Serious About Play
May 21, 2024
Co-Founder Chris Butler shares his thoughts on the power of play.
My path to becoming a Designer was a bit bumpy. I bounced between living and teaching in Japan and Australia before starting my first “real job” in London. While teaching it quickly became obvious to me that people learn quicker and more effectively when they are having fun. So I began hacking together my various projects with mixed media. A pop culture reference here. A doodle or a zine cut-out there. Anything to quickly get the things onto the page that I thought would make people smile.
Jumping forward a few years, I am now Co-Founder at a proper Design Agency in Portland. The running joke here is that my primary discipline is Keynote Design. To be fair, they’re not wrong! Looking back on all of the experiences from the last 10 years since co-founding the agency—the thing that keeps me engaged is the concept of PLAY. I love messing around with the process and connecting with audiences, whether end customers or clients, remixing in new and different ways.
I often think about how this mindset can translate and elevate the work we do.
After all, the work of innovation and organizational change is hard and can feel like a grind. So why not sprinkle in a bit of fun? At Evolve, we create playful moments so people can show up in a more authentic and engaged way. We are always experimenting with ways to spark new thinking and spur creativity. From my favorite workshop game “Brand Slam” (IYKYK) to immersive research tools, experience frameworks, and everything in between.
Looking ahead to the next decade and beyond, we don’t see play going away. At the end of the day, if you’re not playing, what's the point? Play and creativity are entwined and unlock new ways of thinking. It helps teams put down their guard, and it helps a dreaded Zoom meeting feel a fraction as long.
Make time to play. Bake inefficiency into your process. Don’t take things too seriously. I can promise it will take you to a worthwhile place.
If you need more play in your life, hit me up, I’ve got loads of ideas.
XOXO, Chris
