Earlier this month, the M3 creative team attended several talks at the Birmingham Design Festival which was hosted in and around the city’s creative quarter.
The theme of the festival this year was ‘PROCESS’, and out of all the seminars we attended, the four that resonated with us the most showcased topics such as the creative thought process, motion design, brand development and strategy.
The first event, hosted by Dan Silverstone, took us through the processes of a Motion Graphic designer. This talk was an intriguing insight into workflow, problem-solving and creative output, where we were given a step-by-step guide to Dan’s working practices.
The seminar also discussed the effect that positive and negative office environments can have on productivity and creativity. With a showcase of high-quality work and a humorous tone throughout, this talk was very engaging and insightful for the M3 creative team!
The second talk discussed creative thought strategy, methodology and implementation of creative ideas. Design Bridge and Partners took us on a journey from initial strategic work to the final brand project.
The talk was particularly insightful when addressing how the research from an effective strategy team can help shape amazing creative work. Highlights were seeing the work for the UK’s Eurovision Event branding as well as a practical task! This was based on the ‘4 I’s’ (Issue, Insight, Idea, Impact) of a project. This simple method is definitely something we will look to explore at M3.
The penultimate seminar involved a showcase of Design Studio’s high-profile rebrand of Eurostar as well as the recent branding for EA Sports FC 24 Pro. Alongside the final creative, the depth of justification behind each avenue was analysed. It showed the varying levels of conceptualisation and creativity which can stem from a single idea and grow into much more! It was a reminder for us that in-depth brand projects can often take years to perfect (four in the case of Eurostar).
The final event, led by Brendan Kearns, was based on overcoming the limitations of creativity within individuals and the design industry as a whole. Divergent thinking was the key theme of the talk, discussing the journey from the unfiltered creative minds of children to the moulded thought processes of adults.
We came away feeling inspired and intrigued to explore our own creative processes with a breath of fresh air and optimism. This discussion really resonated with the team!
Following the talk, our team discussed recent M3 brainstorming sessions and how the process works, highlighting that we often need time for concepts to percolate before we revisit and refine.
In a nutshell, the Birmingham Design Festival was a fantastic experience for the M3 creative team. We came away with fresh insights and practical ideas from each talk, whether it was about motion graphic design, strategic brand development, or overcoming creative limitations. The engaging seminars and inspiring speakers reminded us of the importance of creativity, patience, and open-mindedness in our work. We're excited to bring these new perspectives back to M3 and can't wait to see how they influence our future projects. Overall, it was an inspiring and enriching experience that left us buzzing with enthusiasm and new ideas! We’re already looking forward to attending future events and continuing our journey of creative discovery.
