Andy Fry: What is Decoded (www.Decoded.co)?
Steve Henry: It’s a company which teaches people to ‘code in a day.’ We believe that the internet is an incredible tool of communication and commerce, and that everybody should be able to create on it – but because this is quite complex, we teach people face-to-face with small groups. Groups of up to 10 people, with two trainers, learn the basics of code in a day and everybody ends up creating a multi-platform application themselves!
Why does it matter to MIPCube Delegates?
> It’s vitally important for anyone working in the creative industries. If you understand how code works, you can brief better, budget better, create better.
How does knowing Code change things?
> It demystifies, it takes away a huge amount of the anxiety and the bullshit! Also, lots of people go on to create their own content online.
Which companies have bought in?
> We’ve done training for people from companies like BBH, Hill & Knowlton, the BBC, BBC Worldwide, Pearson, The Guardian, Fast Company, O2, Facebook, Channel 4, Wired, Ogilvy, Omnicom… We work with individuals, small companies and huge ones!
Do you have to be under 25 to ‘get’ Code?
> Absolutely not ! Our belief is that everybody can do it, and in our course nobody gets left behind.
Is your course for n00bs or nerds?
> It’s not really for IT execs – it’s for everybody else! It’s aimed at non-techies, the 90% of people who don’t understand the technology, but who would really benefit from understanding it. However, even techies come along and they always get something out of it!
How did you get involved with the subject?
> I’ve been working in advertising for a long time, and I was astonished at how few people in the industry understood this incredible medium. It occurred to me that the most helpful thing I could give the industry was an easy way to get everybody up to speed.
> This is the full version of the interview that appears in the MIPCube Preview magazine: out now! & read all the interviews with our future-shaping speakers here.
