Field Notes
In February 2019, Thailand Creative and Design Centre (TCDC) invited me to Bangkok during their annual design week. They wanted me to speak at its first edition of Pecha Kucha.
How to Start, Survive, and Create with Little to Nothing
The idea for the talk was simple. If a kid from Singapore, who didn’t have an education or work experience in design, can start and run a business for 15 years, anyone can do it. There are some “rules” I’ve picked up along the way, which I shared through the talk. I hope that by passing on these insights, it’ll help anyone who wants to start on their own or even someone who’s been in the business for a while. The great thing about these rules is that they aren’t strictly for creative businesses. Swap out “creative” with whatever it is you do and it will still apply.
I first gave this talk in 2012 at the launch of Creative Mornings Singapore. Along the way, there have been variations of it that I’ve given in Portland, Tokyo, Kuala Lumpur, Manila and Cebu, but for Bangkok, it was expanded to a neat 10 rules.
Above are the slides for each point. If you rather not read, here’s the video at the top of this page. The talk starts at the 36:35 mark.
Our first project ever was directing a music video—something we had no idea how to do. We were scared. But we also knew that we may never have the chance to work on something like this again. So we said yes, and worried about how to do it later. To have a chance to do something you have never done before is an amazing feeling. It forces you to stretch and keeps you on your toes to keep improving and learning.
2. F*ck It. Do It Yourself.
When we started Anonymous, we had no credibility, no network and a small portfolio. So it was really difficult to convince clients to give us a chance.
And when no one gives you a chance, f*ck it, do it yourself.
You want to create a magazine, an event, or a restaurant? Start it yourself. You don’t need permission to start something.
3. Be Like De Niro
This is Robert De Niro. One of the greatest actors in history. De Niro is also known as a method actor. When he was working on the film Taxi Driver. He drove a taxi for weeks to learn how it felt to be a taxi driver. When we started A Design Film Festival, we didn't know how to run a film festival so we learned everything we could about the film industry. Work really hard and learn everything you can to close the gap.
4. Never Let the Truth Stand in the Way of a Good Story
In 2010, we wanted to start a magazine, but magazines require writers, photographers, editors and a whole bunch of people and a huge amount of resources. We knew that whatever magazine we created had to be something a two-man company could produce. That’s how Bracket came about. We crowdsourced the entire magazine by sending a questionnaire to creative professionals all over the world and invited them to handwrite their answers, send it back to us and we would publish it as is.
5. Use Money to Buy Time Back
The most valuable resource all of us have is time. It is a non-replenishable resource. What if I told you there was a way to buy time back? Every day we trade our time for money and trade money to buy things. What if instead of buying things we don’t need, we used money to buy time back to work on ourselves and the projects we want to do?
6. To Get the Best Work, Give Up Control
The most talented people in the world don’t want to work for a studio or agency anymore. They want to work for themselves. Without talent, how are you going to do the best work possible? The answer is to give up control. The more creative freedom you give, the better the work will be because the benchmark is no longer you. The benchmark is theirs.
7. Don’t Feed the Birds
Have you ever seen signs that say this? “Please don’t feed the birds”. Why do you think feeding birds are not a good thing? Because they become dependent and keep returning. The same goes for how you price your work and your value. Once you start giving discounts or if you work for free, people get used to it and will never pay for it in future.
8. Ignore the Competition. Create Your Own Category.
This is the most important advice I can give anyone.
If you find yourself feeling upset every time you go on Instagram and see your friends on a holiday while you’re working your ass off, or other designers working on bigger or more interesting projects than you are—ignore them. Or unfollow them if that’s easier.
Don’t compete or compare. Don’t try to be better than anyone but yourself. Focus on being a better version of you.
9. Make Something People Love (And They Will Share It)
We’ve always heard people say… follow your passion. Do what you love.
This is one of the most dangerous pieces of advice ever. Because if no one wants or needs your passion, you’re going to fail.
Instead, you should focus on making something people love and need. Do your research, observe how people live and make something useful.
You don’t need more marketing. You need a better product.
10. Problem-Finding > Problem-Solving
If you ask any designers in the room what they do exactly, and most will say “they solve problems” (which is a great purpose to have). But how do we know if the problems we are solving are the right problems?
What if we start thinking as problem-finders instead of problem-solvers? Finding the right problem to solve is 50% of the solution. If the brief is written poorly, no matter how great you think your solution is, you’ll never be able to find the right answer.
—
Felix Ng
Co-founder, Anonymous
@felix.anonymous