. While we have a great understanding of spatial relationships, our clients don’t often share that same sensibility. With The Wild, we can take our clients on a realistic ride, giving them more comfort and confidence in their decisions.
“Presenting live is really important, but many of our clients are on the East Coast. The Wild is a great way to present, immerse and connect them to our ideas. It's an added value to our partnerships as it relates to collaboration.”
What are your top 3 challenges as a Creative Director?
Being a creative director requires you to look at everything from 10,000 feet. That big picture view requires you to constantly juggle time and attention. Surrounding yourself with experience, talent, and curiosity is crucial for the success of any creative director. Knowing your main challenges will help you understand what steps you need to take to solve them.
Some of the daily challenges I experience are:
How does using The Wild help you overcome these challenges?
Honestly, The Wild is a lot of fun. Having this new platform to work with has inspired our design team to be more creative. Now that we experience a space in real-time alongside the creative development, we can make quicker decisions. As a creative director, I can be more precise with feedback and direction.
“Although we are creating 10,000 sqft spaces, we are presenting on 11'X17' paper. It requires a lot of pages and a ton of written explanation. Putting our clients inside a designed space is a better overall experience leading to a better conversation.”
Why did you choose The Wild?
We learned about The Wild through one of our ENGIN alumni currently at adidas. I believe it was for a Kohls presentation, which was unique because they wanted it in VR. We shared our 3D model and The Wild converted it into a live virtual space. We were sold.
What is your favorite feature in The Wild and why?
Our favorite feature is the camera. I love the entire camera feel because you are able to easily capture a live feed. Capturing the space is really helpful for our creative process—and it’s rad because you just set the camera and go.
When you put together presentations in a virtual reality design collaboration platform like The Wild, you get a very different perspective being in the space versus orbiting a space through a computer screen.
Tell us about your experience using The Wild for a recent project.
We just finished a two-location presentation for one of our larger clients. Currently we are creating a space that will allow another client to create their own merchandising plans for a global presentation. After that, who knows? The possibilities are endless.
“Using The Wild shows our clients we are progressive, technically advanced, and committed to providing the best services available.”
What would you say to other creative directors who are on the fence about VR design collaboration software?
As professionals, it is up to us to advance the products and the culture of design. As of now, not everyone is hopping on the VR train…yet. I have been creating retail spaces for many years. I cannot overstate the value of standing in your design before its realized. This is a true tool for the evolution of our craft.
Be like Curtis! Take The Wild for a spin by getting started and see how it empowers your team.
