Passport to the Future: inspiring the next generation of creatives

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to speak to a group of 10-year-olds about becoming a Graphic Designer during a career day organised as part of the “Passport to the Future” project.

This pilot initiative is designed to help students explore and become familiar with different career paths, in simple terms, what I want to do when I grow up. Now in its second year, the project lead invited me to present my profession at Priory Primary School, which gave me a chance to reflect not only on my own career but also on what it means to be a creative professional.

Preparing this talk was quite an unusual exercise compared to my daily design practice. I spent time revisiting the many projects I have worked on over the years, and I realised something important: every project, no matter the sector, has expanded my knowledge in unexpected ways.

Design is not just about visuals, strategies or technical skills. Every brief opens the door to a new world—whether it is food, culture, education, technology or manufacturing. As designers, we constantly research, observe and translate complex ideas into visual communication. Every project is a new learning experience.

Explaining this to a group of 10-year-olds also made me think about what truly defines creative professions. It comes down to two things: curiosity and a passion for the unknown.

In many ways, designers never really stop being children. We experiment, ask questions, explore new environments, and play with ideas until something meaningful takes shape and gives us direction. Perhaps this is what makes the profession so fascinating: every project is an opportunity to learn something new.

If you’re curious to see how the “Passport to the Future” project was developed, from the initial concept to the visual system and educational tools, I have documented the full design and strategic process.

You can explore how we approached the project creatively, strategically and visually and see how a complex brief can be transformed into a playful and educational experience for children:

The design process behind the
Passport to the Future project

You can explore more of my design projects.