WeTransfer’s Second Annual Ideas Report Shows How Creatives Use Ideas

20,000 creatives from 197 countries and territories explain what they do with their creative ideas after inception, including contributions from John Legend, Roxane Gay, David Uzochukwu and Debbie Millman.

AMSTERDAM — November 20, 2019 — Today, WeTransfer released its second annual Ideas Report, with 20,000 creatives in 197 countries and territories revealing how they develop ideas after inspiration strikes. The report, which you can read here, asked WeTransfer’s creative user base what inspires them to pursue these ideas and what detracts from their potential for new ideas.

The key findings include:

- 42% of creatives said the biggest distraction from creative ideas is their job

People’s jobs, money worries and social media are the main causes of distraction for creative work

- 72% of creatives use only half of their ideas or fewer

Making the world better is a stronger motivation to pursue an idea than making money

- 78% of creatives said they decide on their own whether an idea is any good or not (47% will do some of their own research, 31% just trust their gut)

In addition to the key findings, this year’s report includes essays on creativity from John Legend, Oscar and Grammy-award winning musician, Roxane Gay, author, essayist and cultural critic, David Uzochukwu, fine art photographer, and Debbie Millman, entrepreneurial podcaster, illustrator and a leading voice in design thinking.

“Our annual WeTransfer Ideas Report was created as a way of further understanding the creative industry and our user base by providing valuable insight into the processes behind great ideas,” says Holly Fraser, Editor-in-Chief of WePresent. “Last year we asked how creatives get their best ideas and this year we delved into how they develop them, with the results allowing us to identify trends and patterns that could redefine how we approach creative thinking in the future.”

75% of WeTransfer’s 50 million users identify as creatives, and since founding, WeTransfer has built tools that facilitate every stage of the creative process -- from ideation to final delivery. The company has also partnered with musicians like FKA twigs, Solange and Bjork to tell original stories about creativity that inspire WeTransfer’s audience and community.

WeTransfer presented The Ideas Report during a breakfast event in New York on November 19. At the event, Holly Fraser shared the key insights from the report. Adam J. Kurtz, graphic designer, artist and author of 1 Page at a Time, discussed his ideation process and the factors (aside from talent) that contribute to creative success.

For more information on the Ideas Report and insights from experts across creative fields, visit WeTransfer Ideas Report 2019.

For the creative development of the online WeTransfer Ideas Report 2019 experience, WeTransfer teamed up with Amsterdam-based creative studio, Cartelle.

Assets

Go to LINK to access the online version of the WeTransfer Ideas Report

Go to LINK to download a PDF version of the report

Go to LINK to the methodology behind the report

Go to LINK to download a press package including the visuals below