D&AD New Blood

Inspiring the Next Generation of Creative Talent

For three consecutive years, I sponsored and judged the D&AD New Blood Awards, creating industry briefs that challenged students to solve genuine business and social problems through creativity, strategy and design.

Sponsor

Judge

Mentor

Briefs as invitations

Creating space for emerging creatives to turn lived experience, strategy and craft into work that matters.

Why It Mattered

The D&AD New Blood Awards are more than a student competition. They’re a platform where emerging designers, strategists and creative thinkers tackle real-world challenges set by leading organisations. As both a sponsor and judge, my role wasn’t simply to evaluate creative work. It was to create briefs that inspired students to think differently, solve meaningful problems and demonstrate the impact design can have on people’s lives.

The best briefs don’t ask for beautiful ideas. They ask for better solutions.

Understanding the challenge

Start with a problem worth solving, not a format to fill.

Defining meaningful outcomes

Frame success around behaviour, understanding and human impact.

Encouraging bold thinking

Give students permission to question assumptions and reframe the problem.

Supporting experimentation

Encourage routes that are exploratory, provocative and evidence-led.

Connecting creativity with purpose

Make originality serve a human need, not just an awards moment.

Rewarding real impact

Celebrate work that can shift perception, behaviour or opportunity.

Mentoring Future Talent

Throughout the programme, I worked closely with students, offering guidance, mentoring and industry insight to help them develop their ideas into compelling solutions. Watching creativity evolve into meaningful, real-world outcomes was one of the most rewarding parts of the experience.

Creative workshop sketches and collaboration notes

Recognising Ideas That Made a Difference

Across three consecutive years, the briefs I helped create and the students I mentored achieved outstanding success, winning some of the most prestigious honours at the D&AD New Blood Awards, including multiple Black Pencils. The recognition wasn’t simply about creative excellence. It reflected ideas that solved real problems with empathy, originality and purpose.

3

consecutive years

Sponsor

industry briefs

Judge

creative excellence

Multiple

award-winning student teams

Black Pencil

winning brief

Impact

ideas with purpose

When Design Changes Lives

One of the final briefs was created in partnership with Shelter, focusing on one of society’s most important challenges. The winning student had experienced homelessness herself. Her personal understanding of the problem brought an authenticity, empathy and insight that transformed the brief into something truly exceptional. Her work went on to win the coveted D&AD Black Pencil. It was a powerful reminder that the best ideas often come from lived experience and that great design starts by understanding people.

Warm editorial image of focused creative work and human story

What I Look For

Purpose over decoration.

Human-centred thinking.

Original ideas.

Strategic creativity.

Real-world impact.

Ideas that make a difference.

Great leaders don’t create followers. They create opportunities for others to succeed.

Whether mentoring students or leading multidisciplinary teams, I believe creativity flourishes when people are encouraged to challenge assumptions, explore new ideas and solve meaningful problems together.