In late August, Toast attended the AGDA event, ‘Feck Perfection World Tour’, featuring the world-renowned designer and author James Victore.

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Hosted at MUSE, the Feck Perfuction World Tour was an intimate one-day bootcamp set to help individuals take their creativity to the next level - helping them unlearn the ‘right’ answers, let go of their fears, and unleash courage. At the heart of Victore's teachings is the unwavering belief that creative development begins with personal development. The idea that when we start believing in the higher purpose of our work, break away from our self-doubt and give ourselves the permission to experiment, can we begin to create something truly meaningful.

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Throughout the day we were challenged with thought-provoking activities, pushed out of our comfort zones, and made to sing Prince's 'Purple Rain' with our hands in the air. Here are our favourite creative takeaways from the day.

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‍If you start with the problem, you may limit your response.

The brief is the obvious place to begin when starting a new project, however, we should be careful not to focus just on ‘problems'. Instead, start with the audience – consider their needs – approaching a brief from this angle can open up fresh options.

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‍Choose weird

Opening up conversation around the brief to a wider audience can often provoke potent ideas that otherwise remain off the table. That conversation over a few drinks in the pub can often lead to some weird and wonderful ideas – those are the ones to work with. Make them relevant and make them work.

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Audience over client

If the idea is right for the audience, then it's probably right for the client too. We’re not designing for the client, we’re designing for their customer. If they don’t like it, they’ll get used to it.

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Don’t spoil the party

Good ideas are often derailed before they get off the sketch pad. As designers we may self-sensor, thinking the client just won’t get it, or our client may already have their own ideas about design direction. This is where we must have confidence and belief in our ideas and our clients must have confidence and belief in us as designers.

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Raising the stakes?

Consider a sliding scale between comedy and drama – where do we want our ideas to sit? Do we raise the stakes by adding drama, or do we play for the funny bone with a sense of humour?

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Set off an explosion!

A good idea becomes a great idea when expressed well. Much of this is timing, with the viewer doing a little work themselves – their reward is a brain explosion of understanding – “A good poster should enter through the eye, and explode in the brain".

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‍Dan Clark

‍Creative Director, Toast