Wrapping up
The word itself is capable of kindling memories of the long lockdown, isolation and terrible uncertainty. Many thought that 2021 would follow suit, but rather the year has challenged creators to innovate, rebrand and expand horizons by connecting with people more effectively – albeit virtually. Despite the hard-hitting effects of the pandemic, the design industry triumphed in 2021, with a plethora of new designs, rebrands, and an insurgence of NFTs and the metaverse.
There have been some valuable and engaging lessons that have risen from amidst all the gloom… So, how has the pandemic affected design agencies and creatives?
1.Embracing change
The biggest lesson that the pandemic has taught us is to be adaptable to change, to stay on course despite whatever is thrown at you. As we all know, situations can change instantly and drastically. What will prevail is our ability as creatives to create and innovate flexible and prevalent brands in any landscape.
2. Hybrid working
The biggest positive of being confined to our homes was that we learnt the ability to work from home – accentuating the transition towards a more hybrid model of working in the future. The world suddenly became smaller, and no agency was territorially confined. This led to several agencies working on international clients and developing a global image.
Another perk of working from home was the improved work-life balance and productivity. However, with its pros, comes a set of cons. With the reinforcement of remote working arises the issue of convincing clients about the ‘company character’ and ‘design spirit’. Agencies all over the globe are needing to utilise the power of digital to communicate and collaborate better – and perhaps find new ways to accentuate their office culture – without the office.
3. Socio-eco concerns are (FINALLY) being addressed
Socio-ecological problems have always been around, but nothing has brought them to the forefront as much as the pandemic has. As humans, we realised the importance of a healthy environment when lots of us saw the difference between clear skies and pollution-free air during the initial lockdown. It’s great to see our clients becoming increasingly focused on trying to reduce their carbon footprint and address environmental issues. As an agency, we have also tried to reduce our footprint by improving load speeds, reducing carbon emissions and creating more sustainable options within our digital offering. In addition we are proud to have partnered with Ecologi, a company with an inspiring mission to remove 50% of global CO2 emissions by 2040 by responsibly planting billions of trees every year.
We are still at the beginning of our climate journey, but we are committed to using our business as a force for good, and hold ourselves accountable to the same standard we expect from our favourite brands.
4. Be honest
There is no need to pretend that everything is perfect. It is okay to be open and bare all. As the co-founder of Creative Boom Darnell Brown states, “vulnerability is the ultimate confidence”. In an evolving and increasingly transparent world, confidence can take you places you would have never dreamt of. As Darnell Brown rightfully says, “Ugly truths and embarrassing stories can sell your work more than ads ever could.”
To wrap up…
We hope you enjoyed these highlights as much as we did. There was a lot to learn from 2021, and we hope to carry on our learnings into the new year, and ultimately emerge as a stronger creative unit.
Finally, to end our last article of the year on a colourful note, Pantone released 17-3938 Very Peri as the colour of 2022. A dynamic new periwinkle blue, the new colour represents the joyous and vibrant spirit of modern creativity. The company rightly describes it as “an empowering mix of newness… opening us up to a new vision as we rewrite our lives” and we couldn’t agree more.
We hope you had a lovely 2021, and we wish you a Very Peri 2022.