Jan 05, 2026

Making Play, Work

Chris Clarke

About this video

Description

In this talk, Chris explores the transformative power of play in creative work, leadership and culture. Drawing from over 15 years at the heart of news design and storytelling, Chris weaves together personal projects, editorial campaigns and global design challenges to show how curiosity, experimentation and silliness aren’t distractions from serious work; but the beating heart of it. Chris reveals how embracing play as a strategy has helped drive purpose-driven design at one of the world’s most trusted news brands. It's about purposeful play: building space for curiosity, risk and experimentation inside complex systems and serious institutions. Because play isn’t childish. It’s radical. And in a world being flattened by algorithms and conformity, it might just be your biggest advantage. This is a talk for anyone trying to lead with creativity, protect originality under pressure or simply remember why they started doing this in the first place.

Chris Clarke

Chris is a Creative Director, Graphic Artist and Musician. In this role at The Guardian, he leads award-winning teams and shapes major editorial projects that have defined the publication’s visual identity. Since joining The Guardian in 2013, Chris has played a pivotal role in creatively leading, nurturing and developing a team of acclaimed print and digital editorial designers. Beyond his professional work, Chris is a typographic graphic artist, collaborating on message-driven projects that balance understated craftsmanship with playful expression. Chris is also the co-founder of RoomFifty, an ethical, diverse and accessible online art gallery; and MakeRoom, the first full-service e-commerce and creative fulfilment platform for artists.