2020 Design Events to Help You Get Ahead of the Game
It seems that, every year, new options pop up for designers to upskill and meet their peers. It can be hard to keep track of all of the choices, and we’re not going to promise that in a single blog post, but we thought it’d be useful to round up a few 2020 design events that stood out when we took a look around the industry.
Some new, some veteran, and all perfectly curated to give designers fresh ideas in inspiring atmospheres. Here’s what we found:
1. Leading Design San Francisco 2020
Leading Design brings together design experts who lead their organisations. The event has historically taken place in London for the past three years. Sticking with that tradition, they’ll be hosting Leading Design London this November. They also hosted a mega successful production in New York earlier this year. In addition, the team are super proud to be hosting an additional edition in San Francisco next February.
The unique thing about Leading Design is that the conference focuses on nurturing leadership skills among attendees. While of course those presenting are expert practitioners in the field of design, the focus of the content will be about individual development from a more strategic level.
Dates: March 4th-6th, 2020.
Location: San Francisco, CA.
Tickets: Available now via this page.
2. The Design Conference 2020
Though design conferences often look to the future of design and what the “next big things” are going to be, The Design Conference is one dedicated to exploring design’s current meanings. Practically, that looks like discussions between design professionals in which they share what design means in their hearts and minds.
Commercial artists and global strategists alike are due to attend this 2020 design event. The Design Conference team’s main aim is to entertain and surprise their audience. Set in Brisbane, Australia, the conference will provide 15 keynotes, 12 breakout sessions, three side events, and a luncheon.
Dates: May 21st – May 23rd, 2020.
Location: Brisbane, Australia.
Tickets: Super Early Birds are available for a limited time here.
3. Domain Driven Design Europe 2020
Domain Driven Design is a software modelling and design conference. Experts from inside and outside the DDD community will join together in Amsterdam to cover all topics related to the field.
The event promises to provide a very practical experience. That’s not to say that there won’t be expert talks (there’ll be many!) but the team will also be offering hands-on sessions, workshops, and modellathons.
Additionally, this 2020 design conference offers a dedicated childcare service, a quiet room that can also be used for prayer and meditation, gender-inclusive bathrooms, and a robust code of conduct.
Dates: February 3rd – 7th, 2020.
Location: Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Tickets: Available now, starting at €395.
4. Sensorium Festival 2020
Sensorium is a festival for designers and all those whose industries are associated with them. As a festival proper, Sensorium aims to inspire their audience through the exciting ways in which technology impacts our minds and lives.
The 2019 edition gives a good insight into what you can expect from the 2020 festival. From installations, AI workshops, musical performances, to presentations from representatives of MIT, Kimchi and Chips, and Hirsh and Mann, and so much in between, you’re guaranteed to leave this vibrant festival with a smorgasbord of new ideas.
Date: TBA.
Location: Bratislava, Slovakia.
Tickets: Super Early Birds are available here.
5. HalfStack Phoneix 2020
Shifting now specifically to web design, HalfStack is a UI-focused conference taking place in January of next year. Specifically for JavaScript enthusiasts, this one-day event will provide a fun and relaxed environment to learn about all things UI.
170 front-end, web, mobile and IoT developers are due to attend. The team behind HalfStack further prove their commitment to those attendees by putting an emphasis on having good food, good swag, and good social events to make sure they have a great time. Furthermore, the hosts have also perfected their craft throughout their experience: the team behind HalfStack also host London’s longest running JavaScript meetup.
Further details are available on the HalfStack website, as well as more info on their events taking place in other parts of the world.
Date: January 17th, 2020.
Location: Phoenix, AZ.
6. Material 2020
Material 2020 is an event set up to explore the web as a material. Since the web’s been around for 20+ years, Material 2020 will take place in (you guessed it) 2020, on the 20th of March.
The event is based around the premise that we’ve only just scratched the surface of the web’s capabilities, from design to implementation, to potential and creation. The team behind it observed that, “We have lost the apprentice / master relationship in the digital world. Spending years getting our hands dirty with an expert, learning slowly and really understanding the material rather than the framework.”
For one of the most inspirational and horizon-broadening experiences of next year, check this one out.
Date: March 20th, 2020.
Location: Reykjavik, Iceland.
Tickets: Blind Birds are on sale now.
And that’s a wrap. Hopefully you’ve found a 2020 design event you’d like to attend, but if you’re still hungry for more options, we’d recommend some similar round-ups we’ve published in the past: