LONDON, UK – In the vast world of creativity and advertising, design has always been a crucial vehicle to transport the message across. Born to a Thai-Chinese family, Pum Lefubre grew up and attended Catholic school all her life before flying west to master her craft.
Passing by The Grand Palace in Bangkok for the first 18 years of her life, Pum imbibed the rich and vibrant culture of Thailand into her DNA. It has shaped her unique perspective and the innate belief that her art should be imaginative, timeless, and culturally relevant.
The intersection of Thai’s sensory culture and her lived experience as she worked in the United States has become the cornerstone of Pum’s leadership at Design Army, the award-winning design agency she co-founded and now leads as the chief creative officer alongside her husband, Jake Lefebure. Based in Washington, D.C., Pum brings a global perspective to the studio’s bold and visually striking work.
Curiosity-driven excellence
Wearing the hat as a creative strategist, Pum places huge importance in really understanding the brief well when handling projects, and a huge part of that is asking a lot of questions.
“You can’t fix a problem without knowing what the problem is,” Pum told adobo Magazine in an exclusive interview in London at the 2025 D&AD Festival. “A lot of times, clients do not know the answer. And when they do know, you have to dig quite deep.”
Pum’s curiosity and excellence has landed the agency projects that they’re proud to call their own. One of which is their groundbreaking rebranding campaign for the Hong Kong Ballet. With the idea of reintroducing the art form to a rather unfamiliar market, Design Army utilized the beauty of Hong Kong’s artistic culture and cityscape as the anchor to their whole campaign.
After the success of the campaign and consecutive wins, the Hong Kong Ballet is now receiving the second highest funding from the government, from being twelfth on the list when they first started.
“Good design is a smart business. Good design moves people emotionally. Good design moves culture. Good design moves business.”
The ‘secret sauce’ in AI
Besides inventive thinking, Design Army also had the courage to experiment with AI in one of their biggest campaigns with Georgetown Optician, which Pum attributed to their success in writing the prompt that exactly articulated what the agency wanted to convey.
She emphasized that crafting a well-thought-out prompt is the “secret sauce” in effectively using AI. In today’s creative landscape, AI remains a polarizing topic — rife with ethical considerations and creative skepticism. Pum encourages creatives to stay original and avoid shortcuts like copying specific artists or scraping the web for similar works. Instead, she urges them to write thoughtful, complex prompts that reflect their own voice. She recognizes the anxiety surrounding AI but confessed that she’s unafraid and “excited” about the future it will hold for the future. Looking ahead, Pum is confident that AI won’t replace the inventiveness of human touch.
Inside the jury room
Pum pointed to the role of graphic design in the 2024 Paris Olympics as a clear example of design’s real-world impact. Beyond debates around the color scheme, the visual system worked seamlessly at scale.
“The role of a graphic designer is to bring clarity to attendees from all around the world who come to Paris. Even if you don’t read English, you should still be able to understand and know where to go. That is the power of visual communication — it’s clarity. And it’s a role that’s going to be hard for AI to replicate, because it requires a lot of systems thinking,” Pum reflected.
“Redesigning Paris” was one of only three projects to receive a coveted Black Pencil at this year’s D&AD Awards, awarded by the Graphic Design jury, which Pum had illustriously led this year.
Pum described the jury room as a vibrant mix of styles influenced by geography, culture, and technology.
Japanese design tends to be quieter and more refined, often resembling the minimalist aesthetic of Scandinavian entries, which use softer color palettes shaped by their cooler climates. In contrast, works from China and Southeast Asia are typically bolder and brighter. While it’s hard to pinpoint a singular trend, Pum noted some three stand out trends: the return of pixelation reminiscent of the early internet, a surge in ultra-bright colors, and a general rejection of traditional color theory.
Designing the next generation
As chief creative officer of Design Army, Pum’s philosophy on educating and nurturing the next generation of talent is simple: look back.
Rather than scouring the internet for the latest trends in typography and design, she urges young creatives to study art history. Picasso over Pinterest. “Look at the culture. Be a student of the culture in order to innovate.”
Travel, too, is high on her list of recommendations. She encourages designers to touch grass, to explore unfamiliar places and gather inspiration beyond the screen. Her parting advice? “Experience makes you a better designer.”
adobo Magazine is an official media partner of the 2025 D&AD Festival and the D&AD Awards.
