In the Anthropocene, evidence points to humans depleting Earth's resources at an unsustainable rate. Designers unwittingly contribute to resource depletion through traditional design approaches. As a lifelong designer-researcher, like many of my peers, our collective aim is to effect positive societal, environmental, and stakeholder impact through design. While global design frameworks often rely on purpose-driven foundations, their applicability within the South African visual communication design context is underexplored.

This study aimed to identify the measures taken by a large international advertising company to mitigate the impact of COVID-19, and how these measures could be applied to design education. We interviewed a senior business partner of the company and determined the measures they took and their business variables affected by the pandemic. The results show how the pandemic affected interaction between design professionals; how they develop and present their creative solutions and how they brainstorm, collaborate, and remain inspired. The company will not be returning to their previous way of operating, and neither do they see the need to do so.