Field Notes
When Tsilli Pines and Eric Hillerns invited us to bring A Design Film Festival (DFF) to the inaugural Design Week Portland, it was the perfect excuse to visit and see what makes this city so special.
Portland felt like a place built for living well. People were warm, friendly, and laid-back. Drivers slowed for jaywalkers. No one honked their horns. Nature was just a short drive away. The city was filled with independent restaurants, food trucks, and cafes serving organic, locally sourced food. Bike lanes were everywhere, and fast food chains were rare—except on highways.
Another thing stood out: Nike’s presence was everywhere. Almost everyone I met had some connection to the brand—either working there or working on something for them. At Dig a Pony, a group of designers were sketching Nike shoes between beers. The brand wasn’t just a business; it was part of the city’s culture and economy.
A Design Film Festival Portland
From 9–13 October 2012, we presented six films at Design Week Portland (DWPDX), including Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry, Coast Modern, Design & Thinking, How to Make a Book with Steidl, Marina Abramović: The Artist is Present, and Yohji Yamamoto: This is My Dream. Alongside the screenings, DWPDX’s first edition featured open studios, workshops, talks, and more, creating a vibrant celebration of design and creativity.
Here are some photos from the event, courtesy of Ryan Bush. You can see more at this [link].
We first worked together on the rebranding of Nikon Japan’s photo competition in 2012, and we’ve collaborated on many projects since. If I had to name a single person who has had the biggest influence on our career, it would be Chris. Through our years of working together, I’ve learned many things—most importantly, how to work with people in a truly collaborative way.
The Question That Matters
Whether you’re a business owner managing a team or a marketer commissioning creative work, you’ve probably asked: How do you get the best work from people?After 15 years of sitting on both sides of the table—receiving and writing creative briefs—I’ve realized the answer is surprisingly simple:
Hire the right people and stay out of their way.
Let me explain.
To Get the Best Work, Give Up Control
When you hire someone, the instinct is to manage and direct them. But that’s counterproductive. You hire people because they are better at something than you are. That’s the goal of any business owner, entrepreneur, or employer—to surround yourself with people who bring more value to your business and customers.You wouldn’t hire a photographer and then tell them how to take a photo. You hire them because you trust their eye, their experience, and their ability to deliver great work. Yet, too often, people feel the need to dictate every detail, undermining the very expertise they sought out.
But something happens when you give up control.
The benchmark for success shifts. The person now feels ownership over the work. They’re no longer just executing instructions—they’re invested in making it the best it can be. The excuse “my boss/client wanted it this way” disappears. They are doing it not just to meet expectations but because they take pride in their work.
This is especially true for creative professionals. Their work is not just a skill set—it’s a mix of art and science, logic and emotion, intention and intuition. Trying to control it is like trying to control how someone thinks. It stifles originality and turns collaboration into mere execution.
Hire the Right People. Set the Rules. Then Step Back.
A better approach? Hire the right person, define the goals, and let them lead the way.
Instead of dictating solutions, write a clear, thoughtful brief that outlines objectives, constraints, and expectations. Then, step back. If the work isn’t quite right, ask questions instead of giving orders. Questions guide the process without taking away ownership. They invite new possibilities rather than forcing predetermined answers.
Instead of saying, “I think we should do this,” try “What do you think?”
It’s a small shift, but a powerful one. When you ask for input, you open the project to better ideas—ideas you wouldn’t have arrived at alone. Yet many resist this approach because of fear—the fear of uncertainty, of not feeling in control, of not leaving their mark. But real leadership isn’t about control. It’s about creating the right conditions for great work to happen.
Chris and I on the far right.
Chris deploys this better than anyone I’ve worked with. He once shared a simple but profound truth:
Most of the answers already exist within the client. They just need to be uncovered, framed, and translated in a way their audience will care about.
The notion that an agency or consultant swoops in with all the answers is flawed. Unless we’re fully embedded in the client’s world—understanding their internal politics, business realities, and pressures—we only ever see part of the problem. And solving the right problem is 50% of the solution.
So, a better way forward is to bring clients, bosses, and stakeholders into the process. Instead of presenting ideas for approval, involve them in defining the problem, shaping the strategy, and co-creating the outcome.
The traditional agency model—where work is done in isolation and "pitched" for approval—is outdated. The "us vs. them" dynamic needs to go. People want to feel included, to contribute, to have a say in shaping their future. The best ideas don’t happen in silos.
If we want to get the best work out of people, the way we work needs to change. If we want to gain trust from the people we work with, our process and mindset needs to change. With the many challenges in our world today for businesses, governments and communities, this is no longer an option.
That change must start today.
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Felix Ng
Co-founder, Anonymous
@felix.anonymous