London Design Festival 2023: Talks Guide

Keynotes

Five keynote talks will be given by designers working across disciplines. Designer of experiences Dr Nelly Ben Hayoun-Stépanian will kick off the keynotes on 16 September at 16:45, followed by designer and artist Yinka Ilori on the 17 September at 16:45, who will speak on building communities.

On 20 September at 16:45, Pentagram partner Yuri Susuki – known for his work in experience and sound design – will deliver a talk titled Sounds for Change, shedding light on how sound can shape an experience.

Pearlfisher’s founding partner and group creative director Jonathan Ford will lead a talk on human centric design, the power of symbolism and how cross-disciplinary working can solve future problems on 21 September at 13:30. On the same day, Fuseproject founder and chief designer Yves Béhar, who is an expert in smart home design and has also worked within the health and medical sector, will deliver the final keynote at 16:45.

All keynotes are free but require tickets and will take place in the Lydia and Manfred Gorvy Lecture Theatre, Victoria & Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 2RL.

Diversifying Design

Diversity and inclusion consultancy Kiltered founder and barrister Morag Ofili will be in conversation with learning platform Lets Be Brief founder Steph McLaren-Neckles and Trinary Systems Limited director Piers Roberts, who is diagnosed ADHD and Autistic.

On the agenda is how the design industry can work with the education sector to create a pathway into the industry for young people from all backgrounds, neuro-variances and identities.

It will also look more widely at how designers, brands and influencers can affect change. This could include diversifying their workforce, so that they can better serve the communities they design for and sells to, investigating the impact of digital technology on diverse design, or responding to calls for improved diversity.

The talk is free to attend but tickets must be reserved. It will take place from 14:35 to 15:20 on 17 September in the Lydia and Manfred Gorvy Lecture Theatre, Victoria & Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 2RL.

Material Systems

Do you ever wonder which new materials could be available to designers in the next two, five and even ten years? Shellworks co-founder and CEO Insiya Jafferjee and Atelier Luma material designer Henna Burney will be discussing materials currently being researched that could soon be available for use and what their real-world application could be like.

They will also examine how current materials, supply chains and production systems could be rethought so that material innovation can be embraced at scale. This will include conversations about how to overcome current barriers preventing the uptake of alternative materials.

The talk is free to attend but tickets must be reserved. It will take place from 13:35 to 14:20 on 20 September in the Lydia and Manfred Gorvy Lecture Theatre, Victoria & Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 2RL.

Transdisciplinary Design: Education

Chaired by Istituto Europeo di Design Academic director Ricardo Balbo, a panel of speakers will discuss why educators need to teach a transdisciplinary approach to design, so that young designers can tackle contemporary challenges more successfully. The panel will look into the key challenges faced by the next generation of designers, what skills they need to operate in a transdisciplinary environment and how design universities can provide students with these skills.

“Transdisciplinary design is not a discipline nor a profession”, says Balbo, “It is an aptitude in the way of thinking that takes the values and the methodology of design and tries to bring people with different backgrounds together in order to reframe problems even to the point of shaping new disciplines.”

Speakers include UAL course leader and Centre for Circular Design associate researcher Laura Knight and Istituto Europeo di Design course leader Wouter Haspeslagh.

The talk is free to attend but tickets must be reserved. It will take place from 14:35 to 15:20 on 16 September in the Lydia and Manfred Gorvy Lecture Theatre, Victoria & Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 2RL.

Circular Design Series

Each day of talks at the V&A will open with a 25-minute session focusing on the future of a certain discipline or aspect of design through a circular design lens. The series is part of LDF’s ongoing collaboration with global systems designers SAP, called The Circular Design Project.

Leading figures and challengers across fashion, food, automotive will delve into key projects, prototypes and initiatives that aim to transform the future of their industry. Stockholm-based design agency Form Us With Love co-founder Jonas Petterson will be focusing on material innovation and the production approach that the agency takes to ensure sustainable design practices and production.

Other talks in the series will be led by upcycling design project Greater Goods founder Jaimus Taylor and designer Andu Masebo as well as Mayfair restaurant Apricity owner and chef Chantelle Nicholson.

The talks are free to attend but tickets must be reserved. They will start between 11:00 and 13:00 on 17, 20 and 21 September in the Lydia and Manfred Gorvy Lecture Theatre, Victoria & Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 2RL.