We had the pleasure of welcoming David Kestner, founder of the Design Thinkers Academy, into the agency last week as part of our W+Ked speakers programme.

David has a rich history of leading design projects for industry and government and has worked in the creative sector for more than 25 years, including as a former Chief Executive of the UK Design Council and D&AD.

His talk, Living in Beta, discussed the role of design thinking in problem solving – in and out of the creative industry. We heard about the Design Council’s involvement in NHS health innovation programmes, where design played a crucial role in rethinking approaches to infection control, dignity and dementia.

Thanks to David for a genuinely enlightening and thought-provoking morning.

This morning we welcomed Amy Lamé, author, activist and London’s first ever Night Czar, into the office to give her take on what optimism means in today’s society.

Full of personal learnings, hard-hitting stats and even a meditation session voiced by KD Lang, Amy explored the impact world events are having on optimism and what we can do to encourage a more optimistic outlook.

Amy also discussed her role as London Night Czar and her battle to protect the capital’s vulnerable nightlife, revealing that in the past five years, London has lost half its nightclubs and more than 40% of its music venues.

Massive thanks to LGBT+ activist Amy for providing the food for thought during Pride month and W+Ked, our internal training programme, for organising.