The following article is adapted from a talk delivered by our co-founder and creative director, Will Hum, at Minds of Design—an event hosted by the Association of Registered Graphic Designers (RGD) on April 30, 2025.

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For the past 30 years, I’ve been walking a creative path. From designer to strategist to mentor, and now, someone who sees his role as something more.

What follows is a short reflection on that journey of transformation. It’s about creativity, clarity, and discovering that the most powerful thing we can design... is who we become.

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Act I — The Maker

As a young designer (sad to say, several decades ago now) I believed my purpose was to make things look good. Beautiful typography, imagery, perfect grids. I chased awards. Hoarded design magazines. Obsessed over kerning. Everything revolved around design.

I studied at OCA and cut my teeth at some of the city’s most respected firms: Bhandari & Plater, Ove Brand Design, and Burton Kramer’s office; he, of course, being the legendary mind behind the CBC logo.

I loved the act of making. I was addicted to seeing things come to life: logos and brand systems, books and reports, websites, vehicle wraps, environments.

But back then, I didn’t speak directly with clients much. The brief came from someone in strategy or comms. I stayed in my lane. Over time, though, I began to feel something was missing. Even when I delivered work I was proud of, it felt incomplete. Like I had solved the brief, but missed the point.

I believed I did great work, but did it move anyone forward?

As I advanced, I got closer to the client. I listened. I observed. And I started learning what mattered to them. I began to realize, the real value wasn’t the work itself, but in the process. It’s in helping people see themselves differently.

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Act II — The Thinker

I found myself drawn to people—their stories, their challenges, the way they think. I started asking better questions and offering more thoughtful solutions. Not just what clients wanted, but what they needed.

That curiosity led me to strategy. And in 2004, I co-founded Clear Space. We built a practice around asking smart, often tough, questions: What are you really trying to say? Who are you trying to reach? Why now? Design became less about making and more about meaning.

I saw a shift. Not just in my work, but in myself. Clients weren’t hiring us for creative anymore. They were hiring us for clarity. And I realized my job wasn’t to impress them. It was to elevate them.

“Clients weren’t hiring us for creative anymore. They were hiring us for clarity. And I realized my job wasn’t to impress them. It was to elevate them.”

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Act III — The Uplifter

With time and experience came perspective. And clarity.

I began mentoring through RGD and with local design schools. What started as a small side project quickly became the most meaningful part of my work. Helping a young designer navigate self-doubt? That stuck with me longer than any award. Lifting a client’s confidence so they could step into their message? That felt more powerful than the design itself.

It hit me: Your creative gift isn’t what you make. It’s what you pass on.

I haven’t stopped being a designer, or a strategist. I’m still heavily invested in “making and thinking” at Clear Space. But my lens has shifted. Now, I see everything through the lens of an Uplifter—someone who helps others define their voice and own their value.

We’re living in uncertain times. Expectations, pressure, stress—it’s all around us. More than ever, we need people who build others up.

So what makes someone an Uplifter? They’re calm. They’re generous. They speak with purpose—and listen more than they talk. They inspire confidence. They offer clarity, not just answers.

What I’ve Learned

After 30 years, here’s what’s stayed with me:

• Your craft will evolve, but your purpose deepens.
• We’re not just here to design brands, we’re here to build belief.
• What you give is often more valuable than what you create.
• Mentorship isn’t a role, it’s a responsibility.

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Design is still in my heart. It always will be. It’s my job. But uplifting? That’s my purpose. And it’s what the world needs more of.

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So wherever you are on your path, whether you're building a career, leading a team, raising a family, or figuring out what’s next, ask yourself:

What’s my gift? And how can I give it away?

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