Collecting Mushrooms with Unicorns: How Playfulness Makes Me a Better Designer
Close your eyes and imagine unicorns jumping from cloud to cloud collecting mushrooms for a party in Paris that night. Ridiculous? Maybe. But there’s a kind of magic in it too. Because when we allow ourselves to imagine freely, we tap into something that’s at the very core of creativity, playfulness.
Playfulness isn’t about being unserious. It’s about loosening the grip of logic, and allowing curiosity to lead the way. As a brand designer, I’ve learned that this kind of thinking doesn’t just help me, it’s essential to what I do.
Here’s how playfulness shows up in my process:
Ideas Without Limits
Playfulness quiets the voice that says “this won’t work.” and turns up the voice that says “go wild.” And when I’m in the early stages of a brand project, that mindset is gold.
Instead of overanalysing or editing too early, I give myself space to wander through different ideas. Many will be terrible, but a few will be worth following down the rabbit hole. When we focus too tightly we miss what’s in our peripherals. Playfulness helps me detach from my overly intense thinking. (Something of a blessing and a curse.)
Make Your Own Call
Not every project needs wild imagination. A cyber security brand, for example, doesn’t need you to “go wild”, it needs you to make a call based on analytics, market data and strategic thinking.
But for the animated series or the festival identity, playful exploration often leads to more authentic and impactful communication. The trick is knowing when to go deep on play or strategy. Sometimes it’s both and a competent brand designer will know how to catch the right balance for their client.
Just Dream
Client work can be all consuming. That’s the job. But keeping a corner of your brain reserved for creative play is like watering a plant that’s been sitting in the sun too long.
For me, I start dreaming up a world of animated characters. Giving them names, stories, talents and shortcomings. It has no direct impact on any project, but it supports my creative thinking. This benefits everyone I work with.
In the End, It’s About Exploring
Playfulness doesn’t mean chaos. It means exploration. It means not getting stuck too early in “the right answer.” It means being curious enough to follow weird ideas. So yes, collecting mushrooms with unicorns may sound ridiculous. But sometimes that’s exactly where the best ideas are hiding.
