On Creativity, AI and the Unexpected - insights from Craft's Common Interest event

We recently joined the fourth edition of Common Interest, hosted by Craft and packed with curious creatives and cultural thinkers. Speakers included FIELD.IO’s Xander Marritt and Jann Choy, Studio Kiln’s Nathan Smith and Charlie Hocking, and Sam Russell and Orlaith Wood of Reed Words.

From creative coding to serendipitous design and the emotional weight of words, the event unpacked how AI, culture, and chaos are reshaping creative work - and what it means for designers, brands, and collaborators.

Here are three key themes that stood out and what they mean for creatives today:

1. AI is a creative partner, not just a tool

FIELD.IO’s Jann Choy and Xander Marritt spoke about their journey with generative design, system thinking, and the evolving role of AI in the creative process. Their work with IBM Quantum featured invitations for the event inspired by nature, brought to life through AI-generated visuals - a reminder that tech doesn’t need to look “techy” to be innovative.

They also talked about letting go of control. From machine learning experiments that veered into “horrible” territory to poetic outputs shaped by feedback loops, the key learning was clear: lean into unpredictability.

For creatives, it’s a call to stop seeing AI as a shortcut and start seeing it as a collaborator. One that can steer projects in completely new (and sometimes uncomfortable) directions - but always towards discovery.

2. Serendipity makes design human

Studio Kiln’s Nathan and Charlie also explored the idea of designing for the unexpected. In a world of perfect mock-ups and hyper-curated branding, they argued that creativity needs friction. Emotion. Chaos.

One of the standout stories was around the visual identity they created for the Royal Television Society's annual event at The University of Cambridge, Too Much to Watch. When they found out that the identity had to work not in the hallowed halls of the great institution, but in a space wedged between toilets and a leaky ceiling, they decided to embrace the challenge rather than work against the space. To design the immersive typeface that reacts to the space around it, they talked to hot air balloon designers, built in surprise physics simulations, and turned the branding into an experience, not just an aesthetic. We’re surrounded by algorithmic sameness. Surprise is what cuts through.

It was an inspirational call on designers to stop defaulting to templates and start building for moments, and embrace those that can't be neatly pre-programmed.

3. Words are emotional technology

Reed Words’ Sam and Orlaith reminded us that language is just as powerful as visuals when it comes to shaping meaning. Through their concept of “balloon thinking”, they showed how words, like visuals, carry weight, associations, and emotional triggers.

As an example, they shared their F1 project, which swapped safe, sterile language for something visceral: Unleash a voice of blood and oil. Their naming work for the insurance startup Thimble, meanwhile, made something boring feel small, clever, and human. And their internal project Slop proved that even absurdity has cultural weight, especially in a world of AI-generated weirdness - think the Shrimp Jesus meme.

“Words are balloons waiting to explode”, said Sam - a timely reminder for brands that language is never neutral, and the best copy doesn’t describe, it detonates.

Final takeaway: embrace the unpredictable

Across every talk, one thread ran through: whether it's AI, branding, or copywriting, the future belongs to the open-minded. To the people who are willing to experiment, let go, and embrace the discomfort of not knowing what comes next.

Because what we learnt most of all is that when creativity is unpredictable. And when design is human, it lasts.