Program

Stay tuned! Coming soon...

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.

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.

This talk constructs an ideascape—a terrain of provocative questions and speculative futures—inviting designers to collectively explore how we might navigate this uncertain territory. Rather than providing neat answers, we'll map the contours of design's most pressing questions and illuminate paths for exploration.

Most designers are great at pairing with other designers to craft customer focused experiences. But we’re not always great at partnering with the people that help us make those experiences a reality. Even worse, when these partners “don’t get” design, it leads to frustration, lack of impact, and in many cases, designers (myself included) jump boats to new projects or companies.

In this talk, I’ll share something I wish I’d learned much earlier in my career. Something that is not taught in design schools. Being good at design isn’t enough, you also need to know how to build trust, navigate conflict and get aligned with people who are trained and think differently - like Product Managers, Project Managers, Engineers and beyond.

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.

Stay tuned! Coming soon...

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.

In this session, I'll talk about the mental framework and experiences I've been through that help transform concepts into impactful design experiences that users love in their day-to-day behaviors.

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.

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,

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.

In the age of AI, craft and judgment remain our real differentiators. AI tools are rewriting the rules of how we design—but not why we design. In this talk, Alastair Simpson breaks down the real opportunity (and risk) in a world where anyone can generate 20 prototypes in 20 minutes. Spoiler: it’s not about speed. From Atlassian to Dropbox to Intuit, he shares lessons on why judgment, curiosity, and craft still set great designers apart - and how to keep emotion, storytelling, and care at the heart of your work. Because the tools will keep changing, but taste is what sticks.

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.

The workshop will go over the basics of designers and developers being able to work hand-in-hand and the fresh take Penpot offers on it. You will be able to find ways to not only improve your Penpot experience but your overall team collaboration, too.