Ideas rarely appear from nowhere. They form through memory, observation, conversation and the conditions of their time. Some are acted on immediately, others sit quietly until someone gives them form. A Study of Ideas explores that space between thought and making – where ideas begin, what shapes them and what allows them to become real.
As part of the continued collaboration between Assembly Label and McMullin, and in celebration of a new interpretation of the Rice Paper Lamp, we visited the homes and studios of creatives across different disciplines to explore the ideas, habits and observations that shape the way they think.
Meet Clark Kent Koga – a Sydney-based, Filipino-Japanese brand strategist working at the meeting point of data, creativity and culture. After several years at Google, he founded department, an independent consultancy working with some of Australia’s most distinct fashion, design and lifestyle brands.
We visited Clark in his home to talk about how he approaches creative thinking, the role instinct plays in his work and the everyday habits that help him pay attention. Stepping into his home, it's immediately clear that nothing has arrived there by accident. Filled with books, artworks and furniture collected over time, every shelf, frame and object feels considered – a reflection not only of Clark’s taste, but of a life and practice continually shaped by what he notices, collects and returns to.
That same attention carries into his work, where he spends much of his time asking not only what works, but why.
You work at an unusual intersection of data, strategy and creativity. When a new brief comes to you, where do your ideas usually begin?
I would say I work in problem solving, and the ideas typically start from a problem presented and will kind of flow thereafter. It's usually an inkling of a question, an inkling of a problem that slowly gets clarified through conversation. But they never come out of nowhere.
Is there a time or place where ideas come to you most easily?
No time of day, but I would say being outside. I've started not having my earphones in whenever I move through the world so that I can hear and I can participate with the sounds. I'm just doing what I'm doing, walking, waiting for the bus, going for a shop. And that's probably when my brain is more relaxed to actually think.
How do you know when something is worth pursuing?
I don't know how to quantify it because it's going to sound woo-woo, but it's instinct, it's intuition. And there is just that nag in the back of your chest, your throat, wherever, that asks the question of, is this vital?
What usually happens after you have an idea?
I usually sit with the idea and imagine how it runs. What shapes can it take. How simple or grand can it get. Once I get to a place where it's exciting, I start talking to people to stress test the idea. Is it an approach that would make sense for this problem? Is it an idea that's worth pursuing? Is it trend driven? Or will it live further than that?
And once you’re ready to move forward with an idea, what do you turn to first?
I would typically start with data. Validating assumptions and finding relevant insights. When it gets to a number, it's not a negotiation. It’s the same in every country. With data supporting an idea, explaining why becomes easier because it’s no longer an opinion.
What do you find yourself noticing that other people might miss?
Whenever I come across an image, a video, on Instagram, on Pinterest, wherever it is, and I like it, I ask myself why that is, and it can never end in ‘I like this image’ period. Because that's surface level. That gets absolutely nowhere. There always has to be a deeper reason why we’re responding to it. Did it make me feel something? Did it make me want to be in the image? Did it make me want to be the person wearing those clothes?
What creative references do you find yourself returning to?
I like returning to passages of books. Just Kids by Patti Smith. I love that book. I come back to sections of that book that I want to just remember. There’s quite a lot of films, but it's also scenes. Sometimes I just need to watch scenes of things and get re-energised from it.
Can you tell us about the space you work or live in?
I work from home and I have an office in the city. I can enter and exit and move through different environments whenever I need a change of scene. That change of scene changes where my mind is and resets me to a new problem or question.
If someone spent a day with you, what would they notice?
I dress like it's a party when I'm going nowhere, like every day is a party. I've given up on the idea of saving a garment for a special occasion because why shouldn't I wear it today? I will be overdressed even to 7am coffees and that's just because I want to wear my clothes. I don't think it's anything more than I just want to be joyful.
Coffee order? Long Black
Morning person or night owl? Morning.
Do you work best with music or silence? Silence.
What are you listening to lately? Robyn. The new one sexistential.
Naturally tidy or comfortably messy? Naturally tidy.
Do you collect anything, mentally or physically? Pouches. Don't ask.
Digital notes or handwritten? Handwritten.
A book, film, or piece of work that stays with you? The Odyssey, recently.
Window seat or aisle? Aisle.
A meal you never get tired of? Chicken parmi.
A place you always return to? Filippino Islands.
One object you've saved from your home? My mom's photograph.
A colour you've been drawn to recently? Blue.
Something small that made you happy this week? That's a hard question. Um... Pancakes. I made that up.
Maybe you need to make pancakes this week. Nothing made you happy this week? No, I just got stressed about answering the question. But I just made up pancakes because I wanted pancakes yesterday. I couldn't do it. Um... Let's try, these shoes are actually quite fantastic.
