Play shouldn’t be a luxury. It's how creative teams stay sharp, curious, and connected to why the work matters.
Constraints don't limit good ideas; they focus them. Boundaries push teams to think more deeply and express more clearly.
AI is changing how we work, but the soul of great design still comes from people and their willingness to make things that resonate.
Creativity still starts with people
Our agency’s creative team attended this year’s Brand New Conference in Pittsburgh, hosted by the talented folks at UnderConsideration LLC. The two-day event brought together hundreds of designers, storytellers, and strategists from around the world to share ideas, challenge conventions, and celebrate the power of creativity.
Here are three takeaways that inspired us to (re)consider how we approach our branding work:
Play is critical to creativity
The spirit of creative play ran through many Brand New presentations, from Mailchimp’s idea of finding the “wink in the work” to broader conversations about risk, range, and exploration. As the founder of Semi:Formal put it, “Risk equals range.”
The willingness to explore ideas that might fail is what stretches creative thinking and leads to unexpected breakthroughs. Play invites collaboration, sparks surprise and delight, and keeps creative energy alive even under pressure. The best ideas can come from moments that start as loose and exploratory before they sharpen into focus.
For creative teams, embracing play requires building moments of experimentation into the everyday process. Trying that one wild idea before settling on the safe one. Using workshop materials instead of digital tools. Making space to make something just for the fun of it.
Play reminds us why we do this work in the first place. It keeps creativity joyful, curious, and deeply human.
Constraints create clarity
Sometimes, fewer options mean better ideas. Several speakers echoed this theme, showing how boundaries can inspire new ways of thinking.
Whether it’s a tight timeline, strict brand system, or limited palette, structure has the opportunity to push creativity in unexpected ways. This mindset is a great reminder for our team of how constraints help us ask better questions, think more deeply about what’s essential, and find new ways to express a brand’s personality within the lines.
Humanity is the heart of great design
In the conference Fan Zone, a board invited attendees to share their thoughts on how AI is influencing the creative process. The notes were honest, funny, and a little conflicted. Post-its referenced everything from excitement about new tools to concerns about losing the hands-on parts of design that teach us the most.
It was a good reminder that AI will keep changing how we work, but creativity still begins with people. AI can help streamline, build efficiencies, and push ideas, but it can’t replace the curiosity, empathy, and soul that make human-led creative work meaningful.
The takeaway? Stay curious, use the tools wisely, and keep leaning into the human side of what we do. Because that’s where the magic of designing for real people really lives.
