Something that's been on my mind, as I've been exploring how disciplines shape up in my ever growing team, is the recurring idea of specialism. I've been hearing for a good while now that the key to great work is to go deep in one area, to specialise. And while that's not necessarily wrong, it's a somewhat incomplete viewpoint. It's like a collection of professionals - whilst all highly skilled - not really understanding the bigger picture, or, how their part fits with the greater whole. A whole team based around this view feels stunted. Unable to adapt where necessary.

This is where I would argue that the multidisciplinary designer steps in. Their value isn't that they are a master of everything (a kind of old jack of all trades myth). Instead, their true power lies in their ability to turn their hand across brand, layout, print, digital, web, animation, and Ai. This makes them far more adept at seeing the wider picture and (I would argue) far more versatile and resilient in an ever changing creative landscape.

While a specialist can execute a specific task flawlessly, a multidisciplinary designer can navigate the unexpected. They can pivot from a brand project to a digital campaign with ease, or quickly learn a new tool to solve a problem. Their breadth of knowledge isn't a distraction; it's a strategic advantage that allows them to adapt, learn, and grow as the industry evolves.

In a world rapidly moving towards specialisation, the multidisciplinary designer offers something more valuable: adaptability. They are the creative Swiss Army knife, not by being an expert in everything, but by being equipped for anything. They remind us that the best projects aren't just built by specialists, but by versatile practitioners who can work across every part of the creative.