Heartbeat & Human Touch
Why Creativity Needs Community.
Our takeouts from this year’s D&AD Festival.
Nicola Eager, Marketing Director
The first resounding takeout, an oldie but a goodie; Craft - but not as we know it. Nostalgic throwbacks, expected expressions and musing stories of ‘the good old days’. Out. A new era emerging. A modern necessity in a world endlessly encouraged to take shortcuts - Craft is the mindset. Time taken to shape, refine, reflect and refine again. Elevating ideas with newfound obsession and passion. Craft isn’t just details; it’s the difference between a fleeting impression and timeless value.
Aspirations were another standout theme. Not just personal goals, but those bigger, brighter ambitions - doing work for the world; that brings joy; that makes the world a bit better. The kind of creativity that doesn’t just chase the brief but chases a bigger purpose by thinking bigger.¹
Which leads me to the most impactful theme of the festival. Community. Because creativity doesn’t happen in a vacuum (or solely with the hottest tools). True creativity thrives in connection, in collective energy and in shared sparks. Take Germany Lancaster, who forged her own path to art direction without ever going to art school. Standing on stage, telling her story, she exemplified the kind of untraditional brilliance that emerges when we broaden our idea of what creative journeys can look like. Creativity isn’t taught; it’s lived, and we’ve all taken different paths to get here.
Considering that we all averagely take 30,000 breaths a day, how many of those are filled with wonder, surprise, or delight? If something truly moves us - steals our breath for a second - is it a sign that we’re onto something meaningful? Everyday thousands of brands fight for a fraction of our attention. Each tap, swipe, or scroll is a potential moment of connection, inspiration, or emotion.² We’re not just filling feeds; we’re filling moments of someone’s life. Hopefully with a simple and true idea from our bold, creative and meaningful community.
1 All ideas are bad ideas (Until designed): James Taylor
2 Precipice: Nils Leonard
Top: 20 minutes. 10 ideas for the type of creative company the world might actually want to exist right now. Precipice: Nils Leonard.
Above: A sneak peak at this year’s entrants.
Julie Crebo, Design Director
The D&AD Festival is arguably one of the most prestigious events in the creative calendar. It celebrates the best and brightest ideas, pitting them against each other in a bid to claim that coveted pencil. It’s one of those occasions that leaves you both inspired and, admittedly, a little yellow with envy.
Like any great event, it’s also a chance to be among peers - to celebrate our talented community and the vocation that is design, all in the spirit of healthy competition. Competition is important. It pushes each of us to raise our game while simultaneously encouraging one another to improve.
But what does it truly take to be considered the 'best'? If you’ve had the privilege of being mentored by an inspirational leader or worked alongside a team of superstars, you tend to learn by osmosis. Yet for those without that privilege, the methods for success often remain a mystery - keeping those at the top, on top.
That’s why Mick Mahoney’s selfless approach and his so-called ‘secret sauce’ in How to Be a Creative Leader feels so refreshing. He dares to demystify what it really takes to reach the top of the game. He questions why there’s no “handbook” for creative leadership, pointing out how the default approach tends to be “pick it up as you go” - or worse, “fake it till you make it.” In response, Mahoney challenges this mindset with a new book that argues there are metrics in our industry - tools that can guide collective spirit and foster a more positive, inclusive culture of creativity.¹
At its core, our job - when done successfully - is to communicate and influence behaviour, ideally for the better. Design has the power to uplift, connect, and create meaningful impact. This isn’t to make design sound self-important, but if, as Dieter Rams said, 'great design is invisible,' how can we use that invisible superpower to better our own design culture? It’s a question more relevant than ever in the age of AI, where rising productivity and an intellectual arms race threaten to widen the competitive gap even further.
So, the next time you have the great fortune to attend an event, don’t just view it as ‘an opportunity to network.’ Instead, see it as a moment for community. That small shift in mindset can transform a self-serving instinct into something that celebrates all of us - embracing competition not for ego, but for the greater good of design.
1 What does it take to be a successful creative leader?: Mick Mahoney
Top: Mick Mahoney asking us to question what it takes to be a creative leader. Above: The world at a designer's feet.
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