“I’m always going to be a creative first” —— David Martin，CEO of Fantasy Interactive

面對(duì)現(xiàn)實(shí)吧！不是我們愛挑刺，看看身邊蕓蕓的創(chuàng)意設(shè)計(jì)作品，優(yōu)秀的真的不占多數(shù)，至少，一定不如不那么好的作品來得多。 不是設(shè)計(jì)過于簡陋，就是制作不夠用心，不是點(diǎn)子不夠 就是用戶體驗(yàn)實(shí)在坑坑洼洼，更有甚者,一路如影相隨，讓人哭笑不得。并且，這樣的現(xiàn)實(shí)也許一直都會(huì)這樣下去，至少，并不會(huì)從比例上變得優(yōu)眾于拙。優(yōu)秀，依然會(huì)屬于少數(shù)佼佼者。

今天我們面對(duì)的情況，與David Martin先生講述的關(guān)于90年代他所身處的互動(dòng)創(chuàng)意領(lǐng)域的環(huán)境如出一轍， “網(wǎng)站設(shè)計(jì)都實(shí)在太粗糙，體驗(yàn)太糟糕了。”用他自己的原話來說，是”clumsy and unsophisticated user experience  ”。

要么，接受現(xiàn)實(shí)，隨大江東去；要么，選擇和David 當(dāng)年一樣，突破這一切，“誓要做出心目中真正的好設(shè)計(jì)，好作品。”他選擇了打破一切，從“完美”開始，于是，就有了Fi。

這種選擇，意味著要經(jīng)受高于一切的標(biāo)準(zhǔn)，而且，不能退，只能進(jìn)。

Fi(Fantasy Interactive)無疑是成功的典范。他們的作品，無一例外都符合簡約，清爽，富有細(xì)節(jié)這三個(gè)標(biāo)準(zhǔn)，能夠帶來出色的用戶體驗(yàn)。Fi服務(wù)的客戶，比比皆是平日里被大家稱道和向往的”很有sense”的一流品牌。而作為一家數(shù)字營銷創(chuàng)意代理機(jī)構(gòu)，F(xiàn)i 從12年前位于斯德哥爾摩的一間小小的工作室，蛻變成長為今天這家國際化的整合數(shù)字營銷代理企業(yè)，并獲得業(yè)界的一致認(rèn)可。并且，F(xiàn)i的腳步還未停止，還在不斷超越。

今天，互動(dòng)中國很榮幸能與David Martin，F(xiàn)i創(chuàng)始人兼CEO，親自面對(duì)面交流，讓他帶著我們一起去聽他聊聊他與Fi的故事。

采訪&編譯： Vivian Peng
 (原創(chuàng)內(nèi)容, 轉(zhuǎn)載請(qǐng)務(wù)必注明來自數(shù)英網(wǎng))

Photo from Fi Official website,all rights reserved

關(guān)于Fi的過去，現(xiàn)在，未來：

“In the last 12 years, I’ve listened; I’ve learned; I’ve stumbled; I’ve talked; I’ve understood; I’ve misunderstood; I’ve shared. It’s been a tremendous learning experience.”
“12年來，我一直在傾聽，一直在學(xué)習(xí)，我也曾經(jīng)經(jīng)歷過很多失敗，我被人議論，接受過指責(zé)，有人理解我，也有人誤會(huì)我，每當(dāng)有人愿意分享我們的作品的時(shí)候，我會(huì)因此而感到欣慰。”

數(shù)英網(wǎng)：請(qǐng)向廣大的中國讀者簡單介紹下Fi吧

David Martin：Fi是一家創(chuàng)新的國際化數(shù)字營銷代理商，從事專業(yè)的互動(dòng)設(shè)計(jì)，移動(dòng)及APP開發(fā)，社會(huì)化媒體營銷服務(wù)以及富媒體廣告代理服務(wù)，我們服務(wù)的客戶均來自于全球各地的國際頂尖品牌，如Google，HTC，Red Bull，CNN，F(xiàn)ox以及Porsche等等。

Fi擁有一群對(duì)工作充滿熱情，并且在互動(dòng)設(shè)計(jì)，策略以及技術(shù)開發(fā)上擁有豐富經(jīng)驗(yàn)的專業(yè)人士。我們熱愛自己的工作，每一個(gè)人都擁有自己獨(dú)到的優(yōu)勢(shì)和才能。大家分享自己的經(jīng)驗(yàn)，熱情，執(zhí)著于共同創(chuàng)造。從CEO 到每一個(gè)開發(fā)者，設(shè)計(jì)師，程序員，UX設(shè)計(jì)師，以及銷售，市場(chǎng)人員，每一個(gè)人都以自己的能力和專業(yè)對(duì)項(xiàng)目發(fā)揮著各自的影響力。

Fi 成立于1999年，創(chuàng)立的唯一初衷，就是要?jiǎng)?chuàng)造擁有卓越品質(zhì)和一流創(chuàng)意的作品。這也是Fi至今秉承的品牌特點(diǎn)。公司團(tuán)隊(duì)由創(chuàng)意設(shè)計(jì)，策略分析師，程序開發(fā)組成，高度旨在幫助品牌以一種創(chuàng)新而有效的方式與消費(fèi)者建立良好的溝通。在這一指導(dǎo)思想之下，品牌越來越注重與消費(fèi)者的互動(dòng)溝通，為了提升消費(fèi)者的參與度和融入度，良好的用戶體驗(yàn)成為重中之重，同時(shí)，也提升了品牌的忠誠度。

自成立至今的12年時(shí)間里，公司日漸發(fā)展，而今在紐約，圣弗朗西斯科，鹽湖城和斯德哥爾摩設(shè)有分公司。一直以來，我們都保持低調(diào)的姿態(tài)，堅(jiān)持以我們的設(shè)計(jì)哲學(xué)和個(gè)性推動(dòng)著公司業(yè)務(wù)的發(fā)展，在設(shè)計(jì)理念和公司信條上矢志追求，用實(shí)力為自己得到了榮譽(yù)，成為《廣告時(shí)代》雜志(Advertising Age)“Hottest Digital Agencies Around”以及.net Magazine的“Agency of the Year”榮譽(yù)。

數(shù)英網(wǎng)：當(dāng)初您是怎么想到要成立Fi的？您會(huì)怎樣描述Fi今天的發(fā)展情況？您是否曾經(jīng)能想象到Fi能走到今天這樣的程度？對(duì)于未來，您又有怎樣的設(shè)想和計(jì)劃?

David Martin：說實(shí)話，當(dāng)初我作為一個(gè)設(shè)計(jì)師，對(duì)那個(gè)時(shí)候市面上拙劣的網(wǎng)站設(shè)計(jì)和糟糕的體驗(yàn)感到徹底失望，實(shí)在讓人無法忍受。我希望能做出真正的好東西，所以，我創(chuàng)立了這家公司。12年來，我一直在傾聽，一直在學(xué)習(xí)，我也曾經(jīng)經(jīng)歷過很多失敗，我被人議論，接受過指責(zé)，有人理解我，也有人誤會(huì)我，當(dāng)有人樂意分享我們的作品的時(shí)候，我會(huì)因此而感到欣慰。這一路以來，我在不斷學(xué)習(xí)，不斷收獲，不斷積累。當(dāng)然，所有這一切都使我更加進(jìn)一步明確了，F(xiàn)i應(yīng)該是什么，將會(huì)怎樣，以及，絕對(duì)不會(huì)變成什么樣，所有界線都越來越明晰，并且我對(duì)此堅(jiān)信不疑。

我想說，其實(shí)在我創(chuàng)辦Fi的那天我就知道它一定行。從斯德哥爾摩，到今天在全球擁有4個(gè)分公司，這對(duì)我來說，是很自然的成長過程。我們的項(xiàng)目與日俱增，簽單的客戶也不斷積累和開拓著，公司整體的專業(yè)性更是在日益提升中，我知道，我們一定會(huì)走到今天這一步的。這是對(duì)我來說的一個(gè)巨大的鼓勵(lì)，也是市場(chǎng)對(duì)我們認(rèn)可的證明。在接下來的12個(gè)月中，我們將主力放在人才的招聘和吸引上，這將是所有工作的重點(diǎn)。另外，我們還有可能會(huì)再開一家分公司，不過，還在計(jì)劃當(dāng)中。

關(guān)于人才和客戶：

“I’m always going to be a creative first, and a business person second.”
“我總是把自己首先定位于一名創(chuàng)意工作者，其次，才是一名商務(wù)人士。”

數(shù)英網(wǎng)：Fi正面向全球招聘人才。在您看來，找到優(yōu)秀的人才是一件困難的事情嗎？您可以說說您再挑選人才的時(shí)候，必不可缺的三個(gè)標(biāo)準(zhǔn)吧?

David Martin：尋找人才一直是我們工作的重點(diǎn)之一。因?yàn)槲覀儗?duì)于自己身為一家代理商所秉持的原則和信條賦予了至高無上的地位，從不改變和妥協(xié)，因此要在符合我們信條和原則的基礎(chǔ)之上，尋找到合適的人才，并不是特別簡單的事情。

我們寧可一直尋找，也不愿意在人才觀上做出讓步，我們堅(jiān)持尋找的人，必須具備的基本素質(zhì)包括：有職業(yè)精神，富有熱情，具備術(shù)業(yè)專攻的專業(yè)技能，并且對(duì)專業(yè)的領(lǐng)域懷有理想和激情。所以，人才所在的地域、國籍，對(duì)于我們來說并不是特別重要，如果我們認(rèn)為他/她適合Fi，并且對(duì)于自己專長的領(lǐng)域獨(dú)具優(yōu)勢(shì)，我們?cè)敢獠幌Т鷥r(jià)邀請(qǐng)他/她加入我們。其實(shí)在我們?nèi)康膯T工里有50%左右都是來自四個(gè)分公司所在城市以外的地區(qū)和國家。所以，這也使得Fi的工作環(huán)境非常多元化。

我們所期待的人才應(yīng)該具備以下特質(zhì)：

• 積極的態(tài)度：對(duì)于態(tài)度的重要性無可置疑，不論從事的是什么職位，任何在Fi工作的成員都必須具備工作的主動(dòng)性和積極性，不能坐等他人給你任務(wù)，而應(yīng)該隨時(shí)期待著挑戰(zhàn)。這一點(diǎn)非常重要，這也是為什么我們能夠吸引到一些非常優(yōu)秀人才的原因所在。

• 專攻之術(shù)（不論任何領(lǐng)域）：如果你是個(gè)設(shè)計(jì)師，那么你的portfolio必須足夠優(yōu)秀，具有說服力。如果你是個(gè)程序員，你應(yīng)該對(duì)于代碼如癡如迷，并且富有突破性思維。如果你是個(gè)營銷高手，或業(yè)務(wù)達(dá)人，你需要理解并且擅長于建立“關(guān)系”，善于處理個(gè)中的微妙之處，并且，最好你同時(shí)還是個(gè)“講故事”的高手! （意味著優(yōu)異的口頭/書面表達(dá)能力）

• 熱情：如果你對(duì)自己的工作沒有熱情，那么Fi一定不是你適合的地方。在這里，每一個(gè)人都對(duì)自己所做的工作充滿熱忱和激情。愿意投入很多時(shí)間來悉心鉆研自己的工作。樂于面對(duì)挫折，接受挑戰(zhàn)，對(duì)成就富有渴望，所有這些都源自于你對(duì)工作是否懷有摯愛之心。

數(shù)英網(wǎng)：您需要經(jīng)常和客戶打交道嗎？在與客戶溝通的過程中，對(duì)您來說最大的挑戰(zhàn)是什么？和我們分享幾個(gè)您印象深刻的經(jīng)歷吧

David Martin：我對(duì)自己的定位，首先必須是一個(gè)創(chuàng)意工作者，這是第一位的。而后才是一名商務(wù)人士。我熱愛設(shè)計(jì)這份工作。我會(huì)充當(dāng)設(shè)計(jì)師，藝術(shù)總監(jiān)，交互設(shè)計(jì)師，軟件工程師等不同的角色，同時(shí)，還會(huì)時(shí)不時(shí)作為一名市場(chǎng)營銷專員、或銷售經(jīng)理。不同角色之間的轉(zhuǎn)換讓我自己不斷保持學(xué)習(xí)的動(dòng)力、保持傾聽的謙遜姿態(tài)，而且，我還能在與客戶溝通的過程中，發(fā)揮自己的專業(yè)所長，更善于從交互和數(shù)字互動(dòng)的角度出發(fā)，就事論事地為客戶提供意見和建議，這點(diǎn)獨(dú)到的優(yōu)勢(shì)在我看來是非常重要的。

對(duì)我們來說，客戶并不是真正意義上的客戶，他們更像是我們的工作伙伴。我們要做的，是幫助他們的品牌營銷得更出色，幫助他們與消費(fèi)者建立聯(lián)結(jié)。我們非常理解，作為客戶本身，他們自己也需要向很多高層主管和相關(guān)人士匯報(bào)工作，所以，越是理解對(duì)方的處境，就越發(fā)覺得我們需要提出我們認(rèn)為正確的，并且有信心能夠切實(shí)為客戶的品牌帶來幫助的解決方案和提議給到客戶，這才是對(duì)客戶負(fù)責(zé)的態(tài)度。同時(shí)，我們非常真誠并且用心地與客戶之間進(jìn)行溝通，保持和客戶之間和諧的關(guān)系，這是我們與客戶之間建立通暢平等的溝通渠道，讓客戶真正地理解我們的idea背后的原因和想法，讓客戶明白我們?yōu)槭裁凑J(rèn)為這個(gè)idea可行，以及，它將如何發(fā)揮作用這一系列的細(xì)節(jié)過程。只有這樣，才能真正解決與客戶之間一系列可能發(fā)生的矛盾問題。

數(shù)英網(wǎng)：在您多年的職業(yè)生涯中，遇到過的最大挑戰(zhàn)是什么？您是如何面對(duì)的？

David Martin：與人打交道是最難的。不論我怎樣堅(jiān)持Fi的信念，最終，需要依靠公司所有人由衷的支持和信任才行。Fi的愿景依靠公司所有成員共同的信賴和為此而共同努力才能真正實(shí)現(xiàn)。在過去的歲月里，我經(jīng)歷了重重考驗(yàn)，每一次挫折，都教給我寶貴的教訓(xùn)，讓我銘記，助我成長。不斷給予我在各個(gè)領(lǐng)域鍛煉的機(jī)會(huì)，不論是項(xiàng)目執(zhí)行，策略抑或是創(chuàng)意點(diǎn)子，每一個(gè)領(lǐng)域都因挫折/挑戰(zhàn)而收獲經(jīng)驗(yàn)，積累閱歷，因此，所有經(jīng)歷的都必將是彌足珍貴的。

關(guān)于David Martin：

“Everyone always looks at the sky and wishes they could touch the stars。”
“每一個(gè)仰望天空的人，心里必然渴望著有朝一日可以親手觸摸天空中閃爍的星辰。”

數(shù)英網(wǎng)： 您個(gè)人偏愛的設(shè)計(jì)風(fēng)格是怎樣的？

David Martin：干凈、簡潔、富有細(xì)節(jié)的。

數(shù)英網(wǎng)：您個(gè)人喜歡使用Mac還是PC？ 您偏愛的軟件硬件都有些什么呢？

David Martin：最近這段時(shí)間，我一切工作使用的都是蘋果以及蘋果的軟件，蘋果讓一切都變得更加簡單，不過，我也花了好多年，才放棄了PC，變成一個(gè)完完全全的果粉。

數(shù)英網(wǎng)：您有什么業(yè)余愛好？ 為什么喜歡呢？

David Martin：我喜歡飛機(jī)。因?yàn)樗屛页３ＳX得，自己是一只擁有翅膀的小鳥能自由飛翔。每一個(gè)時(shí)常仰望天空的人，心里必然懷抱渴望和夢(mèng)想的，想象著有朝一日可以親手觸摸天空中閃爍的星辰。不過，我知道要做到這一切的話，我必須去當(dāng)一名飛行員。哈哈，這是多么不現(xiàn)實(shí)的幻想啊！

Photo from Kontain, all rights reserved

對(duì)于中國：

數(shù)英網(wǎng)：最后，說說您對(duì)于中國的印象如何？您對(duì)中國的創(chuàng)意廣告設(shè)計(jì)行業(yè)的朋友們有什么要說的?謝謝

David Martin：中國在許多領(lǐng)域擁有杰出的成就，偉大的進(jìn)步和革新，同時(shí)，仍然擁有巨大的潛力，所有這一切都毋庸置疑，令人震驚和充滿期待。從商業(yè)的角度來說，中國擁有極其巨大的動(dòng)人市場(chǎng)，但是，我認(rèn)為在數(shù)字化方面，并沒有在最近幾年有太大的發(fā)展和應(yīng)有的進(jìn)步。所以，如果有機(jī)會(huì)，我很期待能夠和那兒的相關(guān)人士共同努力，促進(jìn)中國的數(shù)字化發(fā)展。所以，我想說的是，F(xiàn)i來到中國，并不遙遠(yuǎn)，或許，指日可待。

編者結(jié)語：

對(duì)于David所說的話，既是一種激勵(lì)，更是對(duì)我們的一種啟示。作為中國的數(shù)字領(lǐng)域成員，今天的我們，置身國際化的大背景之中，面對(duì)國際化的挑戰(zhàn)，我們微笑面對(duì)，謙遜學(xué)習(xí)，不斷進(jìn)步。非常期待諸如Fi這樣優(yōu)秀的國際一流的創(chuàng)意伙伴與我們進(jìn)一步的接觸，交流和學(xué)習(xí)！

最后我需要特別感謝一些人： 感謝David Martin對(duì)于本次采訪做出的合作和交流。非常感激。另外，特別感激Fi全球市場(chǎng)營銷與公共關(guān)系主管Ragini Bhalla對(duì)于本次采訪的大力支持和協(xié)助工作。更要誠摯地感謝Fi斯德哥爾摩辦公室的成員Michael Stratton在本次合作過程中的熱情配合！非常感激！

Special  thanks go to Mr. David Martin(CEO of Fi), Ragini Bhalla (Director of Marketing & Communications ? Fi), as well as to  the support from Michael Stratton (Fi Stockholm)。

以下是采訪的原文稿件，供各位參考：

David Martin, CEO

(Questions about Fi as a company, clients, talent recruitment and personal aspects)

1、Please give a short introduction of Fi to China’s readers.

David Martin: Fantasy Interactive (Fi) is a new breed of global digital agency. We specialize in interactive design, mobile & app development, social media and rich media for some of the biggest brands in the world such as Google, HTC, Red Bull, CNN, Fox and Porsche.

At Fi, we’re highly passionate and experienced about interactive design, strategy and technology. We love what we do, and we all bring a special skill set, experience and passion to the table. From our CEO to producers, interactive designers, developers, UX strategists, technologists, business and marketing teams, everyone at Fi has a direct impact on projects.

The agency was founded in 1999 by CEO David Martin with one vision in mind: creativity and imagination reign supreme. Whenever a brand comes to Fi, our team of creative designers, strategists and developers conceive, collaborate and produce game-changing ideas to help brands connect with their customers online. The result is an experience that engages communities, builds brand loyalty and creates a one-of-a-kind user experience.

In the 12 years since Fi opened, our agency has grown to include a robust staff in New York, San Francisco, Salt Lake City and Stockholm. While we’ve previously stayed under the radar, we’ve let our design philosophy and personality drive the business. As a result, we were featured as “one of the hottest digital agencies around” by Advertising Age and “Agency of the Year” by .net Magazine.

2、What was your decision to start up Fi? How do you think Fi is today? Have you really expected the company you brought up would be like today’s is? What do you imagine for Fi in the future?

David Martin: To be honest, I was really frustrated by the clumsy and awkward user experiences I was seeing on websites in the 1990s. And I wanted to do something different. So in 1999, Fantasy Interactive came to life. In the last 12 years, I’ve listened; I’ve learned; I’ve stumbled; I’ve talked; I’ve understood; I’ve misunderstood; I’ve shared. It’s been a tremendous learning experience. But it’s also helped me clearly define our agency’s voice and be aware of what Fi isn’t.

I wish I could tell you that I knew from the day I opened our first office in Stockholm that we’d have 4 offices, but it’s something that’s happened naturally and gradually. As our projects grew, clients signed on and our expertise grew, I knew that growth was an important step for the agency. Over the next 12 months, finding the best people out there to deliver amazing digital work is still one of our top priorities and we may even consider opening a new office, but time will only tell.

3、Fi is hiring globally now, is it difficult to find the right person? What are 3 most essential factors you believe are most important to the value of talents?

David Martin: Finding talent is one of our top priorities. Because we’re so protective of our agency philosophy and culture, this isn’t always easy. That being said, we’d rather be selective and gradual in our recruitment process, and find the right person who is entrepreneurial in spirit, enthusiastic and a master at what he/she does (and loves doing it).

So a person’s geographical location or visa requirements don’t really matter to us. If we see something special in you, we’ll make that investment to make you a part of the Fi team. In fact, over 50% of our staff across all 4 global offices comes from all over the world. We’re multicultural.

Three of the biggest traits we look for in candidates are:

1. Proactive Attitude. I can’t say enough how important this trait is. No matter what role, each person at Fi has the kind of personality that doesn’t wait for obstacles to occur; they anticipate it. That’s unique and a big reason why some of the biggest brands approach us.

2. Talent (in whatever their expertise is). If you’re a designer, your portfolio should be exceptional and speak for itself. If you’re a developer, you should be versatile and agile in code writing. If you’re a marketing or business professional, you should understand the nuances of relationship building and be a master storyteller (written and verbal).

3. Passion. If you don’t love what you do, this isn’t the place for you. Everyone at Fi spends a lot of time working on projects, not because it’s a chore, but because they love it. And we laugh and eat gummi bears too.

4、Do you deal with clients often? What is the biggest challenge on dealing with client by your impression? For example, sometimes we have a great idea and believe it would works well, while client see it with risks and feel unsure, in this circumstances, we have to choose from persuading client have a try or give up ours.  Would you like to share some of your experiences with us? Thanks!

David Martin: I’m always going to be a creative first, and a business person second. So I enjoy working alongside my designers, art directors, interactive developers, software engineers, marketing and business managers. It lets me have my ear to the ground and help our people deliver truly interactive and intuitive digital experiences for clients.

For us, clients aren’t clients. They’re partners. We’re here to make their brands better, smarter and more engaging. And we’re aware that clients have to answer to many people at the top. At the end of the day, we’re going to be fearless and passionate with our ideas because we know it will help clients, not hurt them. Because we’ve worked really hard to create a “cozy” tone and relationship with our clients, they understand how we think and typically let us do what we do best.

5、What is the biggest challenge you’ve been faced with in the years of your career on Fi? How you faced with it?

David Martin: Dealing with people. At the end of the day, my vision for FI no longer rests on my shoulders alone. It rests on the amazingly talented people at this company. Over the years, I have encountered multiple hurdles and mountains that I’ve had to climb. But each time, I learned something new and used that lesson to improve processes, strategies and ideas.

6、What is your personally favorite style of interface design? (Other than Fi)

David Martin: Clean, simple, detailed

7、Which do you prefer to use personally, Mac or PC?

David Martin: These days, I’m all about Apple because it’s made my life much easier. But it took me several years to become an Apple convert.

8、What is your hobby? Why it is attractive to you so much?

David Martin: I love flying planes. It makes me feel like I’m a bird. Everyone always looks at the sky and wishes they could touch the stars. Well, I get to do that as a pilot. It’s unreal and spectacular.

9、Last but not least, what impress you about china? Anything want to share with china’s creative people? Thanks

David Martin: The sheer success factor, the growth, the potential of China is pretty incredible. China has done enormously well on the business side, but there hasn’t been as much digital growth in that region. So I’m looking forward to helping make that happen. Fi China may not be too far away.