Last week, our design team headed to Milton Keynes for AllFlows, a creative, design and digital festival. We each came away with something slightly different, so we’ve pulled together a few reflections from the people who attended.
Elliott
Last week the design team headed to Milton Keynes for AllFlows, the annual creative, design and digital festival. My main takeaway was how valuable it is to step away from the norm, get away from the screen for a bit and spend a few days around like-minded creatives. It was a really good reset.
The talks were really varied and all inspiring in their own way, with speakers from all over the world covering everything from brand design to graphic design for filmmaking and even architecture. Even though they were all so different, there was something to take away from every one of them. The thing that tied them all together was a real passion and a belief in themselves to keep pushing and working hard, even when things got tough and that was genuinely inspiring to see. The whole event had a really feel-good, welcoming vibe to it as well, everyone was friendly and open to creativity.
The thing I keep coming back to is how easy it is to get caught up in the day to day detail of projects and forget that at the end of the day we're creatives. There is always an opportunity, and a bit of power, to do something a bit different or a bit more forward-thinking, even within work that might seem more practical at first glance. I came away feeling creatively refreshed and inspired to break from my normal creative work and try some things that are a bit different. It was great to spend that time with the team too, away from the office with a pure focus on creativity and what we do and how we work.
Lina
AllFlows was a real treat to visit! With no expectations going in, I found the experience to be even more fulfilling, as each speaker brought their unique inspiration to the stage. It was also a wonderful opportunity to spend more time with the team.
Among the speakers, agencies such as 40Mustaqel and Templo particularly resonated with me, demonstrating how brand-focused design can creatively celebrate cultural beauty or amplify marginalised voices. Additionally, Rob Draper reminded all creatives, myself included, of the importance of "Play" work and the joy that comes from creating for our own fulfilment.
Nathan
What was great about AllFlows was that it didn’t feel like a conference trying to hand us answers nor was it a room full of creatives celebrating their own output (although there was of course a bit of that too). It felt more like a reminder to pay attention.
Pay attention to craft. To cultural context. To taste, not as a vague creative instinct, but as the ability to discern good from great and let that shape the outcome. Annie Atkins’ forensic detail in film graphics, 40Mustaqel’s reminder that cultural context can give work depth and specificity and McBess talking about the importance of working with friends all landed in different ways but circled the same idea; the strongest work comes from care, intent and a clear sense of who it’s for.
Surprisingly, there was very little talk of AI, but you could feel it in the room, part excitement, part uncertainty. What cut through was something more reassuring; AI can make parts of the process faster but craft is still what makes the work feel considered. Work made with care, context and a specific audience in mind will always land with more impact.
Lastly, it’s always valuable to step away from the day-to-day and look beyond the work in front of us. It gave us time to reconnect as a team, reflect on the talks themselves and the kind of work we want to keep making.
