A few years ago, I had a conversation with David Carson, where I asked him: “Do you think designers today are too dependent on tools like Adobe Creative Cloud, Figma, and even regurgitated trends and social media? Are they letting software and TikTok think for them, rather than engaging in critical and conceptual thought?”
Shane de Lange, Grid Worldwide’s senior designer, historian, artist, writer, and curator questions and creative Circle jury chair for design, asks if South African design lacks consciousness (Image supplied)
His response has stayed with me—he suggested that creativity has been toned down, making everything feel too similar.
Design has become too available, too easy, and as a result, experimentation and innovation have suffered.
So too has the knowledge of design history, theory, and practice deteriorated.
Just as everyone is a DJ today, anyone can be a designer. But can anyone be a noteworthy designer?
Mundanity in design
Instead of pushing the boundaries of form and substance, digital tools and virtual realities have created an imbalance—between craft and concept, theory and practice, observation and comprehension.
The result? A prolonged era of mundanity in design.
Which begs the question: Is design still thinking, or merely reacting?
Trends, arguably, stand at the forefront of this debate.
As I grow older as a designer, I’ve become increasingly sceptical of them—especially on social media.
The same trends resurface in cycles, repackaged every few years by influencers claiming they’re revolutionary.
Cue the predictable headlines: “The Top 8 Graphic Design Trends of 2025.”
But if you look at who’s posting these trends, chances are they aren’t seasoned creative professionals.
More often than not, they’re chasing engagement, not pushing design forward—offering little grasp of the responsibilities and traditions within the field.
It’s proof that real comprehension of design—its history, theory, and practice—is fading.
A growing scepticism
Serving as jury chair for design at the Creative Circle was an honour, but it also reinforced my growing scepticism.
The issue isn’t just that designers rely too heavily on tools—it’s that many don’t seem to be thinking conceptually or critically at all.
When design becomes merely a means to an end, stripped of intention and inquiry, it loses its essence.
It stops being design and becomes decoration —worse, visual pollution, especially in the fields of branding, advertising, and marketing.
When did we stop questioning why we create?
When did we forget that design is about purposeful problem-solving, meaningful storytelling, and a solid grasp of craft rooted in concept?
Bold choices
The best work I saw wasn’t afraid to make bold choices—to go beyond the obvious in both ideas and executions.
It had something to say. It wasn’t afraid to be funny or sad. It engaged with culture, tackling complex human and social issues. It challenged. It inspired.
Some of what I saw felt predictable and formulaic. It was as if designers were designing for an algorithm, checking off a list of aesthetic trends, but leaving real thought at the door.
How many times did I see work that looked visually pleasing, only to realise it had no soul?
It’s almost as if the art of thinking critically had been outsourced to a software update.
The harsh reality is that if the idea behind the design lacks conviction, no amount of polish will save it.
Role and responsibility
If designers today don’t understand their role and responsibility, and can only perceive a vacuum of surface-level appeal, it’s a sign that we have a problem.
Designers must ask themselves: Why does this work exist?
If the only answer is because it looks good, then it’s time to rethink—better yet, to truly think.
Too many designs rely on animation and exhilarating soundtracks to mask a lack of creative direction. But every great piece of design is born from a clear why.
An empty vessel
The moment you create without purpose, you’re just adding to the noise.
A design that chases trends without a foundation in theory or practice has already failed.
Work that leans on smoke and mirrors doesn’t break boundaries—it stagnates. It becomes a concept-shaped hole—an absence of a core message and strong concept masked by the polish created by the designers’ tools.
It may look refined, even striking, but without depth, instinct, and intent, it’s an empty vessel: structurally sound, yet devoid of meaning.
Institutionalised thinking stifles creativity
Despite these initial thoughts, I was surprised by the array of creative approaches and perspectives that emerged in the variety of submissions.
It reminded me that creativity isn’t confined to one narrow path.
Yet, I couldn’t help but notice how easily we fall into the dogmas of our respective agencies—each with its own prescribed approach to creativity, whether firmly grounded in a solid philosophy or conspicuously lacking one.
This institutionalised thinking often stifles creativity, reducing design to a checklist rather than a dynamic process of critical thought, expressiveness, and meaningful storytelling.
Critical questions
With this in mind, I approached Creative Circle’s judging criteria as a series of critical questions:
Innovation
Does this work offer something truly authentic, or is it just a recycled idea dressed in a fresh coat?
The pieces that stood out to me were those that could stand on their own—rooted in a deep understanding of design theory and practice, supported by a well-founded concept, with a sharp contemporary edge.
They didn’t rely on flashy tools, animations, or trendy soundtracks to hold attention. Instead, they carried weight through substance, not spectacle.
Quality
Does the craftsmanship reflect the strength of the concept, or is it merely a glossy façade that conceals a lack of one? This is where a designer’s awareness of their role and responsibility becomes crucial—demonstrating a deep understanding of the craft, its history, theory, and practice, while seamlessly integrating a contemporary approach and language.
Relevance to brand
Does it capture the true essence of the brand, or is it a hollow imitation of what the brand thinks it should be?
Design shouldn’t simply pander to marketing demands; instead, it should articulate how the creative work aligns with the brand’s strategic purpose, authentically reflecting its core values, vision, and mission.
Relevance to audience
Does this work have a genuine impact, or is it just another fleeting distraction in an endless feed?
Design is most powerful when it speaks to the human experience, tapping into social and cultural elements that resonate deeply.
It’s not just about reaching an audience—it’s about connecting with them, invoking real emotion, and making them feel something in a world saturated with content.
Relevance to medium
Does this work understand how it will be experienced in the real world, or is it merely a flashy visual that disregards both the context in which it exists and the conceptual premise it needs to convey?
This once again speaks to the designer’s responsibility—not just to consider the medium, but to fully grasp their craft, including its history, theory, and practical application. Here’s the kicker: Your audience deserves better.
If your design needs a thousand-word explanation to justify it, you’ve failed. In essence, the most powerful work doesn’t need to be explained.
It doesn’t need to be justified. It simply is. And when people see it, they feel something.
A great concept is a singularity—a moment of convergence and a point of departure.
It stands alone, connecting strategy with creativity in a split second, with a distinct, singular purpose that drives the creative direction forward.
It transcends the noise of trends, achieving a focus that resonates and holds its own.
It makes me go, ‘Why didn’t I think of that?
3 thoughts on design and creativity
At the heart of the work I saw, three thoughts on design and creativity emerged.
The relationship between context, content, craft, and concept
These aren’t separate entities—they must work in harmony.
But, concept is always king.
The most effective designs were deeply aware of why they existed, who they were speaking to, and what they were made for.
They weren’t just aesthetically pleasing—they had depth, meaning, and substance.
They created a genuine connection because they understood how to merge these elements, establishing a clear message and creative direction that guided the executions and storytelling.
An aesthetic or gimmick is not a concept
It’s like saying that reason and emotion are the same. While reason helps us understand the world and make decisions based on evidence, emotion is more about our response to the world, influencing how we connect with it on a deeper, often more instinctive level.
Both play significant roles in creativity, balancing each other out.
The same goes for style and substance. Far too many designers rely on aesthetics without the depth of an underlying concept.
Furthermore, an idea is not the same as a concept—a concept is the singularity caused by many ideas that have reached critical mass.
Aesthetics alone aren’t concepts—they are, once again, a tool.
A designer should never confuse style with substance or prioritise style over substance.
The aesthetic should support the concept, not stand in for it. When purpose drives the work, aesthetics should reflect that purpose, rather than serving as an empty gimmick.
Craft cannot float without concept
No matter how refined your skills are, if the idea behind the design isn’t strong enough to carry it, your craft is pointless—and no amount of software or production will help you.
Too many designers jump straight to execution.
Execution can only go so far. If your work doesn’t have a clear concept, grounded in an iterative process of idea generation, it might as well be gaudy ornament or pure pollution.
The work that stood out wasn’t just well-crafted—it had a clear point of view and a core message, connecting the dots from problem to insight, to concept.
Every element was consistently aligned with the underlying strategy, and communicated succinctly from start to finish.
The real challenge lies in the thinking
Design is not just about aesthetics or technical skill—it’s about conceptual and critical thinking.
A true concept is the singular force that drives creativity, pulling together context, content, and craft in a way that must resonate deeply with the audience.
At a time when tools make design easier than ever, we’ve forgotten that the real challenge lies in the thinking.
If your design is dictated by software, formulas, dogmas, aesthetics, trends, and gimmicks, then you’re not in control.
Tools are just that—tools.
Concept is the engine
Creativity must come from the raw talent, critical thinking, and gut instinct of a designer who understands their role and responsibility within their chosen craft.
The question is: Are we designing with real intent, or are we letting the tools tell us what’s possible?
Simon Sinek’s idea of starting with why rings true here—if you don’t have a clear purpose behind your design, the how and what are meaningless.
When design is driven by purpose and grounded in a meaningful concept, it transcends trends and becomes more than just decoration.
Craft may be the vessel, but concept is the engine—it’s what moves the message and the creative direction forward.
Only when both concept and craft are aligned, from start to finish, does the work achieve its full potential, resonating with people in ways that transcend the superficial and the mediocre?
This is the kind of design that stands the test of time, that doesn’t require over-explanation and leaves a lasting impact.
It is, for the most part, reflected in the calibre of work awarded by Creative Circle on this occasion.
