Are You Ready to Lead?

Chicago, you were brilliant.

Last week, Taxi Studio returned to THE FUTURE OF… DESIGN for a second year — and once again, it proved why this is one of the most important events happening in our industry.

Built around this year’s theme, “Are You Ready to Lead?”, the conference brought together design, brand and business leaders to explore a question that feels increasingly urgent: how do we move beyond defending the value of design, and start leading in ways that create real influence, growth and impact?

For us, that question sits at the heart of where brand and design need to go next.

Because the role of design has changed. It is no longer enough for creativity to sit at the end of a process, making things look, sound or feel better. The best design now shapes decisions earlier. It clarifies ambition. It unlocks commercial opportunity. It helps businesses navigate complexity and build brands that people remember, believe in and choose.

That was the spirit of the conversation in Chicago. Open, honest, ambitious and refreshingly candid.

Taxi Studio on stage
From Taxi Studio, Alex Bane, Ellen Moriarty and Rebecca Ward each took to the stage in different capacities, bringing our perspective on what leadership in brand and design needs to look like now.

Ellen Moriarty shared her journey “From Maker to Shaper” — an honest and powerful reflection on creative leadership, and the shift from making the work to shaping the conditions that allow great work to happen.

It was a talk about growth, responsibility and the often messy reality of creative progression. Because leadership in design is not just about having the strongest idea in the room. It is about creating the space, trust and momentum for others to do their best work too.

 

Rebecca Ward spoke about something fundamental to how we work at Taxi: the power of real relationships.

In an industry often obsessed with outputs, process and pace, Rebecca brought the conversation back to something more human. The relationships we build with clients shape the quality of the work we are able to create together. Trust makes room for better questions. Better questions lead to deeper understanding. And deeper understanding helps us deliver what we believe matters most: clarity over complexity, in service of unforgettable brands.

Alex Bane joined the panel “The Other Side — A Candid View from Those Who Serve Clients”, exploring how agencies and clients can build stronger behaviours, better partnerships and more productive ways of working together.

The discussion touched on the realities of agency-client relationships: the silences, the onboarding, the moments of uncertainty, and the need to embrace a certain amount of chaos. Because the best partnerships are not built by pretending complexity does not exist. They are built by facing it together.

What leadership looks like now
Across the two days, one thing became clear: the future of design will not be shaped by those waiting for permission.

It will be shaped by people and businesses willing to lead with candour, curiosity and commercial clarity.

That means being more honest about what needs to change. More ambitious about what design can do. And more willing to connect creativity to the things that matter most to organisations: growth, relevance, resilience, culture and long-term brand value.

For brand owners, that matters.

The businesses that will win next are not simply the ones with the most polished identities or the neatest guidelines. They are the ones that can make themselves understood in a more complex world. The ones that know what they stand for. The ones that build relationships with their audiences that are distinctive, useful and memorable. The ones that can turn strategy into systems, stories and experiences that scale.

That is where design leadership has a bigger role to play.

Not as decoration. Not as a final layer. But as a strategic force that helps businesses decide who they are, where they are going and how they show up.

Why conversations like this matter
Events like THE FUTURE OF… DESIGN matter because they create space for the conversations the industry needs to have.

Not just the polished version. The real version.

The version where agencies, clients and creative leaders can talk openly about what is working, what is not, and what needs to evolve if we want better partnerships, better outcomes and better work.

A huge thank you to John Gleason and everyone behind THE FUTURE OF… for bringing this community together with such care and intent. The energy in the room was generous, challenging and deeply optimistic — exactly the kind of environment that moves thinking forward.

We left Chicago energised, challenged and more convinced than ever that Taxi Studio has a meaningful role to play in shaping the future of brand and design in the US and beyond.

The conversation continues
And the conversations are not stopping there.

We are now in New York and Boston, continuing the momentum and meeting with brands, businesses and partners who are ready to shape what is next.

If you are there, drop us a note. We would love to connect.