Situation - WeTransfer’s users identify as predominantly working in the creative industries. Every year, we want to know what they are thinking and feeling, so we ask them directly.

Brief - Conduct a survey through WeTransfer of creatives from around the world to explore the perceptions vs realities of the industry, to create a report packed with data-rich insights. Success is to open up honest conversations about the challenges and opportunities of being a creative today.

Objectives - To drive conversation in the creative community. To showcase WeTransfer’s authority and leadership as a creative brand. To build community with big and little ‘c’ creatives globally who make up the majority of its user base.

WeTransfer's fifth annual Ideas Report, one of the world’s largest studies on the creative workforce, surveyed 6,500 creatives from 180 countries to take a critical look at the business of creativity. The report is packed with data-rich insights, including the perceptions vs realities of the and the emerging means and methods of making money. The result was a real versus romantic look into the state of the industry, opening up more honest conversations about what it can and should take to “make it” in the fast-changing industry.

Implementation

A large-scale survey with data collected via WeTransfer.com from users directly, collated into data-rich insights regarding the creative workforce.

Placement

Analysis of the insights were shared as an editorialized microsite with downloadable PDF report, which was promoted across social, email and earned media channels.

Scale

The survey was conducted on a large scale, covering 6,500 creatives from 180 countries, making it one of the world's largest studies on the creative workforce. The report and website were also designed and developed to be accessible to a global audience.

Touchpoints

Survey on wetransfer.com, Ideas Report dedicated microsite, PDF report, social media, newsletter.

Materials, Style Elements, Design Choices

Dreams are achieved through a series of sacrifices. To demonstrate the decisions that are made in the pursuit of dreams, our visual direction allows users to make choices about how they read and interpret the data — by toggling, interacting and engaging with the data users are invited to be a part of the experience.

Methods and Process

The project followed a structured process, starting with conducting a survey of creatives, analyzing the data, and compiling the insights into a report. We then designed and developed the website to showcase the report and data, using interactive visualizations.

Timeline

The project was launched on October 31, 2022, and ended on December 31, 2022. We conducted the survey in the summer of 2022 via WeTransfer.com.

The Ideas Report 2022 provides a global perspective on the creative industry, encompassing insights from thousands of creatives across 180 countries. It is an opportunity for WeTransfer to hold a mirror up to its global user base and the wider creative economy. The report highlights how creatives globally are undervalued, indicating that this may be a pervasive issue across many societies. The report suggests creatives are increasingly seeking more control over their careers, which may reflect a broader trend towards individualism in many cultures, enabled by the internet. Additionally, the report highlights the impact of the pandemic on the creative industry, and the growing appreciation for worker well-being, which may reflect differing cultural attitudes towards work-life balance and job security.