Advice on bold, strategic and creative thinking from Lucie, our Creative Director

After 14+ years working in the industry, Lucie has ridden her fair share of ups and downs. Here she shares her top ten pieces of advice, whether you’re working in an agency, in-house or freelancing.

1. Creativity is a business tool

Design is often deemed a nice-to-have – especially by businesses focused on sales or driven by operational demands – but in reality, it’s a vital investment that builds brand credibility, drives long-term growth and keeps businesses front-of-mind in a crowded, fast-moving market. If you’re always asking yourself, does this solve the client’s problem? Or does this resonate with their audience? You will find yourself focused on purpose, and therefore success.

“Good design is good business.”
Thomas J. Watson Jr. – former IBM CEO

2. Simplicity wins

Great creative isn’t about how much you can add – more often than not, it’s about how much you can remove. Refine ideas until only the essentials remain and if your message can’t be grasped in 3 seconds, it’s too complicated.

3. Think like the end user

Step into the shoes of the audience or your user. What are they feeling? What do they need? What might frustrate them? What do they already know? Creative that can connect emotionally and functionally will always succeed.

4. Present work with confidence, strategy and rationale

Don’t just “show” your work – sell it. Explain the thinking behind your creative decisions, tie your work back to the brief and take pride in your hard work! If you're unsure, clients will be too.

5. Protect your time

Great work doesn’t happen in chaos. Where possible, shield team members from constant interruptions, set clear timelines and be a buffer between the end goal and last-minute client chaos.

6. Give feedback that moves the work forward

Let’s be honest, no one wants to be asked to “make it pop”, least of all your team! Focus on constructive comments and always give rationale, for example instead of saying “this isn’t working” try “this layout doesn’t feel premium enough for the client’s target audience, can we explore further refining the typography?”

7. Encourage bold thinking but know when to pull back

We have an expression to “throw the kitchen sink at it”, which basically means give it everything you’ve got! We can then refine and perfect, rather than trying to push for just creativity. The best work starts from a messy point – it’s this that allows us to create a polished and strategic final execution.

8. Stay curious and keep learning

Trends shift, tech evolves and audiences constantly change but by staying tuned in to what’s happening creatively and culturally you’ll ensure you’re creating with purpose, rather than influence. 

9. Know your non-negotiables

Not every battle is worth fighting but when it really matters – brand integrity, message clarity, tone – fight hard. Clients are working with you for your expertise and best practise, as well as your creativity, and prioritising this will mean your work has clarity and purpose. 

10. Sometimes done is better than perfect

This is especially important when perfection becomes a roadblock to progress. Getting something over the line allows you to learn, adapt and move forward – waiting for perfection can often mean missing the moment entirely. Knowing the difference will only strengthen your approach, skillset and delivery.