Previous events

Give a Scrap, What Makes a Designer... a Designer, Expressing the Value of Design, There is No Planet B

At the 10th edition of Design Matters, we looked into all the tangible ways in which design can truly support the planet, how can design stay relevant, which shapes a design role can take but also which disciplines of design can foster the future.

Some of the speakers: Pinterest, Musixmatch, The LEGO Group, McKinsey & Company, Canva (Ecosystem)

See the full program at the Design Matters 24 website

The segment was dedicated to exploring the intersection of emerging technologies and design, and how this intersection will affect the societal changes humanity and the world are facing. The speakers, coming from a variety backgrounds - such as product design, architecture, digital design, etc - delved into the transformative impact that new tech like AI, ML, AR/VR, and other smart technologies have on the improvement of existing products as well as the creation of new ones. These experts showed how these innovations are not only reshaping creative processes but also addressing critical global challenges.

Some of the speakers: Khora, Duolingo, Figma, GitHub

See the full program at the Singapore Design Week's website

Craftsmanship Strikes Back, Design, What's Next?, How to Design a Society

At the 4th edition of Design Matters Tokyo, we explored the fusion of design, innovation, and entertainment, weaving together traditional craftsmanship with cutting-edge technology. We also looked into a series of emerging topics and technologies such as extended reality, responsive reality, large language models, spatial design and interactions, realtime 3D, avatar and soundscape design, prompt design and new design processes that use AI and we explored how to design for impact. 

Some of the speakers: Pleo, Google Workspace, Superbloom, Smartbox Assistive Technology, Nava

See the full program at the Design Matters Tokyo 24 website

From Latin America, With Love, A Call for the Future, The Radical Optimist

At the 2nd edition of Design Matters Mexico, we explored the intersection of technology and humanity, with designers from all across Latin America, listened to perspectives on applying Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) principles to design processes and reflected on whether or not something as AI should be viewed as a threat or an opportunity.

Some of the speakers: BeWay, Sprout Social, Centro, +Mujeres en UX, Volvo Cars, Butchershop

See the full program at the Design Matters Mexico 24 website

Design Trends in E-Gov, E-Health and Fintech, Scandinavian Design Philosophy, The Design Superhero

At the 1st edition of Design Matters Lagos, we explored the latest design trends in e-government, fintech, and e-health, how a Scandinavian design philosophy can be used within digital design and we celebrated the daring nature of designers who boldly venture into uncharted territory, reimagining what’s possible and challenging trends and design policies.

Some of the speakers: Netflix, Canta Global, Traction, Planday, Paystack, Brass

See the full program at the Design Matters Lagos 23 website

The AI Generation, The Power of Unity, Leading with Craft, Chill the F Out

At the 9th edition of Design Matters, we explored how designers can work with and for AI, how designers can design for their communities but also how communities can support designers, and what it is like to be in the “trenches” of designing a product or a service.

Some of the speakers: Adidas, Duolingo The New Yorker, Babbel, Pleo, New York University

See the full program at the Design Matters 23 website

AI + Design, Planet-centric Design, Designing for Well-being

At the 3rd edition of Design Matters Tokyo, we explored the emerging topic of AI, how designers can make the world a better, more sustainable and accessible place, and how designers have the power to design for their own and others’ well-being.

Some of the speakers: Magic Leap, Sony, IDEO, Headspace, teamLab, Notion, Rakuten

See the full program at the Design Matters Tokyo 23 website

The intersection of Design and DEI

This online Masterclass, based on the book Diversifying Diversity by Poornima Luthra, was made for all design practitioners and leaders wanting to acquire more in-depth knowledge in regards to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and acquire frameworks to design for intersectionality.

Some of the speakers: the LEGO Group, the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, James Weldon Johnson Professor Reginé Gilbert

Responsible Design in Practice, A superhero? No, a Designer!, Revolution from Digital Design

In January 2023 Design Matters landed in Mexico for the first time with a hybrid conference. Together with international and Latin American designers, we explored how designers can be seen as “superheroes”, their ethical responsibilities, and the power they have to foster change through their practice.

Some of the speakers: PayPal, Runway, Nike, Volvo Cars, Watershed, IBM

See the full program at the Design Matters Mexico 23 website

What are we responsible for?, Decolonizing Design, A little pick-me-up

The eighth edition of Design Matters (hybrid) explored what responsibilities designers hold in making the world more inclusive, fair, and accessible. With the help of indigenous designers and expert, we also looked at ways in which designers can indigenise design and finally, we looked at data visualisation and AI.

Some of the speakers: Notion, Twitter, Zeroheight, Zalando, Github, Flo Health

See the full program at the Design Matters 22 website

Embrace your Fuckups, Designing for Remote Collaboration, The Scandi Approach to Design

The 2nd (hybrid) edition of Design Matters Tokyo looked at how designers can treasure their failures to turn a design upside down for the better. We talked about digital experiences and products that are embracing a remote lifestyle and we analysed some of the Scandi design values such as functionality, elegance, and a hierarchically-flat mentality.

Some of the speakers: Adobe Design, UsTwo Tokyo, Dalton Maag, Takram, Google Play, Kontrapunkt

See the full program at the Design Matters Tokyo 22 website

Post-Pandemic Design, Design Code, Colors!

The 7th edition of Design Matters was hybrid, both in-person and online, again. We explored the ways in which people work have changed during the pandemic and how design can address these changes. We also discussed how to incorporate generative design in our work and how we can use AI as a design tool, and finally, we delved into all possible interpretations of color in relation to design.

Some of the speakers: Pablo Stanley, Miro, Sketch, Dropbox, SAGA Space Architects

See the full program at the Design Matters 21 website

Next Gen Design, Real Fake, Scrappy Creative

The sixth edition of Design Matters went hybrid, both in-person and online, for the first time. We explored the blurred line between real and fake, and looked into how Next Gen designers are coming up with creative and unique solutions to solve today’s problems with design. We also discussed new creative methods and approaches that could lead to new interesting ways of working in the future.

Some of the speakers: Twitter, Spotify, Adobe, Dropbox, Mozilla Corporation

See the full program at the Design Matters 20 website

Scandinavian Design Philosophy, Creative Empowerment, The Designer’s Role

January 2020 saw the launch of our first pop-up Design Matters in Japan. Together with international and Scandinavian designers, we explored the most important and relevant topics for digital designers, in a series of talks.

Diving into design methods and processes in 4 practical workshops on UI and UX design, we learned new techniques, actionable design skills, and found new inspiration.

See the full program at the Design Matters Tokyo 20 website

Minimal Tech, Design & Activism, Collaborative Tools for Design

In the fifth of Design Matters we explored how to create less intrusive digital products to avoid a tech burnout. Together with the audience we discussed how design can give minorities a voice and fight for the planet. And lastly, we looked into how collaborative tools are changing the way designers work, taking teamwork to a new dimension.

Some of the speakers: Duolingo, Slack, Figma, Behance, LEGO

See the full program at the Design Matters 19 website

Designing for Change, Mixed Realities, Being a Rebel

In the fourth edition of Design Matters, we addressed what roles and responsibilities designers hold in a world that has an increasing need for change. We talked about how designers can create immersive experiences in mixed realities, and how being a “Design Rebel” can bring innovation and generate outstanding designs.

Some of the speakers: Minecraft, The Outline, Headspace, Dropbox, Medium

See the full program at the Design Matters 18 website

Conversational UI’s, The DNA of Product Design, Embracing Failure

In the third edition of Design Matters, we explored how we can design products without a visible interface. We also explored how to make the “design DNA” extend to all the touchpoints of a product. And finally, we discussed failure, and how embracing and accepting it can lead to great design solutions.

Some of the speakers: Spotify, Netflix, Vox Media, Uber

See the full program at the Design Matters 17 website

Fun and Casual Design

In the second edition of Design Matters, we went on a highly personal, informal and jolly journey to discover and break down the borders between users and interfaces. It was all about making the experience engaging and amusing!

Some of the speakers: Slack, Emojipedia, MailChimp, Google, BuzzFeed

See the full program at the Design Matters 16 website

Game-Changers in Digital Design

In the first edition of Design Matters ever, we gathered designers from all over the world. They shared their insights, learnings, and ideas on how to disrupt tradition and change the rules within digital design.

Some of the speakers: Airbnb, Clue, Volvo, BBC, Spotify, and MailChimp

See the full program at the Design Matters 15 website