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Four Keys to Educating Your Workforce for the Creative Economy
How expanding the creative economy, embracing cross-disciplinary innovation, and blending artistic intelligence with technology can future-proof your workforce.
Laguna College of Art & Design President Steven Brittan on expanding creativity beyond the arts, building cross-disciplinary talent, and preparing tomorrow’s innovators for an AI-driven future.
In an era where innovation drives growth, the creative economy has never been more crucial. But what exactly constitutes the “creative economy,” and how should we be educating the workforce to meet its evolving demands?
To unpack these questions, we sat down with Steven Brittan, President of Laguna College of Art & Design (LCAD), who offered a timely rethinking of the creative economy—one that extends far beyond traditional art sectors. Brittan outlined four key strategies for companies, educators, and leaders to nurture talent capable of shaping the future.
1. Expand Your Definition of the Creative Economy
The creative economy isn’t just about painters and performers. According to the United Nations’ 2024 Creative Economy Outlook, it’s a global powerhouse of economic activity—but one still too narrowly defined. Brittan urges a broader, more inclusive interpretation.
“We need to expand what the creative economy means beyond the traditional arts into all aspects of human interactions with products, spaces, and the environment,” Brittan said. “It’s an ecosystem—an intersection of entrepreneurship, innovation, and creativity.”
In Brittan’s view, creativity should permeate all sectors—from biotech to architecture to social innovation. That broader perspective helps foster a culture where creative professionals are not sidelined but central to solving complex problems.
2. Develop Collaborators as Innovators
Innovation doesn’t emerge in isolation. Brittan stresses that collaboration is at the heart of creative breakthroughs.
“Contrary to the myth of the solitary genius, innovation doesn’t just spring from an individual—it comes out of a collaborative group,” he said.
LCAD students are trained to work across disciplines—whether they’re graphic designers, animators, or game artists. Through partnerships with industry leaders, students collaborate with scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs to tackle real-world challenges using a creative mindset and design thinking.
“The cross-disciplinary part is where things get very interesting,” Brittan noted. “Students may be sitting across from a biologist or physicist. Their role is to interrogate ideas and draw out innovation through creativity.”
3. Engage in Practice-Based Learning
When asked how art students can directly impact industry, Brittan pointed to LCAD’s practice-based learning approach, which immerses students in real-world projects.
A compelling example is LCAD’s ongoing collaboration with the School of Genomics and Precision Medicine at UC Irvine. In a National Institutes of Health (NIH)-backed study on gene-based diagnostics, researchers faced a communications challenge: How to engage underserved communities wary of sharing genetic data.
LCAD’s graphic design and digital media students were brought in to translate complex scientific information into compelling, culturally sensitive outreach materials.
“They asked, ‘What is this data? How does it make people feel? How can we help different communities understand and embrace this study?’” Brittan explained.
The results were so impactful that NIH extended the project’s funding—an affirmation of creative thinking’s tangible value in high-stakes scientific research.
4. Hire for Humanity in the Age of AI
Brittan emphasizes that as AI reshapes the job landscape, human creativity will become even more vital.
“People ask why we still teach students to draw by hand,” he said. “It’s because the act of drawing deepens understanding and encourages reasoning in ways AI can’t—at least not yet.”
LCAD’s forward-thinking curriculum includes experiments with quantum computing, in collaboration with Caltech, to explore how this technology could revolutionize game design and education. But even at the cutting edge, Brittan insists that artistic intelligence must remain central.
“We’re constantly expanding our toolkit—but always with humans essential to the mix.”
Final Advice for CEOs
As the conversation concluded, Brittan had two final thoughts for business leaders:
Rethink what it means to hire artists. See them not just as creatives, but as value creators for your organization.
Bring creativity into the C-suite. A truly creative economy needs leaders who are just as imaginative as the workforce they guide.
In a world that demands agility, innovation, and empathy, preparing talent for the creative economy is not optional—it’s essential. And as Brittan reminds us, it begins by seeing creativity not as a department, but as a driving force across every industry.
