D&AD Dead or Alive: Design

The Talk

Creativity is having its pulse checked. Everywhere. Every day. And in a world of breakneck production cycles, endless templates, and algorithmic “originality”, the question keeps echoing across studios and Slack channels everywhere: is creativity dead or alive?

This new D&AD event series brings that debate into the room, live and unfiltered. Hosted at D&AD HQ, each event will dive into some of the industry’s most pressing tensions. Through bold conversation, opposing viewpoints, and work-led evidence, we’ll explore whether creativity is still capable of shaping culture, commerce, and change, or whether it’s being quietly suffocated by the systems we work within.

Agenda

Who's it for

This series is designed for anyone with skin in the creative game:

— Agency leaders and creative directors
— Designers, makers, and craft specialists
— Brand and in-house creative teams
— Directors, producers, and emerging talent
— Strategists, technologists, and anyone curious about where creativity is heading

If you make things, shape culture, or wrestle with the realities of modern creative practice, these sessions are for you.

Who will be speaking?

Each session will bring together 2–4 voices who don’t think the same way. Expect a mix of:

Industry leaders from advertising, design, production, and brand-side creativity
Past and present D&AD Judges and Jury Presidents
Shift alumni, masterclass partners, and visiting experts
Creatives who have strong, opposing viewpoints on each theme

Be part of the rallying cry and join us there. Creativity is alive.

Sign up now. Speakers to be announced soon.

Dead or Alive