Post-Cannes notes: Sagmeister and Walsh’ Creative Renaissance
One of the most anticipated talks at Cannes Lions this year, at least by art directors and designers, for sure, was the “A Creative Renaissance” seminar by Adobe, which opened the sessions in Grand Audi on Monday, the 22nd of June.
Sagmeister and Walsh, NYC is a design firm with a staff of five, yet a global player. You do not hear much of them in Cannes, despite having worked with the likes of Publicis, Droga5 or TBWA. They do the type of design work that should win Grand Prix and probably the only reason why it hasn’t yet, is because they do not enter it. They also don’t pitch to new clients, focusing instead on the work.
And it shows. They manage to keep such large accounts with few people and still deliver amazing work by allowing themselves to play. They expand from one role to every role. There is no one project manager, one strategist, one graphic designer. In the “new renaissance”, one should navigate those seamlessly, intertwined.
But how do you stay motivated on top of all daily frustration? How do you keep the proverbial creative juices flowing? By reminding yourself you don’t need clients or budgets to start making the work to want to be making. Just set out and do it.
Jessica is an example of the highly creative new generation and her success is due to talent, of course, but mostly experimentation and play. And that’s exactly what her seminar was about: how to think from different angles and make visually powerful work that is still highly relevant to the market, brand, and its consumers.
