What’s Your Playground?

Day One: Hands full, heart full

I headed up to Birmingham a day early, solo – which felt oddly freeing. No emails. No meetings. (And no parental responsibility either!). Just me, a notebook, and a head that needed some uncluttering.

The first workshop – Practice is Play, led by Jimmy Turrell and Stephen Smith (aka Neasden Control Centre) – was the creative jolt I didn’t know I needed. We were handed scissors, glue sticks, printouts, paper, paints, fragments of type and one loose brief: create a visual inspired by your favourite song or movie. No client. No deadline. No need to justify. Just rip, cut, collage – and see what happens. We even got to heat-press our creations onto tote bags, transforming our handmade chaos into tactile, glorious artefacts.

There was something beautifully unpolished about the whole thing. It was instinctive and energising. I hadn’t felt that kind of buzz in a while – that spark that comes from doing, not just thinking. It made me wonder: why don’t I do this more often? Not just in work, but at home too – especially with my young daughter, who lives and breathes play so naturally.

Later, I joined a Typocircle workshop hosted by Alice Ishiguro Tosey, exploring play with type. Another opportunity to cut and stick – this time using letterforms in a mix of scripts and languages (even Wingdings made an appearance), which gave us more shapes and forms to work with.

One exercise had us creating self-portraits using nothing but letterforms. In another, half the room made the top halves of figures, the other half made the bottoms – human, or not-so-human. Then we swapped and combined our creations with people we’d never met.

Again, there was no pressure. No overthinking. Just free-flow play.
The best part? Collaborating through creativity – being thoughtful with someone else’s work, adding to it without taking over, and watching something weird and wonderful take shape. By the end of the day, I felt full – in the best way. Reconnected with something vital. Not just in design, but in myself.

Day Two: Play, redefined

The next morning, the rest of the Naked team joined me in Birmingham for the full conference day. We headed to the venue, buzzing to hear how other creatives interpret Play in their work – and how it shows up in process, practice, and team culture. There were loads of brilliant talks, but a few really hit home.

Templo shared the thinking behind their bold rebrand for G . F Smith – a legacy paper brand reimagined through warmth, colour, and a custom smiling logo. It was joyful, but rooted in meaning. After all the uproar it sparked in the design industry, it was refreshing to hear the strategic story behind it – and honestly, it's just perfect! Dan admitted: “Templo won me over. Their commitment to building the brand’s playful spirit into everything – from signage to those gorgeous half-circle swatch books – really stood out. It was one of the only talks that balanced play with commercial focus.” Katie agreed: “Getting the inside story totally changed my view on it. I left feeling genuinely inspired.”

Then came Studio Dumbar, who delivered a masterclass in motion and sound. Their identity systems were alive – pulsing, shifting, full of energy. Katie reflected: “The Cities in Motion work was absolutely incredible – visually stunning, thoughtful, and full of spirit.” But what really stayed with us wasn’t just the visuals – it was their culture. They spoke about the power of trust. How creativity only really thrives when people feel safe to explore, experiment, and sometimes fail. That struck a chord. 
As Dave put it: “Play isn’t just a byword for creativity – it’s how we work. We don’t sit waiting for inspiration to strike. We start playing. With colour, typography, illustration – whatever helps elevate a brand. Being playful doesn’t mean you’re not serious.”

And then came Javier Jaén – the Spanish designer and illustrator whose work felt like a surreal dream. Thoughtful, often quietly political, sometimes laugh-out-loud funny – always playful. His talk left a mark. “He was the highlight for me,” said Katie. “I was genuinely moved.”

So what did we get out of BDF25?

By the end of the day, we weren’t just inspired – we were recharged. With fresh perspective, new ideas, and the reminder that the best kind of play makes you feel something… and then makes you think.

Tom, attending his first-ever design conference, was struck by how relatable it all was: “It was interesting to see that all design teams – even the big-name ones – wrestle with the same challenges we do at Naked. And Dan summed up the day on a personal note: “The best part? Just spending time together as a team, away from the office. That was valuable – even if the train delays weren’t.”

Thanks Birmingham Design Festival 2025, you were ace!