Tom Bodkin, who has either held or currently holds positions of art director, senior art director, design director, assistant managing editor, and deputy managing editor of The New York Times was recently, well deservedly named its Chief Creative Officer, a new position that firmly plants design into the corporate hierarchy in the 21st century media company. I asked Bodkin what it means to be the first CCO.
CCO Tom Bodkin
The CCO title is entirely new for The New York Times, what does it signify in terms of shift in the operation?
The new title speaks to the growing recognition that design and user interface are central to what we do.
If developing new digital products is the focus of this job, where is the newspaper in this equation?
The newspaper along with the main website continue to be our core products. That is where the full display of the foundation of our enterprise—reporting and writing—occurs.
What if anything will you be doing differently, now that you have three titles, CCO, Deputy Managing Editor and Design Director?
I’ll be doing much the same work, with the same responsibilities for the look and feel of our products, but playing a more seminal role in product development.
For more Steven Heller, check out Citizen Designer: Perspectives on Design Responsibility, one of the many Heller titles available at MyDesignShop.com.