Kōrero Pitopito: A Coffee Chat with Glenn Wright
He’s known as the man with an ever insightful point of view, a fancy dress outfit for every occasion and even an entire office calendar devoted to his blue steel expressions. We sat down for a 5 minute kōrero with Digital Arts Network’s Director of Technology, Glenn Wright.
- How did you get into your career path?
I started by studying computer science at Unitec. I joined a start-up as their first paid employee and created a CMS with them.
2. What does a typical day at DAN look like for you?
I’m across a lot of accounts, big and small — I do a fair amount of sense making — establishing practical plans of work from clients ideas, questions and problems.
3. What’s the best thing about working at DAN?
A lot of people at DAN say it is all about the people — smart people, and people are right up there. Though for me, the experience of having access and involvement in the deep technical and design challenges of multiple clients is so incredibly valuable. It’s like gaining organisational experience at 10x speed. Beyond the services we offer and that we refine as a collective, we combine learnings from all and get to disseminate our knowledge in ways that are truly transformative. It is KNOWING we provide value and seeing the transformations that mark the best thing for me about working at DAN.
4. What inspires you in your work?
The idea that innovation never stops, there always seems to be a better way.
5. What interesting thing is happening in your field right now?
The centralising and decentralising trends in politics, the relationship between politics and technology, how regulation preserves monopolies and the significance that cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology (decentralising models) will have on this, and ultimately how organisations will build out their future infrastructure.
6. What is the one thing that you wish someone had told or shown you when you started out?
That keeping the very simple task of monitoring and maintaining the pressure in your car tyres will make them last longer and get you better fuel economy.
Digital Arts Network \ New Zealand is the User Experience Centre of Excellence for the global TBWA marketing & brand network of 275 offices in 119 countries. We leverage design and strategy to create experiences at scale, build organisational capability and accelerate innovation. If you’re ready to partner up and create some brave work, you can get in touch with us here.
