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.
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.
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.