Program

Welcome to Design Matters

Ingrid will give you a warm welcome and open this year’s conference.

She will give an introduction to the 3 themes:
– Minimal Tech
– Design + Activism
– Are we on the same page?

The creation of SHINE and what to consider when attacking a T-Rex with a torch light

In 2018, Fox & Sheep wanted to try something new. So, they left their comfort zone of cute characters and bright colors and set out to a new adventure: A mindful app for the whole family that doesn’t feed on the player’s dopamine levels.

In this talk, Timo will provide insights on how Fox & Sheep approached their project with SHINE, analyzing what worked and also what went horribly wrong.

Design Language: How Duolingo Learned to Teach Everyone

Duolingo is the most popular tool for learning a language in the world. With over 300 million users, how do they personalize everyone’s learning experience? Serious learners want to be challenged, but casual users just want to do something more productive than zombie-scrolling through social media posts.

Whether it’s personalizing flows for their diverse user types or the makeover of Duo – their beloved owl mascot – Beth will go behind the scenes to see, how Duolingo uses Design to solve intractable business problems.

Stay with us!

Some like to be fashionably late. This speaker will be announced soon <3

Creating inclusion in play

Do you want to create an inclusive design? Amazing! The ambition to make the world a better place is always great, but finding the right language and process to start and implement the actual work can be much trickier.

In this talk, Petter will share how Toca Boca started to define what they mean by diversity and how they include it in their products. He will also share some other types of support structures they use in their mission to create apps that feel inclusive for kids all over the world.

What are we saying? A discussion on Visual Storytelling

Design works best when it’s deeper than surface-level. When the visual constitution of the piece, campaign, or product works in tandem with its message to communicate a thought clearly.

In 2019, there’s an undeniable push for more progressive visual storytelling – but it’s imperative that the aesthetic choices made in the name of inclusivity are authentic representations of values and not merely woke-washing.

In this talk, Chloe will discuss how design is a powerful tool for communication. She’ll stress how creating work consciously is a responsibility for designers in the modern landscape, who wield tremendous power in how brands and corporations are perceived by the public.

“Ethics” and Ethics

Facebook is fishing for our email passwords, Amazon is listening to our conversations for laughs, Tik-Tok spying on our kids. The fact that we see so much dirt on the surface, makes it likely, that it’s even worse under the surface.

The solution for all of this: “Ethics”. Design ethics! Tech ethics! Business ethics! Ethics for AI! But is it?

Night Talk

With British humor and distance to himself, Mr Bingo turn things around. Get ready to be exposed to Hate Mails, drawings of naked people and provocative drawings of the British Queen. 

Enjoy a drink in the company of Mr Bing and hear his personal story about going from designer to artist, crowdfunding art projects and co-creating together with his fans.

This will be a talk that you’ll remember for a long time!

Turn up the volume and have fun!

After a long day full of talks and workshops, you probably need to relax and free your mind for a couple of hours.

A band will accompany your evening with vibrant Scandinavian vibes to make your experience at Design Matters 19 unforgettable. You’ll have the chance to expand your musical horizons and discover a new band.

And if you’re still full of energy after the concert, you can also catch a bus and visit some of the coolest bars in Copenhagen!

This Emptiness Is Normal

Astrology has helped humans make sense of the world for 2,500 years, but it’s never been as popular as it is today.

In this talk, design lead Andrew Lu will share how Co-Star managed to translate the complex spiritual practice of astrology into a practical and easy to use tool that can help us better understand who we are and how we relate to each other.

Let Me Think: Why Workflows Matter

Why do our desktop apps interrupt us? Why are they full of options that are confusing and irrelevant? Why doesn’t software follow our flow of thought, or better yet, our unique workflow?

Nikoline will explain how designers at Unity design workflows that inspire and allow creatives to achieve their vision. The application of designing for flow and creativity goes way beyond the creative industries. The talk will show how the design team at Unity works with focus, affordance, and context to keep people in the zone.

Tools Shape Us

Over the last years, there has been an overemphasis on pixel perfection as the main identifier of good design.

This led to a misunderstanding of Interface Design as a whole and of what designers’ abilities need to be. Additionally, the tools we are using are continuously reinforcing this, causing us to be caught in an exclusive design process.

It would be fantastic to live in a future where we can design together. For this, we need to challenge our current perceptions of Interface Design and build tools like Figma with the goal to empower people with different skill sets to collaborate effectively. Although the tools shape us, we can also shape the tools.

Designing a New Way of Play

In this talk, you will hear the story of how LEGO designed a new product, combining physical play with a digital experience.

Roberta will share how product design and communication design go hand-in-hand, influencing the future way for kids to play.

We Do More Than Transfer

WeTransfer is used by millions – it impacts people on a deep level. With numbers that high, how do you make sure you don’t lose connection on a personal level?

On the other side, we do so much more than just transferring files. Thomas will talk about how WeTransfer is trying to bring this across, and what kind of role design plays here.

See You Next Year! - Time for a Drink

Farewells can be sad, but we rather see them as a “see you soon!”. So, we want to celebrate the end of our conference and the amazing two days with a very last toast, all together.

Not tired of partying yet? You have plenty of time to go explore Copenhagen and enjoy a beautiful Scandinavian sunset.