Interview | Cathy Vézina of UQAT Talks About Teamwork, Creativity, and Agility

The Xn Summit is a gathering of Quebec’s digital experience production ecosystem, where your ideas and expertise will shape the future of the association and the industry. In preparation for this exceptional day of strategic reflection, we’re offering a series of inspiring interviews and case studies.

Cathy Vézina is a professor of digital design at UQAT. We met with her to learn more about the keys to successful teamwork in the field of digital creativity. She also talks about how to turn constraints into challenges to be overcome and the approach the creative industries should take in an uncertain environment.

Enjoy the read!

Could you briefly tell us about your background and what led you to teach digital design at the Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue?

Among the pioneering institutions in Quebec, the Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue (UQAT) proposed launching a program in interactive multimedia design as early as 1999. In fact, it was the term “interactive” that sparked my curiosity about the field in the early 2000s. At the time, it was a new and unique field of study in Quebec, offered right in my region. As a student, the emergence of strong regional demand for “digital products” quickly allowed me to gain diverse experience in both graphic design (web and print) and project management. Since the field was still in its formative stages, I also had the opportunity, as a freelancer, to provide various types of training.

Convinced of the potential for digital development in a region historically known for its mining industry, I decided to pursue graduate studies and settle here permanently. It may sound like a cliché, but life in the region is characterized by a sense of community and trust that fosters a great deal of freedom and opens the door to many opportunities. And so, one thing leading to another, I landed a position as a professor.

Budget, time, and technological constraints are often perceived as limitations. In your experience, how can these constraints actually stimulate creativity?

In academia, constraints are ever-present, particularly because of our dependence on decisions made by higher authorities. While they are generally viewed as negative, constraints are nevertheless an integral part of any project. Their impact varies depending on one’s perspective, but also on when they arise. Starting a project with a clear understanding of the constraints is very different from seeing them emerge as the project progresses.

For my part, I’m in the habit of turning constraints into guideposts and identifying the scope for action available to me, because there’s always some room to maneuver—whether it’s limited or more extensive. Every situation offers an opportunity to act, despite the constraints that define it. It is therefore a matter of learning to recognize these constraints and reframe them as reference points or guidelines, in order to create the necessary freedom to bring ideas to life. The constraint then becomes an opportunity for problem-solving, a challenge to be met. A time constraint, for example, can encourage collaboration; limited technological resources can pave the way for critical reflection on overconsumption or encourage more inventive approaches.

Digital projects often bring together people with different backgrounds who don’t necessarily speak the same professional “language” (e.g., artists, designers, developers, and managers). How can we get them to work together without one group dominating the others?

When I supervise project teams, I place particular emphasis on group dynamics. In my view, a thorough understanding of the challenges and unique circumstances of each team member is the starting point for effective collaboration. This can extend to very practical details, such as how to name a file: a seemingly trivial detail, but one that can greatly facilitate or complicate the work of the person who will need to retrieve it. Taking the time to understand others’ tasks and constraints helps foster a climate of creative trust within the group.

A few years ago, I discovered the Foursight creative thinking profiles, which I now incorporate into my teaching. This tool helps students identify their creative thinking profile and better understand how their preferences influence their decisions, perceptions, stress levels, and interactions with others. By becoming aware of their own profile as well as that of their colleagues (Clarifier, Ideator, Developer, or Implementer), they gain insight into their preferences and strengths at different stages of the process of creating and bringing a project to life. Above all, this approach fosters the development of empathy and mutual respect within teams.

By becoming aware of their creative habits, students are better able to anticipate when they will need to rely on their peers, as well as when their contributions will be particularly helpful to others. Since incorporating this approach into project-based learning, I have observed an improvement in group dynamics: teams are more cohesive and productive.

From an educational perspective, what should we be teaching earlier—or differently—to better prepare the next generation to work as a team in hybrid and constantly evolving environments?

In my opinion, face-to-face communication is a key element in ensuring that teamwork runs smoothly. Written communication—whether in the form of messages or discussions on digital platforms—certainly has the advantage of speed, but it is also more likely to be misinterpreted and to lead to misunderstandings, or even conflicts, within a work team.

As part of my project-based courses, I consistently encourage students to meet in person several times throughout the week. I believe it is essential for the next generation to develop empathy skills as well as the ability to “read others,” which are linked to interpersonal skills and an understanding of human dynamics. Short meetings—for example, at the start of the day—allow the team to take stock of priorities, needs, or challenges they’re facing, particularly to redistribute tasks when a team member is overloaded, and can make a real difference in the health of a team and the well-being of its members. I also emphasize the importance of ongoing communication through project management tools, even when it’s simply to confirm that everything is proceeding as planned and that deadlines will be met. Requiring in-person meetings during training helps develop strong communication habits. With experience and professional maturity, these exchanges can then take place remotely, particularly via videoconference. That said, I remain firmly convinced of the value of regularly scheduled in-person meetings.

If you had one piece of advice to offer cultural and creative organizations: what kind of structure, framework, or approach best fosters the emergence of new ideas and new professions, even in an uncertain environment?

I would advise cultural and creative organizations to adopt an agile approach that places a central emphasis on adaptation, experimentation, openness, and listening to others. If there’s one major lesson I’ve learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s that an overly rigid framework quickly becomes obsolete in a context where reality can change overnight.

This brings me back to the concept of flexibility. In a society where everything is accelerating and where we sometimes feel overwhelmed, it becomes essential to learn to let go of the need for absolute control, to go with the flow more often, and to be open to frequently adjusting our decisions. Going against the grain, taking a step back, or changing course should not be seen as a waste of time, but as necessary conditions for innovation. Despite constraints and uncertainties, organizations benefit from creating room to maneuver that allows them to adapt, experiment, and evolve their practices. It is within these zones of flexibility that new ideas, new professions, and renewed forms of creativity can emerge.

Photo by Christian Leduc.

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