Tilda Swinton, Imaginary Albums and the Death of 'Follow Your Passion' with Nicki Sprinz

In this week's Spark, we swap strategy for spontaneity, as Nicki Sprinz, CEO of ustwo, returns for our quick-fire bonus round, where things get a little more personal. We talk dream dinner parties featuring Tilda Swinton and Ann Patchett, why "just follow your passion" might be the worst advice in the creative industry, and what she's currently curious about in a world obsessed with short-form everything. Nicki shares her most controversial creative opinion, the one trend she's quietly over, and the small change that instantly improves her workday. There's also ambient electronic music, imaginary album titles and a question for the next guest. It's thoughtful. It's playful. And it reveals more of the human behind the CEO title. If you enjoyed Monday's episode, this is where you'll get to know Nicki a little better.

Most wellness apps fail you. Not because you lack willpower, but because they were never designed around how humans actually change. Season 11 of The Creative Boom Podcast opens with Katy Cowan and Nicki Sprinz, CEO of ustwo – the studio behind Monument Valley – digging into the digital coaching revolution. What it looks like in practice, why it works when it does, and what it means to build technology that sits close to people's health, confidence and daily lives. Nicki has lived this. A former smoker who swapped one habit for running, she now helps brands create digital experiences that drive real behaviour change — from gut-health companions to fitness apps to smoking-cessation tools. One of their betas saw 75% of users engage more meaningfully with their health after just one month. They also talk about what all of this means for creatives: the changing shape of careers, why curiosity beats passion every time, and why critical thinking has never mattered more than in a world where AI can get you to the wrong answer faster than ever. This isn't an AI hype conversation. It's a grounded, generous one with a whole heap of hope. A new season begins. Right here.

This bonus episode brings Chris Wilson of Stckmn back for a lighter, looser conversation to round off the season. After a deep, emotional main interview, Katy and Chris shift gears into something playful, candid, and full of spark. Chris answers quick-fire questions about his quirks, his guilty pleasures, the creative advice he ignores, and what really happens behind the scenes when he's out of his depth. They discuss parenting, music, creative identity, and the inner critic he has named Steve. There are seaside amusements, mosh pits, broken toes, and a surprising amount of wisdom tucked into the laughter. It's a warm, human conversation about what keeps us going when the work gets tough, and life gets messy—a gentle, joyful way to close the season.

This final episode of the season closes on a note that feels right for a new year. Honest. Hopeful. A little raw and full of heart. Chris Wilson, the multi-disciplinary force behind Glasgow’s one-man studio Stckmn, joins Katy for a conversation about surviving life's sharpest edges and still choosing to create something good. Chris grew up working class in Clydebank, a kid who took things apart to understand how the world worked. That curiosity shaped everything. So did hardship. He talks openly about trauma he never recognised as trauma until therapy named it: a violent attack at university that left deep physical and emotional scars. The loss of his dad. Years of pushing pain aside and throwing himself into work because survival sometimes looks like graft, not clarity. And yet. Through humour, compassion, and the stubborn belief that he could always graft his way forward, Chris built a career spanning product design, graphics, branding, packaging, and beyond. He tells Katy how he learned to reframe fear into momentum, why being a generalist has kept him afloat in changing times, and how a decade of running Stckmn has been as much about resilience as it has design. They talk about belonging, too. About feeling out of place in creative spaces that can still feel elitist. About the invisible hierarchies that quietly shape the industry. And the joy of realising most of us are just muddling through, hoping no one notices our nerves. It's a candid, funny, deeply human exchange. Chris also shares the burnout that landed him in hospital, the difficult lessons about boundaries he's trying to honour, and the softer tools he's building as a dad. His son, Caleb, pops up as a recurring theme. A reminder of why slowing down is key. Why healing matters. And why showing up as the gentler version of ourselves is important. This is a conversation about making peace with your younger self. About the courage to start again, no matter how many times life has knocked you sideways. And about the strange, hopeful power of creativity to stitch us back together. A beautiful way to end the season. A reminder that even in the mess, even in the dark, there's always a way to move forward.

Joy Nazzari of DNCO is back for The Spark, and this time we're keeping things short, sharp and delightfully unhinged. In this bonus episode, she opens up about the creative hill she'll die on, the medium she secretly wishes she could master, and the project that left her thinking, oh god… this is huge. There's talk of graffiti, guilty pleasures, strange compliments in Japan, and the emoji she overuses so much it's basically become her personal brand. We also discover what's sitting at the top of her camera roll this week and why it made her heart burst. Along the way, Joy and Katy veer into fish-and-chip politics, studio nostalgia, and the odd ways creative leaders get themselves into the right headspace before big moments. And to wrap things up, Joy poses a brilliant question for next week's guest, Chris Wilson — one that might reveal how he gets himself fired up, calm, or somewhere in between.

DNCO just turned 20, and founder Joy Nazzari is not done yet. In this episode of The Creative Boom Podcast, Joy joins Katy to talk honestly about building a place brand studio from two slightly rebellious thirty-somethings with no clients, to a 33-strong team working on cities and even a whole US state. Joy shares why she and co-founder Ben walked out of permanent jobs with nothing lined up, how "never doing shit work" became a founding principle, and why saying no early on shaped the kind of clients they attract today. She also opens up about buying Ben out, staying friends, and why founders should be allowed to leave without drama. The conversation delves into the realities of running a studio after the pandemic. Joy talks about the economics no one wants to touch publicly. Productivity, hybrid working, the way slowed pace quietly kills profit, and why getting people in a room together still matters more than anyone wants to admit. She also reflects on what it means to be a tall American non-designer leading a London agency, the label "female-founded", and how it lands in different rooms, including very male, sports-led organisations. There is an honest chat about ageing as a woman in a visual industry, being "an older woman" in the room, and the subtle ways respect and perception can shift. We get into family, identity and what really keeps her going. Joy talks candidly about growing up in California with a father whose career was destroyed by alcoholism, how that experience turned financial security into a core driver, and why she has built a career around helping people feel like they belong in places. Katy and Joy also compare notes on menopause, confidence, video, and the strange process of becoming more visible just as your face starts to change. They talk about raising children, how different generations see work and politics, why debate and nuance matter, and how to keep reading beyond your own bubble. Towards the end, Joy shares the advice she would give her 30-year-old self. Chill out and don't overreact. Delegate sooner. Let designers hear clients unfiltered. Guard relationships and stay in touch with people who back your work. Underneath it all, she admits that for all the big ideas about cities, identity and belonging, the real engine has always been simple: keep the people you love safe and secure, and keep your brain switched on for as long as you can. A big, honest chat about work, power, ageing, politics, money, motherhood and why many of us build studios in the first place.

We're back with the wonderful Matt Baxter of Baxter & Bailey for The Spark, our fun bonus episode with each week's guest. We talk about orange hats, forgotten skills, and the power of liking what you do. There's nostalgia, karaoke, and a bit of Play-Doh. Matt shares what he wishes he were good at, how he handles creative jealousy, and a few stories that reveal the lighter side of life. There's even an asteroid question and a brilliant one for our next guest. Light, funny and perfectly human, it's the ideal post-pod companion.

Designer, writer and hat connoisseur Matt Baxter of Baxter & Bailey joins us on The Creative Boom Podcast this week to talk about imperfection, community, and the creative life. Matt's been in the game for three decades – from Trickett & Webb and 300million to co-founding his Brighton studio with Dom Bailey in 2012. Since then, they've built thoughtful, human brands for Oxford University Press, The Body Shop, London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Mail and the BBC. But it's his side project, The Design Laundry, that really caught my eye. It's a gloriously honest archive of our industry's mishaps – typos, rogue emails, pitch disasters – and the lessons that come from them. We talk about growing up in Burnley, moving south, why pondering still matters, and how to keep a studio human when speed rules everything. We also get into Brighton's creative scene, building community, and why staying off Instagram helps with creative jealousy. It's warm, funny and refreshingly honest... with bonus seagulls.

In this bonus episode, Pum Lefebure of Design Army opens the studio door and lets us peek at the small rituals that keep her sharp, the mindset that replaces work–life "balance", and the travel habits that refill her creative well. We talk about fear, firsts, and learning new tools the hard way. She shares the single phrase a client used to define Design Army's signature. It's a good one. There's scent, style, and a guilty pleasure that might surprise you. We finish with Pum's question for our next guest. A big what-would-you-do that you'll be answering in your head before the credits roll.

Pum Lefebure is the cofounder and chief creative officer of Design Army, the award-winning Washington DC studio behind bold campaigns for clients like The Washington Ballet, Bloomingdale's, and Hong Kong Ballet. Known for her clarity of vision, Pum set her sights on fashion, performing arts, and culture from the very beginning, building a portfolio that attracted exactly the clients she wanted. In this conversation, Pum shares how she and her husband Jake turned a yard sale poster into their first break, why every project is a calling card, and how choosing clients with intent can shape the future of your career. We talk about the balance between paid work and passion projects, what it really takes to build a studio with grit and perseverance, and why leadership means being a coach, a cheerleader, and sometimes a plumber. Pum also reflects on staying relevant in an industry shifting at lightning speed, how AI and social media are changing client expectations, and why authenticity and craft still matter more than ever. This conversation is about courage, focus, and carving your own path – and it's packed with practical wisdom for anyone dreaming of their own creative career.