Event Insights: A round up of events in the design world this May
Our team have been busy attending some interesting events in the design world this May, here’s a round up of our insights...
Our team have been busy attending some interesting events in the design world, chatting with our community, getting to know new brands and design agencies and of course gaining inspiration for all things packaging design, here’s a round up of our event insights from May…
Breakfast’ival with Quatre Mains
Where : The event ’in the middle of nowhere’ (aka Donk, Belgium). Set in a barn in the countryside, attention to detail was superb, haybales on the stage, branded tote bags, a coffee shop on a bike - even the local cockerel along for the ride.
What : Celebrating brand and packaging design agency Quatre Mains , the event was jam-packed with creative voices from the food and beverage industry
Who : The official line-up started with Fons Van Dyck who urged us to seize the future, emphasizing our role in shaping it.
Uwe Melichar then shared his ten rules of sustainability, highlighting its increasing relevance in packaging design.
And not forgetting our very own Head of Pentawards; Adam Ryan talking all things trends and what’s to come from the Pentawards competition. An inspirational-filled, memorable event all round!
D&AD Festival
Where : We headed to the Southbank Centre for a day of interesting talks and insights around design and advertising at the D&AD Festival .
What : All things design were discussed in some interesting talks regarding trends, AI, sustainability, inclusivity and even puppetry! Complete with live streams with Adobe, a painted mural wall in action and virtual reality relaxation.
Who : The team managed to catch up on JKR and how they helped Impossible’s campaigns in their quest in ‘solving the meat problem with more meat’.
We listened to a panel around AI and it’s visual representations, AI of course was continued in the group discussions around how it’s impacting design projects and if it’s a positive for the design industry. This group discussion, featuring insights from industry experts such as Camila Moletta from The Coca-Cola Company and Emma Follett from Design Bridge and Partners, discussed trends they were seeing come through their favourite submissions, often those solving a real problem, such as Macro Supermarket and their fruit and veg and their Life Extending Stickers, suggesting recipes based on the ripeness of the fruit.
Another not-to-be-missed talk was from Sinéad Burke on inclusivity within events, ecommerce and design, how she worked with Vogue on their most inclusive ever issue and how we should ‘create with disabled people, not for disabled people'.
Packaging Première & PCD Milan
Where : We visited our sister event Packaging Première & PCD Milan in the heart of the Italian luxury and beauty market.
What : 3 days packed-full with captivating talks and features such as the brand new Design Hub, featuring some of the most distinctive and impactful packaging for the wine & spirits sector from Italian design agencies Advision , BasileADV , Officina Grafica , and O,nice! Design Studio , as well as GINnasium's exhibition, the first case study in neuromarketing for gin design.
Who : With a 3-days conference programme, we managed to attend a session featuring our jury member Cameron Worth from SharpEnd alongside Armani and Fedrigoni , focused on connected packaging and how brands should enable transparency through digital touch points to create meaningful engagement.
Another highlight of the conference was a talk from UPM Raflatac , Portofino Gin , So.ve.mec , and SenseCatch diving deep into the GINnasium project, where we learned about how the use and combination of elements comprising the design system of a gin bottle impact the consumer’s emotional response.
We also listened to Mario di Paolo, founder and creative director of Spazio Di Paolo , Italian studio specialized in packaging design for wine & spirits and one of the most awarded worldwide. Mario explored the theme of Originality and Craftsmanship, touching on design and technology in packaging for the Wine & Spirits sector.
On Day 2 we caught up with Luxoro and KIKO Milano , exploring the strategies adopted to create cosmetic packaging that meets the criteria of contemporary luxury. This presentation offered a unique opportunity to examine how the cosmetics packaging industry is embracing a sustainable future without compromising aesthetic and functional excellence.