When Your Studio Has Too Many Good Ideas

Every designer knows the feeling. You come back from a fair or finish a major project, and your head is spinning. So many new ideas: a collaboration with a maker, a film, a dinner, a new product line, suddenly everything feels possible.

It’s exciting. But also impossible to hold.

I see this moment often with studios that are growing fast. The work is strong, the reputation is building, and then there’s an explosion of ideas. Everything sounds good in isolation, yet none of it builds on the last big thing you delivered.

A Client Meeting

Before a recent strategy session, I took a client to a design fair. I wanted them to slow down, to really see. We looked at hinges, finishes, the tiny things that make a collectible piece feel resolved. I wanted them to notice what kind of detail moves them, and what that reveals about the type of work they want to create.

When we sat down afterwards, the ideas poured out. Events. Films. Collaborations. Limited editions. The energy was fantastic but also unfocused. They were standing in front of a wall of potential with no way to choose where to begin.

What happens in that moment is common for creative businesses. When inspiration hits, it’s easy to jump to execution before understanding what the idea is meant to achieve. That’s where direction begins.

My role when leading a client through this isn’t to cut the energy down - we need that to generate the best ideas. My role is to help those ideas find form.

Finding Form

When people talk quickly about their ideas, there’s usually a pattern hiding underneath. Some ideas are about connection: gestures that make people feel closer to the studio. Some are about visibility: the big moments that show your taste and build recognition. And a few are about legacy: the work that quietly defines who you are over time.

For instance, a personal letter to past clients might re-build a connection.
A beautifully shot feature of a recent project builds visibility.
A design collaboration that captures your aesthetic for years builds legacy.

I find that it’s helpful to start dropping all these ideas into those layers. Once you can hear them clearly, you can begin to sequence them. You stop reacting and start directing.

The goal isn’t to reduce creativity; it’s to build a framework that lets it move in the correct order. Giving something structure doesn’t limit ideas; it gives them room to land.

Why It Matters

Most design studios I meet aren’t short on creativity, they’re short on structure. They post often, they network, they make things happen, but the overall story still feels fuzzy. Their audience and clients sense it too.

Inconsistent storytelling is the silent killer of growth. You can do brilliant work, but if every message feels different, potential clients don’t know what to associate with you.

Clarity doesn’t come from doing more. It comes from knowing why each idea exists, what it builds towards, and how you’re going to communicate it.

If This Feels Familiar

Most of us in design know this stage, too many good ideas, too little clarity. The point isn’t to stop generating ideas; it’s to give them sequence.

Try this as a quick exercise:

• Write down everything you’re working on or thinking about.

• Ask yourself what each idea is for - connection, visibility, or legacy.

• Be honest about which ideas are distractions and which build momentum.

You’ll see the pattern immediately.

When You’re Ready for Clarity

This is exactly what we do in our Brand Clarity Consulting session, a focused hour where we make sense of everything you’re already doing, find the thread that ties it all together, and help you decide what deserves your attention next.

It’s a simple process: we diagnose where your message is unclear, define the idea that sets your studio apart, and create a direction you can act on.

If your studio is full of ideas but lacking focus, learn more or book a session here: Consulting: Brand Clarity