Unexpected Connections in Bratislava - ByDesign Conference

Inspiration is deciding to work every day. It’s a quote from the French poet Baudelaire shared by legendary bookmaker Irma Boom at last weekend’s ByDesign conference.

And the five hundred or so delegates spending their Saturday by the banks of the Danube in beautiful Bratislava hearing leading designers talk on the theme of unexpected connections would have agreed.

As memorable quotes go it was rivalled only by this from Kolja Pitz, Head of Digital at Meire & Meire:

Now in its ninth year, ByDesign has built a devoted following as well as a reputation for diverse, interesting speakers. This year spanned Irma Boom recounting run ins with Vatican cardinals who disapproved of her interest in books, to Mitch Paone of DIA Studio showing how his love of jazz improv has informed his creation of kinetic identities (his work for Squarespace recently covering Time Square), Tove Blomgren of SALLY, EY Doberman’s innovation lab, dreaming of the rewilding of Stockholm, as well as the Mayor of Bratislava, portrait artist Wilfrid Wood and many others.

It was truly a day for inspiration and unexpected connections – both of ideas and people. Organisers Martin Jenca of Buro Milk and Jakub Ptacin of Studio Echt put on a great show every year, but sadly next year, the tenth ByDesign, will be the last. We look forward to it, to another great line up sharing thoughts on the theme of Endings, and to seeing if we can change their minds.