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Sputnik Magazine | Spring 2013

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When Creativity Meets TECHNOLOGY Creativity and technology... the two critical forces required to generate productive output. Here's some perspective from the owners of Hök Nik on what it takes to harness this special currency. There's a joke around Hök Nik that if genetically combined, the company's two owners would make the perfect human (except in the physique department). In Jeff and Marc, the right brain/left brain paradigm is a living metaphor. Marc has always pushed the envelope with technology and Jeff's ability to create and incorporate the technology into projects has allowed them to maintain a partnership that has lasted almost two decades. At Hök Nik creativity and technology live in balance, but not always in harmony. Here's some of the partner's musings on the two primary drivers of the work at their Edmonton enterprise. Okay, so one of you is a PC and one's a Mac? Jeff — "I'm not very politically correct, if that's the question. And Marc is not a Mac, he's a Vulcan, except he can play beautiful music... but so could Spock. Marc's piano playing is pretty amazing. I've always been a little jealous of his musical abilities. In fact, Marc has many talents that I wish I had. Sure I'm good with words and can develop and manage projects— but I can't play an instrument or reboot an entire network. I play the triangle chime..." Marc — "It's funny that you would start with that—the Mac/PC divide. When we started our shop we developed on a Windows operating system. Designers on PCs? People were shocked by that, as design and creative had always been done on Macs. At that time, we chose the PC environment mostly for financial considerations, but I was pretty sure that creative applications on the Windows side would catch up with Macs. And they did. Now the whole Mac/PC thing means less and less. So much technological change has occurred with the internet, mobile and tablets. It's not so much about what you are running on as what you know how to do." So you are saying to be effective you need to be selective? Marc — "You said it better because you made it rhyme, but yes. With so many technological options available for 'communications,' I think a narrowing of focus is in order. In the real world, the learning/time investment needed to develop key items—like websites, email marketing, a video, or even a print collateral project—is too steep for most

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