Our annual trip to the Birmingham Design Festival is always a treat, and this year’s event was yet another brilliant day of inspiring talks. The conference was underpinned by the theme of ‘play’ - encouraging speakers to explore how and where play influences their work, and why it’s important to their creative process.
The esteemed speakers were Pali Palavathanan and Anoushka Rodda from Templo, Kelli Anderson, Liza Enebis from Studio Dumbar, Chris Clarke from The Guardian, illustrator Malika Favre, designer Javier Jaén, Armin Vit and Bryony Gomez-Palacio from Under Consideration, and Merlin Crossingham from Aardman.
The event left us reflecting on how play influences our own work. Here’s our thoughts…
To us, play is a mindset. It keeps us curious, open to new ideas, and receptive to unexpected opportunities. Play means resisting trends and avoiding the trap of a fixed style. As Javier Jaén said, “sticking to one tool or style is claustrophobic.”
Creativity thrives when we stay flexible, explore freely, and approach challenges from fresh, unconventional angles. That’s the power of play.
The best ideas sometimes come from ‘what if...?’”
Merlin Crossingham
Director at Aardman
Play within design can sometimes be misunderstood – it’s not always about throwing away the rulebook. In fact, in branding especially, play can thrive on structure. As Chris Clarke puts it, “first design the building, then graffiti the wall.”
Without the right building blocks – and the right people to lay them – play has nowhere to grow.
However, play shouldn’t be restrained by the more disciplined aspects of the design process – it’s the most creatively liberating part of the process. It’s where true passion comes through, giving space to what Kelli Anderson calls “disruptive wonder.”
When something is fun to create, that energy is embedded in the work, inviting others to share in that joy and curiosity. By prioritising play, we create with emotion – and emotion is a powerful driver in branding.
At Clout we’re strong advocates for play in our approach. We love it when clients observe that, and appreciate it.
As adults, we often lose touch with the wonder of play – just as we let go of the carefree spirit of childhood. But why shouldn’t we carry a playful mindset into everyday life? Try an unexpected mix of ingredients in the kitchen or experiment with your yoga flow and feel the benefit of play in your everyday. As Liza Enebis put it, “play is a really tricky word – it’s just about everything.”
In a world often overshadowed by negativity, it was truly inspiring to hear these incredible creatives remind us of the brilliant and beautiful things we’re capable of – if only we just play.
One of our favourite quotes from the day, shared by Kelli Anderson:
There is another world, and it is in this one.”
Paul Èluard
