Each Design Is a Manifesto for the Future

The world is on the edge right now. Climate crises, rising inequalities on many levels, the return of realities we thought we had overcome. The digital products we design play a role in all this, which leaves us with the power but also obligation to act.

Each design decision is more than a functional choice; it embodies a vision for the future, reflecting and influencing societal values and realities, whether intentionally or inadvertently. Choices - even small ones - can serve as pivotal inflection points that dictate trends, shape technology adoption, and impact social norms.

Join Thorsten on a journey that shows how design and everyday design decisions are shaping the future and how we can utilise this flow of decisions to make a positive impact.

RoleplAI

In 2025 it’s easy to think of “yet another chatbot” when you think about AI, but gaming has long been at the forefront of artificial intelligence and content generation. From the earliest applications of randomisation in roguelikes, to procedurally generated universes in games like Elite and No Mans Sky, players are used to algorithmic content adding challenge, variety and fun to their games.

In this talk Jo experiments with using hybrid Procedural Generation and modern transformer models to create narrative storytelling for games that not only plays well, but still feels intentional, human, and engaging.

She’ll cover techniques for content generation that both use and constrain our models to make worlds that make sense – that you could, of course, shift to other non-gaming mediums.

Midi Meets CSS

Adam is be combining passions, music and CSS into a creative audio visual experience. All in the browser.

Build with him, jam with him, peep the beats with him; as CSS keyframes become driven by a K.O. II live on stage.

The Good Internet: How Fandom Can Reclaim the Web

Ever miss the days when the internet felt like a wild frontier of fan-made magic, weird little websites, and pure creativity? Sacha does too. In this spirited talk, she traces the internet’s roots in fan culture—from the scrappy communities that wrote epic fanfiction and built personal sites in the ’90s, to today’s social media giants who seem more interested in selling your data than sharing your joy.

By exploring the heart and soul of fandom, Sacha shows us how we can escape the algorithmic doom loops and reclaim our digital lives. She’ll champion small, personal, independent spaces where your online presence is truly yours. From building your own site to discovering (and creating!) small games, art, fanfiction, memes and fun little passion projects, her message is simple: embrace the DIY ethic that once made the web a home for boundless curiosity and creativity.

If you’re fed up with corporate walled gardens and hungry for a more authentic online experience, join Sacha’s journey to bring back the “good internet” – a place fueled by genuine community, creativity, and connection. It’s time to roll our sleeves up, rebuild, and rediscover the thrill of finding your people in the digital wild. The power’s in our hands – let’s use it.

Exhausted … but still excited!

We are tired, new parent kind of tired, AI kind of tired, Social Media kind of tired, but still unwaveringly excited about what we’re working on.

From late-night wake ups to early-morning client calls we often find we’re running on pure adrenaline. Yet somehow in the midst of the chaos we keep finding inspiration, and realise our way of understanding and enjoying the world has changed.

We’ll talk about navigating parenthood and creative work, and discover how embracing the chaos has made us adapt and find excitement and joy in our work.

You might be tired, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be excited about what’s next!