Barcelona Cultura

Jamshid Alamuti: “Without creativity, tech is dead and meaningless”

Jamshid Alamuti is co-founder of PiSchool and managing director at XU Exponential University Group. His multifaceted nature makes him a constructive disruptor, a transformational strategist, a personal development expert, and a creative leader. On occasion of this year’s edition of the ADCE European Creativity Festival, which will take place at Design Hub Barcelona November 8 and 9, we talk to him as one of the headline speakers about creativity, tech and design.

How do you understand creativity, and how vital is it for our planet and life?

You can define creativity in many different ways: it can become a craft or a tool, a talent, a language. It is also a fundamental part of the DNA in every human being, which allows us to put it to use in different ways. To me, creativity is an intuitive part of how I think, act and communicate. It affects my personality, makes me do what I do and impacts how I do it. I don’t think creativity is vital for our planet. The planet does not need us. We need it, so creativity is certainly vital for us to better deal with the planet and what it has given us. Creativity makes us more human, more natural, more instinctive, and being human makes us respect all life and the planet much more.

Why is it important to bring together technology and creativity?

Technology is binary. It is absolute and limited by two factors. What we learn, develop and know is one. The other factor is that technology is often produced without us knowing what it can really do. We have at least very seldom an idea about the implications and consequences, naturally, since we can only know once applied, when we receive feedback of a critical mass. Creativity is a filter, an insurance policy. It’s the enabler, the humanizer, the translator. Without it, tech is dead and meaningless and can only cause trouble, or be boring.

What is the future that this combination unlocks?

Our future is always untold. It is never there, we can only see the present. So, best we can do is to have an influence on what comes tomorrow. Technology is in constant evolvement, so you always experience what someone tried to build yesterday and is testing on you today. If all goes well, it will establish itself as the present state of technological advancement. To make sure this process relates to our needs, is useful and morally and ethically suitable to who we want to be, we absolutely need creativity and design. If we do this, it does become an amazing future, right?

Education is key to make this future possible. Could you tell us about the way that programmes you design are thought up? What kind of learning experience is offered?

I call the programmes I design ‘shows’ – not because it is fun and entertainment, but because I see the participants as actors. The starting point of each is me questioning “What is the problem?”. Based on the mission to solve that relevant problem, I ask myself what a suitable candidate who aims to solve it should know, in order to better and faster solve it. This leads to the content I produce, trainers I choose, setting I create and people I choose to be participants of the programme. From then on, I provide them with input, inspiration, mentorship, and I challenge them to inject their personal magic and creativity into the cycle. The learning outcome is always amazing and unique, I never repeat a show!

The ‘Creative Incubator’ took place at the Design Hub in June. How was it?

It was a magnificent experience! The place is pure inspiration. Space has always been one of the core elements of learning design, and this one just shouts for creativity and gets the most out of someone. We had great content, mentors and participants, and the place made it all come together as best as it was possible.

Where does Barcelona sit on the global scale of creativity?

I love the hunger of creativity I experience every single time. Most importantly, I feel the passion and the urge for moving forward.

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