Program

What can graphic designers do in the era of climate crisis? 
Her talk covers the relationship between graphic design and hyper-consumerism and her personal story of becoming a designer while concerned about climate change. Even though being a graphic designer seems incompatible with being a climate activist, she discovers inspirational ideas and new ways of working towards positive social change. 

Without the economic incentives to grow rice, without a predictable harvest season, without the youth pursuing careers in agriculture, the future of rice in Japan is looking rather grim. For the last three years, Maimee Rice Commons have been rehabilitating abandoned rice paddies to experiment with alternative forms of “value” creation. Come listen in if you're interested in how design futures and strategic foresight can empower communities at the local level.

This talk will explore the historical evolution of ecologically oriented design approaches—from ecodesign and biomimicry to biodesign and nature-centered design—highlighting their theoretical foundations and practical implications. Drawing on evolutionary biology, systems thinking, Indigenous epistemologies, and decentered design methods, we will present expanded design understandings that recognize species' interdependence.

Meet and connect with new designers

In the workshop we'll focus on some critical aspects of what open source software is, how designers can get involved and begin to make our first contributions to these open source software projects through a series of templates created by Eriol and translated by Code for Japan.

In this talk, Evan will share her experience working as a UI/UX Designer in a traditional Japanese company and how we embed sustainability into the core of our work. She will discuss how we navigate cultural values, business expectations, and modern design principles to create digital experiences that are not only user-friendly but also environmentally and socially responsible.

As Designers, we are great at crafting customer-focused experiences. However, partnering effectively with those who make these experiences real - like Product Managers, Engineers, or Project Managers - is often a challenge. When our partners don't "get" design, it leads to frustration, limits our impact and in many cases, designers (myself included) jump boats to new companies. This talk will share a crucial skill not taught in design schools: how to build trust, navigate conflict, and align with cross-functional partners who think differently.

Ethical design isn’t just the right thing — it’s smart strategy with real returns. Discover how trust, care, and responsibility quietly build long-term value.

We are surrounded by ever increasing convenient tools for design works. While we do use and appreciate them, there are things that we care about beyond these tools.
These things often come in such a detail that nobody may not notice or even we ourselves may forget about it after a while. Then, why bother? Well, hopefully you'd find out 'why' in this talk with real examples in various design projects.

Senja-Fuda is a tag in which your name and other information are written in commemoration of visiting a shrine or temple. Edomoji, designed over 300 years ago, is widely used to write letters on Senja-Fuda. This workshop will be conducted by Masuda, who has a 30-year career as a typeface designer.

You can touch one of Japanese writing style and typeface design while creating your original Senja-Fuda with some arrangement of Edomoji. Please enjoy a special experience and you will feel Japanese typography and tradition.

Design isn’t just about what you make, it’s about what you move.  Your work isn’t getting traction, your ideas go ignored, and your  stakeholders just don’t “get it.” It’s easy to blame the system or  the team, but what if the real gap isn’t in your designs, but in  your soft skills?
In this talk, we’ll unpack the hidden dynamics behind common  frustrations in design careers, and explore how emotional  intelligence, persuasion, and strategic communication can turn  friction into momentum. From securing resources to aligning  with business goals, the ability to navigate people is just as  critical as the ability to craft pixels.

You’ll learn how to:

• Decode how decisions get made in your org—and how to  influence them
• Socialize your work in ways that stick and spread
• Align your designs with real business outcomes
• Respond to apathy or resistance without burning out
• Know when to adapt and when to move on

This talk is a practical and honest look at how to collaborate  with empathy, communicate with clarity, and get your best work  built, not just admired.

This talk explores both the promise and the paradox: through my journey from the Global South to IDEO to helping build UNICEF’s new in-house design team, one of the only such teams in the United Nations.

What does it mean to be scrappy in the times of AI powered digital tools for everything? How fast is fast enough in the public sector? And should beautiful always be the goal?

"You’re not competing with AI. You’re competing with every designer who’s still stuck in execution mode. The tools can ship UI. What they can’t do is lead with vision, drive strategy, or earn trust in the room. That’s the real job now. If you can’t do that - someone else will."

What would our design practice look like if equity wasn’t an afterthought—but the starting point? In this interactive workshop, we’ll explore what it means to show up as responsible designers by practicing co-design tools rooted in liberatory and equity-centered design. With care and curiosity, we’ll navigate inclusive collaboration, share power, and center the voices of those most impacted. This is a space for practicing—not perfecting—what justice in design can look like.

As emerging technologies are poised to disrupt the state of the world, how do we envision a future that we want to live in? I think the answer is this—transform the way power relates to work and it will open up new possibilities.

Using the design and development of our nostalgic 2000’s era story-based game, Terranova, as an example you’ll learn about how we at Studio Terranova:

• Create a culture where we intentionally say “no”
• Ask hard questions to clarify design constraints
• Step joyfully outside our “prescribed roles” when working creatively

These small seeds are the first steps we took to create team dynamics and a design process that is intentional, collaborative, and based on shared power.

How do you navigate between fields and speak diverse languages of disciplines to design the conditions for inter- or trans-disciplinary conversations on climate issues? Sharing the ethnography and design process of translating scientific data into artistic media, S+T+ARTS ReSilence residency artist Wendy Chua sheds light on the creation of BLOOMS VR and the accompanying exhibition that weaves together the data and tools of the marine scientist with the creative translation of the artist/designer, the orchestral composer and the VR developer.

From junior designers to senior execs, the fear is real: Will AI take your job? Gleb explores the psychological impact of AI on creative professionals and, more importantly, how to turn this anxiety into an unfair advantage.

By the end of our time together, you’ll walk away with a clearer perspective on harnessing AI-driven shifts, practical ways to define and communicate your purpose with data, and the conviction to lead your team through disruption with courage, clarity, and heart. Let’s get ready to break old paradigms and embrace what’s next.

In this workshop, we will explore a playful interpretation of that idea, using a grid and small coloured units that bond when exposed to water. Each participant will then create modular arrangements. The elements have a surface coating that, upon contact with water, activates a binder, allowing them to bond with one another and stabilise the composition.

Our work shapes experiences for others, but how often do we design for ourselves?

This lunchtime workshop opens a space to step back from the fast pace of projects, deadlines, and deliverables to reflect on the inner side of design, the psychology of creativity, wellbeing, and self-awareness.

The session will have guided conversations, interactive activities, and practical modules that show how psychological insights can enhance both the way we design for others and the way we care for ourselves as designers. Expect moments of reflection, fun group exercises, and simple takeaways that you can apply in your daily practice to foster resilience, empathy, and balance.

Whether you’re curious about how psychology influences design decisions, or you’re seeking tools to support your own wellbeing, this workshop offers a chance to pause, recharge, and rethink how we design, all while enjoying a meal with fellow designers!

Great brands balance authenticity with adaptability. This theme explores how brands can honor their local heritage while scaling to a global audience, creating meaningful connections across cultures.

In this session you'll get 3 talks and a panel discussion hosted by Kontrapunkt.

How does Yonex tell a consistent brand story across performance gear, ambassadors, and digital campaigns? Has there been a time where your Japanese identity helped — or needed to be adapted — in a new market? What’s next for Yonex as a brand? What brand principles have you learned in your time working at Yonex?

- Introduction of Norm Architects and Karimoku Case

- Norm's design philosophy; Soft Minimalism

- Examples of our work and how we often blur the lines between residential, hospitality, retails etc.

- Our design approach at Karimoku Case and how we design furniture for specific cases - looking beyond trends, but guided by real needs.

- Building experiences instead of standalone products

- Working with kindred spirits across the world, to create a sense of community and build a network of "ambassadors"

- ...and how the above is taking Karimoku from local to global - and maybe back again.

Daigo is planning to talk about how Sony has created various paradoxes, along with his motto to find the right balance between the unchanging and the ever-changing, through the following topics: Introduction of Sony and Introduction of Sony Creative Center.

Panel discussion between Casey Yoneyama, Frederik Alexander Werner og Daigo Maesaka moderated by Philip Linnemann

The workshop will take the attendees through the foundations of a designer developer workflow, how Penpot's features and the way its built paves the way for a smoother hand-off experience. You will also find how the team at Penpot tracks tasks, works together and in groups, you will map out areas to even further improve hand-off experience. This workshop will also give you an overview of Penpot's latest features and how to use them to further refine your hand-off experience.