In_Flux - The October 2023 Edition

Last month, we excitedly kicked off our new internal innovation and creative learning initiative, In_Flux, and, somehow, it’s already a month later and we’re sharing the hot takes from the most recent session on the 27th of October. 

This time, Rhea Zakir and Hannah Smith are in the hot seat, providing the ins and outs of the session and what they took from it.

Over to you!

Rhea Zakir, Account Manager

Once a month, Show + Tell go to Leeds for the day to work from a co-working space at Clockwise. We spend the full day away from our normal day-to-day jobs, which tends to be a break from our busy schedules, and have a catch up on exciting work that we've recently done as an agency, any new updates in the business, and we also get oversight on how we are doing in comparison to our business targets. We usually go for lunch together, and then in the afternoon do a creative session - In_Flux - where we work with different members of the team on tasks to broaden our horizons.

In this In_Flux session, we were put into groups of 4 and given a brief to create the brand for an up-market and sustainable kids' clothing brand.

My team and I came up with the brand name Petit Vert, which means ‘little green’.  This would be a company that offered new but sustainable kids' clothing items, with a section of the site where the user could opt for second-hand clothing. 

The theme of the business was “growing sustainably” and we felt this was a break from the mould, as kids' clothing as a market isn’t typically the most sustainable, despite big strides from sites like Lullaloop and of course, Vinted. 

To maintain a strong product catalogue, we also planned to enable customers to send back worn items once they no longer fit, via recyclable, sustainable packaging, for these items to be sent to other customers via the pre-loved section of the site. If saving the planet wasn’t enough incentive, we also looked to provide a discount to incentivise the customer, in addition to increasing the chances of additional sales.

It was fantastic to see so many brilliant ideas come from the session and it’s great to be able to think outside the box and be involved in aspects of the creative process that I might not have been usually involved in as part of my role. We get to learn from each other and encourage ideas and collaboration, and I genuinely believe we all come out of the session having learned something new that we can take forward into our day-to-day roles. 

One of the workshops we have planned is a Persona Workshop, and there's a creative element from the In_Flux session which can be utilised here. Being able to put ourselves in the customer's shoes of what would we want to buy or see a brand offer, and being able to put ourselves in the business shoes thinking about the type of customers we want to target, is invaluable insight.

All in all, I enjoy the In_Flux sessions as it’s great to get out of our comfort zones, both physically and figuratively!

Hannah Smith, Project Manager

For our second session of In_Flux, we headed to Leeds to work from a co-working space on Greek Street. It's a great space, very central, and allows us all to get out of Harrogate for the day, which tends to be a welcomed break from our day-to-day routine.

Having these sessions monthly and starting with a company review or update is a great way to reflect on all the fantastic projects each team has been working on and highlight to the wider team what's new or what's in the pipeline for the agency. It's also a great opportunity to work collaboratively and creatively with other members of the team.

This month's task was to create a brand for an up-market children's clothing line with sustainability at the heart of it. The brand my team created focused on being playful, sustainable and being Made for Moments which championed the idea of the clothes being worn for every occasion not just special occasions.

With the clothing being made of recycled fibres, adjustable, and easily machine washable, the clothes were built to last and grow with the child, meaning they would last longer than the average clothing lifespan for children, which is a widespread issue in the clothing industry generally, and even more so in children’s fashion.

As a relatively new member of the Show + Tell team, the session gave me a great insight into what a brand identity workshop might look like. It allowed me to think outside the box, and this can be transferred into other areas of my role. It also highlighted how quickly creativity can run away with you once all the great ideas start rolling in and how this needs to be managed without restricting the overall project, as it is my responsibility as a Project Manager to limit scope/creep and ensure timescales and budgets are not exceeded

As a PM I regularly take part in discovery workshops with clients, so this aspect isn’t new to me, but the In_Flux sessions have given me the confidence in my creativity to come to these workshops with an alternative perspective and to challenge the mundane when it comes to helping clients develop their brand identity. It’s always helpful to have an opinion - even better if it's an informed one! - and I enjoy building my interest and expertise in this area. 

As a busy agency, we generally have people out and about in meetings, discovery workshops, or working from home on different days, so the In_Flux sessions are a great opportunity for us all to sit down in a room together, share new ideas, and learn from each other, not to mention the team lunch we enjoy!

Want more insight into life at Show + Tell? Check out our other posts and our Instagram page for more info on what we’re up to behind the scenes.

Oh, and don’t forget to have a look at our open vacancies on our Careers page, if this all sounds like something you’d want to be part of.