What is the D&AD?
If you've not heard of it before, it's basically a melting pot of creative thinking, industry insight, and some of the best work (and minds) in design, advertising and art direction. It's where people come to challenge ideas, get inspired, and sense-check where creativity is heading next.
We packed a lot into one day, but the two sessions we focused on were the Creative Impact Accelerator in the morning and the AI Accelerator in the afternoon.
Session 1: Creative Impact Accelerator
The morning session was all about what actually drives creative success.
Rather than focusing on theory, it explored the behaviours, environments, and ways of working that help ideas land – not just look good, but deliver real impact.
A big theme throughout was moving beyond "safe" creativity – understanding that playing it safe doesn't cut through anymore, and that bold ideas, rooted in human truth and emotional impact, are what really make a difference.
There was also a lot of discussion around creating the conditions for great work – things like trust, collaboration, and strong communication across teams. Not necessarily glamorous topics, but absolutely critical if you want consistently strong creative output.
Session 2: AI Accelerator
In the afternoon, we headed into the AI Accelerator – one of the most talked-about parts of the festival.
Rather than debating whether AI is "good or bad", this session was much more practical. It focused on how AI can actually be used in real workflows – from helping generate ideas to speeding up production and scaling creative output.
One of the most refreshing takes was that AI isn't here to replace creativity – it's a tool to enhance it. The emphasis was very much on using AI well, without losing the craft, taste, or authorship that make work stand out.
Our three takeaways
After the sessions (and a lot of coffee), we pulled together a slide to summarise the strongest themes that kept coming up:
Craft still matters
Interestingly, the most impressive AI work was underpinned by solid, traditional creative foundations, moodboarding, storytelling, and strong direction.
So actually, the fundamentals haven't gone away. If anything, they matter more.
The idea is everything
What makes something memorable, emotionally engaging, and effective hasn't changed.
It still comes down to truth, beauty, and creative thinking.
AI can help execute, but it can't replace the thinking behind the idea.
Design as decoration is dead
And this is probably the most important one for us in proposals.
We've spent years prioritising speed and output, sometimes at the expense of ideas.
But now AI owns the speed.
So the real value shifts back to us; to thinking, shaping, and creating something meaningful.
Final thoughts
All in all, it was a brilliant (and slightly overwhelming!) day.
If there's one thing we came away with, it's this: the tools are evolving fast, but the core of what makes great creative work… hasn't really changed.
If anything, it's just raised the bar.
To find out more about using design to develop powerful, compelling proposals, visit our design page, contact our experts on 0800 009 6800 or email us at