Accenture Song Denmark

Laura Jordan Bambach cut her teeth as a key figure in Australia's infamous 'geekgirl' hyperzine in the early nineties, and has been involved ever since in the design and implementation of many of the world's most cutting edge projects for top international brands. She has worked at a senior level at deepend, Lateral, I-D Media London and glue, before joining LBi in 2009. She also lectures extensively at major Universities and centres of excellence. Here, she recalls the personal growth that her year as President (2013-14) provided.

My presidency was a real time of growth and openness for D&AD. We had started to talk about a festival alongside the awards (it took a few more years to land in Brick Lane); we were starting to really get deeply into developing new pathways for people into the industry and focus on equity; and we were reaching out and expanding as a properly global organisation. What I adored about that year was the chance to listen; to expand my own knowledge and creativity through the creativity of incredible practitioners around the globe. I travelled every continent that year, absorbing other points of view and understanding needs outside of our historic UK bubble. I was so passionate about this that my Annual had multiple designers, creatives and artists from all over the world contribute. It was such a delight to bring a bit of DIY and punk spirit to the Annual, and hopefully to the organisation. A bit more of being comfortable being uncomfortable and leaning into the unknown with a sense of excitement.

The most profound thing I took from my presidency was that by leaning into the creative communities around the world, by bursting that bubble, I connected with powerful work, inspired ideas and craft, talent and energy that has continued to buoy me. And I made great connections for life too – I even dropped by Rice Design in Ho Chi Minh City (who were one of my Annual designers), on my family’s trip to Vietnam, for lunch.

Of course in terms of the work, my year was the year of Epic Split and Sweetie, both incredible campaigns that won big, but my personal favourites from the year are a bit more eclectic. My favourite thing of the year was therefore’s Gravity Light – an LED lamp that created charge through simple gravity. Such a groundbreaking piece of product design that solved a huge problem of power for light for those in need. It’s now used all over the world in refugee camps and other places where access to power is limited. I remember the first time I saw it in the hall and it took my breath away.

Also creating huge change with the simplest piece of design was Share My Dabba by McCann Worldgroup India. In a country where so many children go hungry, the design of a simple “share” sticker that workers could put on their tiffins if they have food left in there to spare created such easy and positive action. The idea isn’t complex, doesn’t involve new technology or a huge piece of storytelling. It’s the cheapest thing to make and the simplest thing to take part in. Genius.

At the other end of the scale of complexity the Sound of Honda byDentsu Tokyo is the most perfect and lyrical piece of data storytelling and a feat of craft and precision. Honda recreated the fastest lap by Ayrton Senna in qualifying for the 1989 Formula 1 Tokyo GP using data from the car’s accelerator and engine and converting it to sound and light around the Suzuka circuit. Mind blown.

And also from Japan, the most exquisite handmade graphic design Tama Art University Tamabi. There’s something about good design when you see it – it takes you out of yourself. And I think these posters from one of my favourite studios MR DESIGN does that.

I remember seeing Climate Name Change by Barton F. Graf 9000 for the first time. WOW. The punchiest piece of intersectional insight I’ve seen in work around climate change, by underpinning it with the utter sexism which holds many of the same people in power back from action. It was fuck the patriarchy and save the planet all at once, and I still use it as a case study to this day.

And finally, my favourite piece of film for the year – sillier, braver and just more wonderful than anything else that year in my opinion. And that’s Chicken from Jung von Matt, to talk about Daimler’s Magic Body Control feature. It just tickles my toes and I could watch it 100 times and still smile.

Now that’s the power of creativity.