
The Dynamic Landscape of the Creative Industry
After spending nearly 20 years in the creative industry and having co-founded Creative Ladder together with David Griner and Ryan Reynolds, Dionna Dorsey sat down for a conversation with Atanas Neychev about the current pressing issues and the near future of the creative fields.
After pursuing her higher education in the United States, she attended Fashion Design in Instituto Marangoni in Milan. Upon graduation she moved back to the US and started living in New York where she began her journey in the fashion world.
According to Dionna, the biggest trend in the creative industry right now is the development of technology which she believes is here to stay. She shared she has recently been blown away by the potential of AI as she is a supporter of technological progress. She also believes human touch should be involved in the creative process and there should be a safe medium between the two.
Dionna explained that regardless of the huge potential of technology, she doesn’t believe any technology can solve all the pressing issues, because if we are facing any issues that involve humans, then humans should be a part of that conversation and of the solution.
“I don’t want the robots to take over. I want humans to always be at the table. It is wild to think that in 2023 there might be designers that are not human doing all of the work that humans were once doing. That is a scary thought. It is a very cool concept but it is also scary to think how that could affect folks with employment, with being able to take care of their families, with being able to put out all of the love and creativity that is in their brains and their hearts out into the world to help us solve a lot of the problems. One of the reasons why I fell in love with design in the first place is because it is reflecting the human spirit.”
Atanas Neychev raised the question of whether creatives struggle with the rapid pace of technology, and Dionna Dorsey provided her perspective on the intersection of opportunities and technology.
“I don’t think that I am the only one that comes forward with the same perspective: the excitement and curiosity is matched with caution and concern. I think once you give someone the opportunity to catch up and make sure that we are providing options, resources and opportunities to catch up – then absolutely. But we have to make sure the door is swinging open both ways and certain people are not left out of the discussion and of having access. This is a big part of why we are doing Creative Ladder.”
With a greater push for diversity and inclusivity in the creative sector, Atanas asked a question about the necessary actions to translate this into reality. Dionna then expanded on the steps required for achieving this goal.
“Even just having this conversation with you today is a step. We need to make sure that we are having conversations and that people understand that it is not a talent deficit but more of an opportunity deficit. We are creating more opportunities for people to come to the table, that the table is welcoming for all people and making sure that we are providing wider access to people of all kinds, especially those from underrepresented communities to be able to participate, to have access to technologies and to be able to educate themselves and to outskill themselves to move forward.”