Creativity with Purpose: A Q&A with Art Director Aimee Harpur

This Q&A brings together insights from Jenni Marlin’s General Manager and Art Director Aimee, exploring the powerful role creativity plays in driving meaningful change. Drawing on Aimee’s experience, it highlights how design can move beyond aesthetics to communicate purpose, inspire action, and support charities and not-for-profits in making a real impact. From creative inspiration to the responsibility that comes with cause-driven work, this conversation offers a thoughtful look at how design can help shape a better, more compassionate world.

What first drew you to using your creative skills to support charities and not-for-profits?

I’ve always been drawn to creating designs that are not only visually striking, but carry real meaning. During university, I created a campaign on the environmental impact of fast fashion. It was the first time I saw how creativity has the power to shape behaviour and drive meaningful change.   

I spent almost a decade in branding and advertising for large corporate clients. While the work was creatively rewarding, over time I found myself drawn back to projects with a stronger sense of purpose. That shift in perspective led me to realign my career to focus on charities, not-for-profits, and values-driven organisations where I can use design to capture attention and contribute to meaningful, lasting change.

When you’re working on a campaign for a cause, what makes you feel that the work really matters?

Charities can create real change, this is what is so powerful about designing for not-for-profit clients. I am inspired by the great work the charities we work with do on a daily basis. People in the not-for-profit sector genuinely care about their work, no matter how small or big a project.

How does designing for a charity feel different from designing for a commercial brand?

Designing  for charities you have to take more care. The stakes are higher as the charities are relying on our ideas and creativity to persuade people to support their causes. Designing for commercial brands often involves a product or service that needs selling, designing for charities is about creating ideas that ensure charities can continue to support positive outcomes for the world. Each cause requires thoughtful, empathetic design that connects deeply with people and their inner motivations. 

What tends to inspire you creatively — both inside your work and in your life outside the agency?

Like most designers, I love to scroll on Pinterest and often look at the latest Pentagram project. Early on in my career I read Six Thinking Hats by Edward De Bono, which changed the way that I think creatively. The book taught me to figuratively put on different hats to look at problems in different ways. It’s a clever technique that helps me think outside the box. 

I also love travelling and experiencing new places. There are such a wide range of designs in the world influenced by different cultures, getting out of my immediate environment refreshes me creatively.

What kind of impact do you hope your creative work ultimately has on the causes you support?

With so much horror happening in the world, I ultimately want the campaigns and brands I create to push the world to become a better place for humans and animals. It’s especially rewarding to hear the results of a campaign, knowing you have helped create that.

If someone asked you why creative people should consider working with charities and not-for-profits, what would you say?

Using your creative skills for charities is incredibly rewarding because you’re genuinely helping to make a difference. There’s a meme that circulates in the design world about a dad scolding his child for not being a doctor, implying that designers can’t “save” anyone. Designers may not be saving lives in the traditional sense, but applying creativity to solve real problems and support people, nature, and animals can feel pretty close.