So what?

Celebrating five years of The Future Collective recently got us thinking.

With such a future-focused approach to design, it’s a rare opportunity for us to take a pause and look back.

Something we always circle back to is the question ‘so what?’ It seems like a simple thing, but something that we know is always worth asking.

For us, it’s a question that keeps us grounded, and forces us to uncover the real ‘why’ behind our work, to ask ourselves ‘what impact will this have?’ It’s how we design for better, with true meaning and purpose; a way of stripping back assumptions and getting to the core of what actually matters.

The question isn’t just for agencies either, it applies to all creatives. Meaning and purpose within creativity are everything: design without purpose is design without impact. It’s how you cut through the noise of a crowded industry, and design with people in mind. Because creativity doesn’t exist in isolation, it’s deeply rooted within people. People are at the centre of every decision we make, so asking ourselves this question reminds us to consider the real impact that our work is having.

Asking ‘so what’ means pushing beyond the boundaries of the ordinary, breathing a greater sense of soul into our projects. Given the pace at which our industry is rapidly evolving, it ensures we don’t get lost and lose sight of what really matters.

Our goal is to constantly evolve and move forward, and the belief that meaning comes from purpose, not just mere relevance, keeps us moving in the right direction. It’s about trusting our creativity enough to interrogate it.

Strategy us our thing, creativity is everything.

Anyone who has followed our growth over the last five years will know that true creativity for us is rooted in strategic thinking, and constantly questioning, allowing us to move at a pace which keeps us future-focused.

So, next time you’ve reached a turning point, if you really want to innovate with purpose, ask yourself: ‘So what?’