From streaming services to AI processing, our digital lives are powering a growing environmental impact, generating significant carbon emissions. Join Kyoko Locussol for a forward-thinking session that dives into the often-overlooked ecological cost of the internet. This presentation will highlight how everyday digital activities contribute to this footprint and, crucially, empower you with practical strategies to reduce web related emissions. Learn key design principles and development practices that can dramatically reduce your digital impact, helping us build a more energy-efficient and environmentally responsible online world.

Unfortunately due to a family emergency and international travel this session is no longer able to go ahead. Please feel free to head down to the ground floor for the Design Assembly networking or some food and drink when the prior session finishes.

Join Rachel Sloane (Naveya & Sloane) and Stephanie Post (OCAA) for a conversation moderated by Jen Jones (Founder, NZ Design Week) exploring creativity as vital cultural infrastructure. Together, Rachel and Stephanie discuss their partnership for the Venice Biennale, looking beyond the surface to a collaborative model built on care, trust, and experimentation. The panel examines local organisations’ responsibility to meaningfully support artists and designers on the global stage, reflecting a shared commitment to fostering the creative industry year-round. Discover how these leaders navigate the intersection of process and legacy, advocating for a long-term practice that prioritises deep cultural impact over short-term output.

Join us for The Design Social, a vibrant networking evening facilitated in partnership with Design Assembly. Running from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm at Shed 10, this event offers the perfect environment to connect with peers over food and beverages from our on-site vendors and pop-up bar. To break the ice, we’ll provide customised name tags designed to spark immediate, meaningful dialogue, alongside cafe tables featuring curated conversation prompts. Whether you prefer informal mingling or participating in our structured speed-networking activities, this session is designed to foster genuine connection and collaboration across the diverse spectrum of the Aotearoa design community. Speaker sessions will be run upstairs in parallel as part of our Design Day Pro programme.

Join global design icon Tom Dixon for a deep dive into the evolution of the industrial aesthetic and the future of creative independence. In this headline keynote, Dixon moves beyond the surface to discuss his career-long experiments in challenging existing models of manufacture and distribution. From self-production to rethinking global supply chains, explore how a restless curiosity for materiality and process can disrupt industry standards. This is a rare insight into the mind of a designer who continuously reinvents how objects are made, sold, and experienced, offering a blueprint for innovation in an ever-changing commercial landscape.

Join Shiv Narandas, Design Director at Saatchi & Saatchi, for an exploration of design as an act of cultivation rather than control. Moving beyond static solutions, Shiv introduces a ‘gardening’ mindset – planting ideas with empathy and allowing collaboration to take root. Drawing on impactful projects, he discusses how cross-pollinating diverse perspectives leads to bold, unignorable work. Discover how embracing unpredictability and ‘composting’ old habits can transform design into a living ecosystem, creating deeply human connections that grow far beyond the initial brief.

Join Olivia Moon (Nodi) and husband Jeremy Moon (Icebreaker, Animals Like Us) for an honest conversation about disrupting tired categories through brand, design, and commercial strategy. Drawing on their recent work launching Nodi into carpet and Jeremy’s experience building Icebreaker Clothing and Animals Like Us pet food into global category-leaders, they’ll unpack how purpose organises everything, from product and brand to business model and market positioning. Discover what it actually takes to challenge established markets, why great product is only the prerequisite, and how design thinking shapes commercial strategy. This is an essential session for anyone building something distinctive in a competitive category.

This session moves beyond static aesthetics to explore design longevity and resilience, addressing how architecture can genuinely support busy, imperfect lives over time. We will examine the critical shift from designing for single moments or fleeting trends to designing for “The Long Middle” – the decades where homes and spaces truly evolve. The discussion will focus on practical strategies for creating flexible, durable, and resourceful environments that absorb the chaos of real life, adapt to changing needs (family growth, aging), and quietly support the physical and emotional wellbeing of their inhabitants. Learn how to design spaces that are not just beautiful, but deeply and resiliently human.

Join NZDW and Presenting Partner Lexus, for an unparalleled panel of female leaders discussing design, vision, and leadership in Aotearoa. Karen Walker (fashion), Megan Wyper – ACME Cups (industrial/product), Annabel Smart – Studio 11:11 (spatial/interiors), Phoebe Devine – Previously Unavailable (brand/design/investing) and Lucy Vincent – Sans[ceuticals] (product/brand/sustainability) will share candid insights on building internationally recognised brands. Moderated by Alice Lines – Homestyle, the conversation will explore how creativity serves as a catalyst for future success, navigating the challenges of scaling from New Zealand to the world, and defining a purpose-driven, sustainable approach to business. Celebrate International Women’s Day by connecting with the women shaping our design landscape.

Director-designer Mardo El-Noor explores his journey from musician (EMI, Sony Music) to award-winning commercial director, revealing how music videos became his creative playground. Drawing on over 30 videos for artists like The Cranberries and Shapeshifter, Mardo shares his unique process: breaking down ads (like for McDonald’s and Toyota) into rhythmic structures. This cross-disciplinary talk demonstrates how visual storytellers can translate sound into structure, turning passion projects into commercial success, and proving that the fastest route to new opportunities is daring experimentation.

Join us for an exclusive evening soirée to unwind and celebrate with fellow attendees. Enjoy cocktails, conversation, and connections as we celebrate all things design with the support of Lexus, and with our special guest. This is your chance to mingle, reflect on the day’s discussions, and toast to the future of design in a relaxed, elegant atmosphere. Access is included in your Design Conference ticket.

Participate in a collective design experience that transforms personal identity into a physical work of art. In this interactive session, you will select four colours representing your origins, your work, your personality, and your creative signature. Guided by a weaver, you will contribute to a collaborative tapestry – a vibrant material map of New Zealand’s design community. The event features insights from established design professionals, exploring the connections between our personal narratives and the environments we create. Join us over breakfast to weave your story into the shared fabric of Aotearoa’s design landscape.

Join us for an exclusive Monday evening walking tour of the new IKEA store at Sylvia Park. This guided experience offers an insightful look at the history of the iconic brand and how it translates its philosophy to life in Aotearoa. We’ll hear directly about the New Zealand research that shaped the store layout and product localisation, addressing the unique needs of our people and place. Discover how thoughtful design and the concept of democratic design influences everything from furniture to store strategy. Finish the tour with networking and a taste of Sweden, complete with IKEA snacks at the café.