On Friday 13th June 2025, Birmingham Town Hall pulsed with creativity, curiosity, and colour. This year’s Birmingham Design Festival explored the theme of play in all its radical, serious, and subversive forms.

In this blog, we break down each speaker’s thoughts and interpretation of what play means to them.

TEMPLO – Anoushka Rodda & Pali Palavathanan

Rebranding heritage

It’s no easy feat to open a conference to 900 people. But Rodda and Palavathanan of TEMPLO opened with the bold and thoughtful redesign of G.F Smith, showcasing how even the most established brands can embrace change. 

  • They spoke of “zigging when everyone else is zagging”, challenging the uniformity of corporate branding.
  • Rebelling against the faceless PLC, their work offers space that includes rather than excludes.
  • Even the weight of type was informed by the gsm of paper. A reminder that materiality matters.

Kelli Anderson – Graphic Artist & Paper Engineer

The wonder of lo-fi in a hi-tech world 

Anderson asked: “What do we think the things we design do to us?” Her work blends design, science, and wonder. 

  • From record player wedding invites to interactive books on typography, Anderson’s projects are playful yet profound.
  • She introduced the concept of disruptive wonder - design that subverts expectations in subtle, delightful ways.
  • Her fascination with lo-fi interactivity questions why, even in a digital age, we’re still drawn to the tactile and analogue. 

Liza Enebeis – Studio Dumbar / DEPT® 

Structure + spontaneity = play 

Enebeis spoke about the power of motion and sound to spark emotional response.  

  • “Creativity is constant,” she said, “but how we create is always evolving.” 
  • For Enebeis, play is freedom, but one that thrives within structure. 
  • She urged us to question the tools, reminding us that creativity often lives in unexpected constraints. 

Chris Clarke – The Guardian 

When play gets serious 

Chris Clarke explored the intersection of editorial design and playful thinking. 

  • Authentic design, in Clarke’s view, “doesn’t seek to impress—it seeks to connect.” In an industry often driven by aesthetics, trends, and surface-level innovation, Clarke’s view reframes the purpose of design. 
  • Clarke encouraged designers to maintain a sense of curiosity and experimentation, even when working within strict editorial frameworks. 

Malika Favre & George Wu – Collaboration in Style 

Craft, taste, and a touch of humour 

Artist Malika Favre and curator George Wu reflected on their collaborative journey, including the playfully sharp Instagram account: 

  • ‘I can’t afford this, but maybe she can’ is their cleverly titled Instagram page. 
  • Their talk centred on the blend of craft, style, and taste, and the power of visual language to provoke and charm. 
  • Favre and Wu both evoked a sense of collaborative play and the strength of friendships within creativity. 

Javier Jaén – Studio Founder 

The joyful translator of ideas 

A very important note of ours from Jaén’s talk was “JUST SO SILLY”, Jaén reminded us not to take ourselves too seriously. 

  • On style, he was clear: sticking to one style feels claustrophobic. To evolve as a designer, you must remain open, curious, and adaptable.  
  • His role, he said, is to be a translator, turning abstract ideas into striking visuals.  

Bryony Gomez-Palacio & Armin Vit – UnderConsideration 

Design as both play and process 

The duo behind the Brand New Conference shared insights from years of creative and critical exploration. 

  • For them, play is how ideas are born, and work is how they’re realised. 
  • They described a cycle where experimentation fuels execution and vice versa. 

Merlin Crossingham – Aardman 

Play with everything you've got 

Crossingham closed the day with warmth and wit, reflecting on his work at Aardman and the creation of the much-loved duo Wallis & Grommet. 

  • From the joy of “playing with every tone in the box” to asking “What if?”, his talk was a love letter to curiosity. 
  • Crossingham shared insights from his years at Aardman, where storytelling and character are rooted in craft, humour, and heart. 
  • Showing the trailer for ‘Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl’ felt like the perfect ending for the day. 

Final Thoughts

Birmingham Design Festival 2025 was a vibrant reminder that play isn’t frivolous, it’s fundamental. Whether it’s through type, paper, sound, or silliness, these speakers showed that play can be both a method and a mindset. It’s how we learn, challenge, and ultimately, how we connect.

Every year we learn some much from Birmingham Design Festival and we’re so excited to bring more play into our creative process. If you have a design project you need help with...

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