Design Matters 19

Copenhagen Sep 18-19, 2019

Two days of exploring digital design – now and in the future!

Design is in our DNA, but we’re also inspired by art, music, and the Scandinavian lifestyle.

Design is in constant change and so are we! Each year we change our design, the venue, and the format. This year on September 18-19, 2019, we did it again for the fifth time – with lots of new ideas!

Each year we host a lively conversation about New Movements in Digital design. This means having designers talk about their process, challenges, ideas, and inspiration. This also means that we try to avoid sales pitches, bullshit, and hot air. Design Matters is a place for competent, visionary, nerdy, engaging talks, workshops and discussions about the work and role of digital designers – now and in the future.

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Themes for 2019

Minimal Tech

Screens take up too much of our time and attention, and we need less intrusive digital products to avoid a tech burnout. We must get rid of attention-stealing clutter, stress-inducing notifications, and addictive time-consuming functions. Let’s create digital products that are less intrusive, with a less visible presence, slower, and help us thrive as human beings! In this theme, we look into how we can create functional and joyful products that will actually make us feel better!

Design + Activism

Design is a powerful tool that can create awareness on difficult topics, gather minorities, and give subcultures a voice. Even though changing human behavior is difficult, we need to move from a user-centric to a society-centric design approach. This theme is about how we can create products that empower people, break taboos, and make a political impact. And how designers can contribute to a movement for positive change.

Are we on the same page?

New tools are changing the way designers work, taking teamwork to an entirely new dimension. Suddenly, everybody is working on the same canvas, and it’s no longer “your design”. We need to figure out how to balance fast collaboration with a deep creative focus. This theme is about the role of the designer, collaboration and leading teams, and how designing together can shape the future of our practice.

Related Talks

2019

Design Language: How Duolingo Learned to Teach Everyone

Beth Chasse, Duolingo

2019

SHINE and what to consider when attacking a T-Rex w a torchlight

Timo Dries, Fox & Sheep (SHINE)

2019

Welcome to Design Matters 2019!

Ingrid Haug, Design Matters

2019

Let Me Think: Why Workflows Matter

Nikoline Høgh, Unity

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