A Journey of Passion and Innovation

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Weaving Artistry into Technology

Introduction

It gives me a great deal of pleasure to reveal to you a facet of myself that, given the fast-paced nature of the technology industry, is frequently obscured from view. My career experience has been extremely fulfilling, as many of you are aware. It has been filled with leadership responsibilities in large organizations (GE/NBC, Ernst & Young, IBM and Cognizant), as well as the privilege of working alongside world-class architects and engineers to design innovative solutions that have revolutionized several industries. But I want to take this opportunity to invite you into a different world—one where creativity and craftsmanship collide, where artistic expression and technological advancement dance hand in hand, and where innovation has no limits.

Uncovering a Dormant Interest (or Obsession?)

Outside of the conference rooms and boardrooms, the place that feeds my spirit is my workshop. It is there that I pour my whole heart into the process of producing creations out of wood, metal and other materials. The difficulties we all have working in the technology sector are analogous to those I experience when pursuing my love for handcrafting beautiful furniture and art installations. Surprisingly, these two apparently unrelated worlds are connected in a significant way, and it is this link that I will try to convey

Precision and foresight form the connecting theme.

It takes accuracy, vision, and painstaking attention to detail to design something that is beautifully built. This is similar to the skills required to lead a team through difficult projects. In the field of information technology, we work hard to balance form and function. We work through ambiguous strategic challenges and our answers must be engineered and precise (whether applied to an internal business challenge or in a client facing scenario). The same is true in my craft: I try to combine shape and function into seamless products that are interesting to look at as well as useful in some way. And it is not always clear what the end result will be or how to get there.

A Trip Motivated by the Legends Who Came Before Us

As I fully immerse myself in the process of making things, I can't help but be influenced by the brilliant brains who flourished throughout the period known as mid-century modern. These great forebears of the design industry have made an everlasting influence on the field. George Nelson, the Eames brothers, and Poul Cadovius are just a few examples. Their audacity in combining contemporary aesthetics with classic elegance strikes a deep chord within me, and I often feel that I am able to absorb some of their spirit when I am working on my own versions.

A Fertile Ground for Creative Exploration

In the midst of the frenetic pace of the technological world, my workshop emerges as a haven: a fertile ground for creation and an arena in which I am free to express my creative potential. In this context, the binary character of code and the algorithmic limits do not place any restrictions on my actions. In its place, I discover comfort in the liberty of my hands, which, when put to work, bring to life the images that swirl around in my head.

A Trip in the Same Direction

My job in the technology world and my enthusiasm for making things may appear to be two separate roads, yet there is more of a connection between them than one may initially think. My career has been defined by innovative solutions that question norms, and my craft, like my profession, is defined by a perpetual investigation of new territory in design.

Accepting and Participating in the Game

Because of my own work, I have gained an appreciation for the dynamic relationship that exists between originality and skilled craftsmanship. Even in the most technically demanding jobs, there is a significant amount of room for artistic expression and the search of beauty. As I get more knowledgeable in the fields of art and technology, I am coming to the conclusion that the boundaries that have traditionally been used to distinguish the two are not as strict as they may initially appear.

What is your inspiration?

I want to express my gratitude for letting me share this with you. I have faith that your journey will instill in you a deeper appreciation for the wonder that can be created when artistic expression and technological innovation come together. In your comments let me know what inspires you? What is your passion which connects or bridges gaps in your career?

Tiran Dagan