The creative economy is powered by a workforce with a high proportion of freelancers and SMEs. This paper reflects on new ways of working, accelerated by the digital pivot of the creative workplace caused by the global pandemic. Whilst the impact of digital technology on the creative workflow has been well documented, in this paper case studies from Creative Informatics, a five-year R&D project (2019-2024) which supported data driven innovation in the creative economy in Edinburgh and the Southeast of Scotland, highlight how these changes have affected the creative workplace thus spotlighting how the future creative workplace may change, particularly for freelancers. Using a qualitative case studies approach, this paper reflects on the use of digital technology in the creative workplace by defining a new typology for (digital) creative workplaces: the studio as a place for synchronous and a-synchronous collaboration through the use of VR technology for craft makers (Applied Arts Scotland), the water cooler as a place to support diverse digital networking formats (Creative Edinburgh), and the atelier to support creative business to be introduced to emerging new technologies with low risk through peer learning (E11). The paper analyses how these innovation and developments have opened up opportunities, and raised challenges, for freelancers in particular and identifies directions for future developments in the creative workplace. We argue that the implications for creative freelancers can be applied to the freelancer workforce at large.
Citation
Panneels, I., & Patrick-Thomson, H. (2024, September). Creative Informatics: how data driven innovation has transformed the creative workplace. Presented at The 4th Transdisciplinary Workplace Research (TWR) Conference, Edinburgh, UK
Presentation Conference Type
Conference Paper (published)
Conference Name
The 4th Transdisciplinary Workplace Research (TWR) Conference
Start Date
Sep 4, 2024
End Date
Sep 7, 2024
Acceptance Date
Jul 9, 2024
Publication Date
2024
Deposit Date
Nov 27, 2024
Peer Reviewed
Peer Reviewed
Pages
513-521
Book Title
Proceedings of the 4th Transdisciplinary Workplace Research (TWR) Conference
Keywords
Creative workplace; digital workplace; creative industries; freelancers; digital skills
