Dell Technologies
Curiosity
How do you show that a technology company is shaped by human curiosity, not hardware or code?
For Dell Technologies, the ambition in 2024 was not to explain what the company builds, but why it builds and who it is built by. In an era defined by artificial intelligence, the challenge was to show that progress begins with people driven by curiosity, purpose and lived experience.
The answer was “Curiosity” – an animated docu-story that framed curiosity as the engine of innovation and human progress.
At the heart of the story is Michael Shepherd, Senior Distinguished Engineer in Dell Technologies’ Services Chief Technology Office. But Curiosity is not about titles or career milestones. It is about a mindset formed long before formal education or professional success.
Growing up in the sub-Himalayan region of Nepal, Michael spent his childhood exploring the mountains with friends, driven by a desire to see what lay beyond the next curve. Curiosity was instinctive and hands-on. When he encountered a small motorized vehicle in the city, he did not simply admire it, he asked how it could work in his village and rebuilt the idea using bamboo and the tools available to him.
Agency
VML Copenhagen
Role
Executive Creative Director
That same curiosity carried him into electrical engineering and later into his work at Dell. Shaped by his upbringing in a developing country, Michael’s focus has been less on the complexity of artificial intelligence and more on its usability – ensuring advanced technologies are accessible and meaningful to everyone.
The film uses animation to express the internal moments that drive innovation – when ideas connect and insight emerges. Michael describes his journey as a series of “aha” moments, none of which could have predicted where he would end up, but each of which mattered.
Importantly, Michael is not presented as an exception. He represents the people at Dell whose diverse experiences, curiosity and persistence shape the company every day. Curiosity re-frames Dell in the Age of AI as a brand built not just on technology, but on human potential.
Ultimately, the film delivers a simple truth. Progress is not driven by answers alone, but by the courage to keep asking questions.
