3 things I learned about creativity in corporates
Can creativity truly flourish in a massive corporation?
In 2016, I made the leap from agency life to an in-house role at a major bank, aiming to bring fresh, design-driven solutions to a traditionally risk-averse environment. Eager to elevate the user experience, I arrived equipped with a toolkit of design methods, ready to inspire change.
On entering a caffeinated hive of over 40,000 employees, I quickly realized that sparking creativity in this world was different from my agency days. While many colleagues embraced creative workshops, others found them odd, and I often encountered barriers to pushing ideas forward. This led me to rethink what creativity could look like within such a structured, high-stakes environment.
Embracing creative tension
Corporations traditionally operate in “closed mode” – a place of defined processes, risk management, and outcome-focused tasks. However, creative work thrives in “open mode”, where ideas are fluid, mistakes are learning tools, and interruptions are minimal. Shifting between these modes was challenging. I saw that a sustainable approach would mean blurring the boundaries between these modes, allowing design and creativity to integrate with daily tasks rather than living in isolated workshops.
Finding Flow Through Small, Creative Acts
Instead of waiting for perfect conditions to unleash creativity, I started blending design activities into everyday meetings and planning sessions. This approach brought three key benefits:
Showing the Value of Design – Short, everyday creative exercises helped showcase design’s impact in bite-sized ways, building understanding and buy-in across teams.
Advocating for Creative Problem-Solving – Introducing design thinking into routine tasks increased the visibility of creative approaches, encouraging a more open mindset.
Building Comfort with Creativity – By integrating creative activities gradually, I helped colleagues transition smoothly into a culture of experimentation without the pressure of a formal workshop setting.
Moving Forward, Progress Over Perfection
Looking back, I learned that nurturing creativity in a corporate setting isn’t about perfection – it’s about incremental progress. I embraced small, impactful design moments rather than aiming for big-bang changes. This scrappy approach allowed me to demonstrate the value of creativity, foster gradual engagement, and show how design could contribute meaningfully to corporate goals.
In the end, creativity in a large organization isn’t just about big ideas – it’s about many small acts that make room for new ways of thinking.