Events
Set the agenda - Spring 2024
Vicky Stoakes
Communications Director
Design is firmly on the agenda this spring with a series of major design festivals all geared to celebrating the best in design thinking and creativity. For us, our first step into the new season is the launch of series 5 of our podcast, My Life in Design, with a very special guest, Mary Lewis. We suggest you pop onto your music streaming platform and follow My Life in Design so you don’t miss any upcoming episodes as this series look flaming hot! 🔥
Where will you go this spring?
My Life in Design podcast – Series 5
Series 5 of the podcast is kicking off on 7th March with design legend, Mary Lewis, co-founder of iconic packaging design agency Lewis Moberly. Our founder and the host of the podcast Claire Blyth explores Mary’s journey into design, from growing up on farm, to teaching, to switching to a world of mad men and advertising, and ultimately to setting up Lewis Moberly and changing packaging design forever. Produced in collaboration with the Design Business Association, you can find the podcast on all leading podcast platforms.
OFFF Barcelona, 4-6 April
OFFF Barcelona is back with over 70 speakers from across the fields of design, art, and digital culture at the four-day festival – a showcase of contemporary visual creativity and design. This year there’s a brilliant line up brand designers and strategists flexing their creativity and business acumen. We’re particularly excited to see Ragged Edge take to the stage on Friday 5th April.
Northern Design Festival, 17-19 May
We’re proud to be one of the founding supporters of the Northern Design Festival launched by students at the University of Lancaster (and the brainchild of graphic design student Antonia Arbova). It’s a three-day festival hosted in Lancaster, providing a creative launch pad for aspiring designers and creatives to explore the industry from different perspectives through experts in the creative community. The goal is to open up fresh possibilities in the region for young designers, without having to head south to London, and to champion the North of England, as a creative hub in its own right.
D&AD Festival, 21-22 May
We’re big fans of the D&AD festival and never fail to learn something new when we visit. This year, the event moves venues from Shoreditch to London’s South Bank Centre and the Queen Elizabeth Hall, where there’s an amazing line up of over 80 international speakers across the two days. We’re thrilled to see the strong presence of brand designers this May, including Brian Collins, Lisa Smith Global ECD for Jones Knowles Ritchie, and Nils Leonard, founder of Uncommon Creative Studio (more please!). It’s also a chance to have a sneak peak at the 2024 D&AD Awards shortlisted work. Culminating in the D&AD Awards Ceremony on 22nd May – see you there!
NYCxDESIGN, 16-23 May
The annual showcase of New York’s finest designers, craftsmen and artisans is back. It’s NYC’s official celebration of design, covering all aspects of the design industry, with speakers, trade shows, community events, talks, exhibitions, and more. We love podcast queen Debbie Millman’s The Mic series recorded in association with the event. If you can’t make it to NYC, tune into the podcast that offers an inside look into New York City’s most creative minds, exploring the meaning behind their work.
