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DISCOVER MORE
- Design Matters Tokyo 25
- Recordings
- Magazine
- Podcast
8:30-9:00
9:15-9:35
Main Stage
Will Shaw & Caroline Fletcher (EY STUDIO+)
AI is everywhere, it is turbo charging our design craft, driving business efficiency and, most importantly, changing our customer experiences. But how do customers respond to it? Would you be happy having your child's school chosen by an automated agent? Would you feel confident in make complex financial decisions, under the guidance of a automated agent? Would you feel motivated to change your health behaviours through the coaching of an automated agent? Does your appetite and comfort to engage with AI change with how you are feeling, and your emotional state? Join us to understand what we learned about human beings, human decision making, and what we are willing to accept from AI.
9:35-9:55
Main Stage
Hanna Norlin (HYPERSCAPES)
This session explores how speculative design and immersive storytelling can be powerful tools for shaping aspirational futures. By examining historical innovations that once seemed impossible, we’ll uncover how bold ideas become reality when paired with tangible prototypes and compelling narratives.
9:55-10:15
Main Stage
PJ Richardson (LAUNDRY)
This talk explores the intersection of design, mental health, personal work, creativity, and future-forward technology. As an attendee, you will learn strategies for effectively presenting ideas, maintaining mental well-being, balancing personal projects, and embracing AI tools in design.
10:15-11:00
Main Stage
11:00-11:20
Natalia Kritsali (MCKINSEY & BLOODE)
In her talk, Natalia Kritsali will share key insights from her design journey, highlighting the transformative role of service design in improving healthcare accessibility.
Drawing from her experience as the founder of Bloode, a pioneering initiative revolutionizing blood donation, she will explore how design fosters community engagement, helps break down systemic barriers, and empowers individuals and public health organizations to take action.
11:20-11:40
Ram Yoga (COMPUTAS)
Reflecting the theme Steps Forward, Ram will explore how we can transform the way we communicate, swap UX jargon for language that resonates with leadership, and quantify our work’s impact in meaningful ways. By doing so, we can take decisive steps toward greater influence, stronger collaboration, and design decisions that create real impact.
11:40-12:00
Jean-Baptiste Kaloya (BPIFRANCE)
Attendees will gain practical frameworks for elevating design from execution to strategy, along with real-world examples of success metrics that build credibility with stakeholders. More importantly, they'll leave with actionable steps for fostering design culture in traditional industries. For designers working in traditional industries, this session will offer concrete tools to position design as a driver of real impact.
Workshop Room 1
Only in-person ticket holders can attend this workshop. Workshops are not recorded.
11:00-12:00
Amy Grinstead (MONTA)
This workshop, aligned with the Equipping New Craft theme, explores how to apply voice and tone principles in digital products, using real-world examples from Amy’s time on the IKEA content design team. Through hands-on exercises, we’ll practice workshop techniques that help define and refine voice and tone in your product.
12:00-1:30
Main Stage
1:30-1:50
Gaëlle Le Gélard (CLIMATE)
This session unpacks how design can unlock scale—moving beyond isolated pilots to systemic impact. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of climate science, circular economy principles, and the critical role design plays in accelerating adoption. More importantly, they’ll leave with a clear framework for action—practical steps they can take to help their organizations transition from ambition to reality.
1:50-2:10
Silvia Testa (INDEPENDENT)
This talk explores the broader themes of Design in Democracy and Equipping New Craft, aiming to inspire you to identify harmful patterns and advocate for safety and respect in digital spaces. Silvia will examine the troubling dimensions of digital design, highlighting how everyday devices can become instruments of control and manipulation, especially targeting the most vulnerable.
2:10-2:30
Patricia Gómez Jurado (KING)
In this talk, Patricia will take you on a journey through the introduction of UX Writing at King and how it fits into the broader game design process. She’ll share how her team collaborates with UX, UI, research, game design, and narrative design to create more seamless and engaging player experiences.
Workshop Room 1
Only in-person ticket holders can attend this workshop. Workshops are not recorded.
1:30-2:30
Marlene Couceiro (INDEPENDENT)
Reconstructing digital logic through ceramic tiles and modular repetition
This workshop explores how digital language can be translated into material expression. Using miniature ceramic units, participants will construct coloured patterns and typographic compositions through modular repetition — shifting from screen to surface, from pixel to tile, from digital to manual. Rather than simply recreating digital aesthetics, the workshop proposes a rethinking of language, colour, texture and pattern. Pixel by pixel. Tile by tile.
Workshop Room 2 / Online
In-person and Live Stream ticket holders can attend this session. This session is not recorded.
1:30-2:30
Juli Groshaus, Jules Newland, Eugenia Salama & Juana Musumeci (LA DISEÑERÍA)
In this session, you’ll connect one-on-one with fellow creative minds around questions rooted in our shared themes: planet-centric design, collective imagination, bold innovation, and individual inspiration. It's an hour of intentional, design-driven dialogue - with a healthy dose of curiosity and play. Come rethink how we meet each other. No pressure, no panels - just a deck of cards and a room full of humans.
2:30-3:00
3:00-3:20
Main Stage
Liz Pomeroy (UNITY)
In this talk, Liz will explore why AI hallucinations occur and how designers can address the gaps between user expectations and AI capabilities. Reflecting the theme Equipping New Craft, you will hear more about the critical role of content design in shaping user experiences, and how loose, scalable design patterns empower users to effectively use AI.
3:20-3:40
Main Stage
Valentina D'Efilippo (APOSTROPHE ONE)
Learn how Valentina D'Efilippo goes beyond standard charts, turning data into meaningful experiences that enhance knowledge. She’ll illustrate her approach to fostering understanding, connectivity, compassion, and action across different audiences – from illustrated books to digital twins.
4:00-5:00
5:00-6:00
6:00-6:20
Rooftop Stage
Emil Spangenberg & Thomas Christensen (FRAME & WORK)
The Prompt Battle is a fast-paced, high-energy showdown that fuses design, technology, and innovation into an electrifying live competition. This session challenges participants to think fast, adapt on the fly, and craft brilliant solutions in real time—all while tackling unexpected prompts that push them to solve real-world design challenges under pressure.
6:20-6:40
Rooftop Stage
Kot Bonkers (INDEPENDENT)
In this talk, I’ll share a personal reflection on getting creatively stuck, and how easy it is to lose touch with the reasons we create in the first place. This talk is for anyone who’s felt stuck, tired, or quietly disconnected from their own work - an invitation to make mistakes, to start over, and to trust the deeper ebbs and flows of creative life.
6:40-7:00
Rooftop Stage
Fergus Inns (TOMORROW'S DESIGNERS)
This talk deep dives into Fergus’s story and learnings from building ‘tomorrow’s designers’, where he’s been recording conversations with some of the world’s most influential design leaders. He flips the script though, uncovering not only advice for young designers, but also what our industry’s leaders can learn from our next generation of designers.
7:00-7:20
Rooftop Stage
Hanna Benihoud (HANNA BENIHOUD STUDIO)
In "Creative Plot Twist," Hanna Benihoud shares her journey from architect to artist, illustrating how she navigated the intersections of art and architecture to carve her unique creative path. She delves into the revelations that led her to establish an interdisciplinary studio, exploring the highs and lows of pursuing one's passions. Hanna will share her jack of all trades approach to creativity and why you should always have a back up plan.
7:20-7:30