Do creativity and technology go hand-in-hand?

Feb 12, 2021

Do creativity and technology go hand-in-hand?

What do we think of when we hear the word ‘creativity’? Well, we usually end up thinking of something related to arts – paintings, poetry, storytelling or storywriting, music or sculpting?
Why do people not think of technology and creativity together in the same breath? Did you know that programming is an extremely creative profession as well ? When you see an amazing entertainment resource or a platform that helps artists express themselves creatively – remember that there are awesome programmers behind it all! Not only that, programming is a logical and creative way to find solutions to problems.

Let’s look at some innovative creative platforms and the programming technology that backs them up.

Entertainment Streaming Platforms 
Can you even imagine contemporary entertainment without video on-demand services and streaming platforms! How would we have even managed to get through COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown dominated 2020 without entertainment at the touch of our fingertips? Have you ever wondered what programming drives these?

Let’s look at some popular platforms and a sampling of some of the software programs they use. While Disney+ Hotstar uses cloud-based infrastructure, DevOps and AI-enabled operations, Netflix relies heavily on Python and AWS infrastructure to give users the best viewing experience. Amazon Prime uses Amazon Web Service (AWS) Cloud as the base technology for all its services and AWS Elemental for live encoding and packaging to deliver premium video experiences.

Gaming
The world of gaming is both exciting and fascinating with programming providing the crucial framework for all the games we play. While the industry employs both game designers and programmers, both roles require knowledge of what the other is doing and multi-skilled employees are valued in this sector. The gaming industry uses ‘systems’ programming and ‘web’ programming; the former used to run games on separate applications like phones or a computers and the latter enabling games across Internet interfaces like a web browser.
While game designers come up with the most innovative virtual worlds for players to dive into, it is programmers who breathe life into this world and make it fully functional. Currently, the languages that form the bedrock of game design include C++, Java, HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript and SQL.

Collaborative Graphic Design 
Multi-dimensional websites like Canva provides designers with tools and templates to create posters, logos, cards, presentations etc. While categories include social media post designs, marketing collateral, document and advertisement designs, users can choose from free templates or select to subscribe to a premium account. The platform offers a range of free photos and illustrations and options for graphic design teams to work collaboratively.

On the frontend, Canva depends on HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript and widely uses Ajax and jQuery on the interface. For their backend, they initially used PHP as a foundation and later introduced more features with Node.js. Python and Ruby on Rails are used for analytics. Other programs that help run this service include WordPress, WebPack, SaSS and Gulp. Do you dream of creating a magnificent resource like Canva? Well, you can if you become an expert in JavaScript and PHP to begin with!

Creativity is an important aspect of Programming 
One of the biggest misconceptions about software development is that it is not a creative profession. There is creativity every step of way in programming! After all, the most creative platforms in the world are widely used because of the technology behind them! Today, the tech industry provides artists, gamers and entertainment professionals across the world, durable platforms to promote their talents and arts.

There are many reasons why people choose a career in tech and more often than not, it is because it seems a safe or popular option. However, for those bursting with creative ideas, a career in tech will give you many opportunities to unleash the creative genius within you.

At HCL Technologies, we have many programs and platforms to help you explore the logical and creative aspects of technology. Be it expanding your communication skills, learning about the latest innovations or being a part of a community that does outreach projects – there is something for everyone at HCL.

HCL technologies focuses on the values of Courage and Care that motivates us to Collaborate to stay as one of the top global technology companies in the digital age. These are the ‘values’ that HCL values as a company and these are the values that we look out for in the people who work for us. Guess what? All of these values are already within you and with the right attitude and dedication, will find ways to flourish and grow.