POV Design Conference 2024: day 1 highlights from Budapest's creative epicenter

On September 19, 2024, Budapest transformed into a hub of design innovation as the Point Of View (POV) conference launched its first day. Organized by design studios Comet and CM.Supply, this creative melting pot brought together designers from over 40 countries, setting the stage for a day filled with inspiring talks, fresh perspectives, and innovative ideas.

Opening: a global gathering of creatives

Elsa Dagný Ásgeirsdóttir kicked off the event with an inspiring opening speech. She highlighted the incredible diversity of attendees, emphasizing the importance of bringing together creators from all corners of the globe. This international gathering, featuring participants from 40 different nations, promised a dynamic exchange of ideas and perspectives, fostering a sense of community among creative minds.

Photo by Kiki Minkova

Highlights from the speakers

Koto: Embracing Bravery in Design

Arthur Foliard, Executive Creative Director at Koto, delivered a compelling talk about his journey from feeling lost in San Francisco to becoming a leader in the design industry. Foliard's central message revolved around the idea that success is born out of failure and bravery. He shared personal anecdotes, including an incident where he accidentally deleted an entire server, to illustrate how taking risks and being resilient led to professional growth.

Foliard presented three case studies highlighting the role of bravery in design:

His key takeaway: "Be brave enough to look inward because that's where real progress begins."

Photo by Kiki Minkova

Snøhetta: Crafting Unique Narratives in Architecture and Design

Gaute Tenold from the renowned architecture and design studio Snøhetta brought a wealth of experience to the stage. He recounted the firm's journey from winning the tender to redesign the Library of Alexandria in 1989 to its completion in 2001. With 10 studios globally and 400 employees from 40 nationalities, Snøhetta exemplifies international collaboration in design.

Tenold reflected on how digital tools have led to a "sea of sameness" in design. To preserve uniqueness, he suggested:

He showcased notable projects like the Oslo National Opera, where the goal was to create an immersive experience for visitors, leaving attendees to ponder the balance between technology and human creativity.

Photo by Bertalan Soos

Studio Herrström: Designing for the Music Industry

Erik Herrström, founder of Studio Herrström in Vienna, brought fresh insights from the music industry. Working with clients like Spotify, Beats by Dre, and Sony Music, Herrström highlighted the evolving landscape where streaming creates fans and experiences monetize them. He discussed the Vault FM platform by James Blake, which even attracted Drake's participation.

Herrström cautioned against over-reliance on inspiration sites like Pinterest, advocating instead for designers to immerse themselves in the culture they're designing for. His cultural echo design framework emphasizes understanding a brand's essence before diving into visuals.

Serafim Mendes: The Future of Design

Serafim Mendes, with three years of experience at Apple, offered a forward-looking presentation. He took the audience on a journey from his early days of learning Photoshop through illegal downloads to becoming a key figure in the design world. Mendes's work spans VR art, generative AI, and 3D graphic design, blending the physical and digital realms in innovative ways. His talk left attendees with a sense that the future of design is inextricably linked to emerging technologies.

Photo by Bertalan Soos

Buck: Creative Problem Solvers

The team from Buck, a global creative company with over two decades of experience, energized the audience with their dynamic projects. They showcased their work on animating the Niantic logo and refreshing the brand identity for 7UP. Buck's process of "thinking, playing, and making" embodies a spirit of exploration in design. Their recent work on the Spiderman movie and a project for The Art Department Festival demonstrated how asking the right questions can unlock creative solutions.

Wise: Redefining Financial Design

The Wise team, led by Group Design Leads Rosie Isbell and Kota Kobayashi, along with Luke Woodhouse, Executive Creative Director at Ragged Edge, shared their collaborative journey of transforming financial interactions. Over three years, they developed a scalable illustration system and redefined how Wise visualizes the movement of money across borders. By combining generative research with design, they created a platform that saw a 34% increase in new user adoption. Their key message: "It's a big risk to play safe."

Pentagram: Conflict as Creative Fuel

Andrea Trabucco-Campos, a partner at Pentagram, offered a philosophical approach to design. Drawing on his Italian-Colombian roots, he shared five principles guiding his practice. Trabucco-Campos provided examples from projects like PayPal and Mountain Hardware, where balancing opposites served as a creative engine for design.

Porto Rocha: Embracing Change in Design

Closing the day, Leo Porto and Felipe Rocha from Porto Rocha discussed designing in a constantly changing world. With their studio growing from 2 to 30 team members in just a few years, they emphasized creating obviously iconic yet contextually surprising brands. Their rebrands for Nike Run and the Sundance Film Festival exemplify their belief that designers must be willing to challenge their own misconceptions and embrace change in today's fast-paced world.

Looking ahead: day 2 teaser

The second day of the POV Budapest Design Conference promises an equally exciting lineup:

Day one of the POV design conference was an unforgettable experience filled with insights, bold ideas, and inspiring stories from some of the world's leading creatives. Attendees left with a renewed sense of bravery in their approach to design, eager for what the rest of the conference has in store.