We speak with the co-directors of the Northern Design Festival, Toni and Niamh, to explore their journey, mission, and vision for the future of design in the North

1. Tell us a bit about yourself and NDF

Toni : I’m Toni, the co-director and founder of Northern Design Festival. Alongside my work with NDF, I’m a 21-year-old passionate designer, recently graduated from university, and running my own creative agency, Arbov.

Coming from an immigrant family and navigating the challenges of integrating into a new country and industry at a young age, I know how difficult that journey can be. NDF felt like the natural way to help others pursue what they love with greater ease. But it’s more than just a name or an event; it’s a community built on support, connection, and opportunity, where success isn’t just about profit or recognition.

Niamh : Hi there! My name is Niamh and I am co-director of the Northern Design Festival. Day to day, I am a junior designer living in Manchester. I work at Magnetic, a design and innovation consultancy that focuses on designing better futures across various sectors.

I joined NDF at its conception, during my final year at Lancaster Uni. Toni came to me in the design studio one day back in October 2023, proposing the idea of a Northern Design Festival and I said GET ME ON BOARD!

I joined because I wanted to spread the message that you don’t have to go to London for creative jobs- there are so many amazing opportunities up North and a creative community that should be celebrated. NDF was founded with the goal of bridging the gap between university and industry, and while that’s still a big part of our mission, we’re constantly growing and evolving!

Toni and Niamh

2. How did NDF come to life?

T: Moving from London to Lancaster for university was a significant shock, particularly in terms of the creative industry. Niamh and I both faced challenges securing internships in the North during our time at University. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to return to London and gain experience with leading agencies such as Pentagram and Landor, as well as volunteer at the London Design Festival that year. Witnessing the scale and impact of these creative institutions not just in London but globally, reinforced my desire to see similar opportunities flourish in the North, without creatives feeling the need to relocate.

It was a moment of realisation about our privilege. Knowing that so many creatives couldn’t afford to travel south just to access these opportunities made me frustrated—and even more determined to drive change once I came back to Lancaster to start my 3rd year.

When I returned to Lancaster, I had an incredibly motivating conversation with my mentor and tutor, who encouraged me to organise something that would bring the industry together. As I reached out to local agencies, studios, and creatives, their enthusiasm only reinforced the potential to build something that could genuinely benefit our community, careers, and businesses.

As optimistic and ambitious students, we had little idea of the challenges ahead, and our initial vision for NDF was based on a surface-level understanding of the creative industries in the North. At its core, NDF is about creating opportunities and bringing people together to celebrate their achievements—no matter the scale—while uplifting one another to keep driving positive change in our local communities. Through this, we hope to spark a ripple effect that drives positive change in society and encourages collaboration towards a shared vision that can be seen not just in our creative communities.

3. How is NDF helping decentralise design opportunities and create a place where creatives can thrive?

It wouldn’t be fair to say there are ‘zero opportunities’ in the North—many fantastic agencies are based here. However, our goal is to highlight the limited variety of creative opportunities and the lack of structured support to help people access and progress within the industry.

Another key challenge is the poor and often expensive transport links between larger cities and smaller towns, making these opportunities even harder to reach. While a £15 train ticket for a daily commute to an internship in Manchester might be manageable for some, for others, it’s simply not an option.

This issue extends beyond our own creative community—it’s a wider political, governmental, and societal challenge that we, as creatives, don’t have direct control over. That’s why NDF wants to focus on what we can influence: building a stronger sense of community. By encouraging more interaction, open conversations, and mutual support, we can start to address these challenges together.

What NDF isn't is a monopoly over the North’s creative scene. In fact, we actively encourage the growth of independent creative events, agencies, and sub-communities. As we’ve mentioned, our goal is simple—to bring people back together after a challenging few years post-Covid and help rebuild a stronger, more connected creative community.

At the heart of it all is people. We want to listen, understand their needs, and find practical ways to create meaningful change

4. Your Festival’s just around the corner! What’s in store for this year, and what’s the theme all about?

This year’s festival is taking place between the 15th and 17th May 2025 in Lancaster. This year’s theme is transparency.

Through organising NDF, we’ve had the privilege of engaging with a diverse range of people, both within and beyond the creative community. Many of the conversations we’ve had have highlighted the challenges and barriers that prevent people from progressing in their careers—experiences that often go unseen and unspoken.

These struggles are rarely made visible to the public, especially on social media, where an idealised version of the creative industry is often portrayed. For those without direct access to the industry or a strong support network, this can make a creative career feel unattainable.

That’s why this year’s theme, Transparency, is about breaking down those misconceptions. We want to create space for open conversations, making these challenges more visible and normalising the struggles that many face. By fostering understanding and shared experiences, we hope to inspire people to support and uplift one another.

For us, transparency isn’t just about a freelancer sharing how they find clients or an agency revealing their process. It’s about honesty—openly discussing challenges, setbacks, and lessons learned to build a stronger, more connected creative community

5. What are you most excited about for this year’s festival? Any speakers or moments to look out for?

N: I'm looking forward to the diverse lineup of workshops this year, from the likes of companies such as Foilco, Brandon, Shelley Wood Ceramics, Hotfoot, + more. I’m particularly excited about the honest and insightful conversations with creatives like Dave Sedgewick (Studio DBD), Claire Blyth (Red Setter), and Simon Dixon (DixonBaxi), Peter & Paul, Craft, Fedrigoni, Claire Parker (The chase). Plus, there will be fantastic opportunities for networking and collaboration!

T: Ah Gosh, I can’t pick! Although our line-up is beyond amazing, I am most excited to see everyone who we have met throughout the journey of organizing this in one place, having a good time!

6. What do you think are the biggest hurdles for young creatives today, and how is NDF working to help break those down?

N: One of the primary motivations for beginning NDF was our own individual struggles to enter the creative industry. So many obstacles! The primary hurdle was that we felt there was a gap between education and industry- we didn’t know who or where to turn to and the opportunities that were appearing for graduates required industry experience! We took a leap of faith starting NDF to bring to light the barriers of entering the industry and growing your network… It was really daunting!

One of the biggest challenges is confidence. Putting yourself and your work out there requires resilience because design is subjective, and opinions on what's ‘good’ or ‘bad’ vary. However, if you're confident in your work and can bounce back from setbacks, you'll succeed. Design isn't always smooth sailing, but by accepting and embracing these challenges, you can become a stronger designer as you enter the industry. Personally, I wasn’t confident as a designer a year ago, but by working on NDF design work last year, I stayed resilient and embraced constructive feedback (even if I didn’t want to hear it!) and it made me a better designer in the long term. Resilience is a topic that will be touched on this year in our panel talks!

The other hurdle is finance. There is a common theme in the industry of only being able to get a job once you have had some industry experience, which is often through unpaid internships. Financially, this is a huge setback and many cannot afford to do this.

7. If you could give one piece of advice to someone trying to break into the design world, what would it be?

N: Network! Going to events and meeting new people will lead you to new opportunities in the most unexpected places. Design careers are rarely linear- doors open in the most random (and creative) places!

If you don’t like going to events, then LinkedIn is a perfect place to start connecting and conversing with creatives. Don’t be afraid to reach out and ask for advice… designers love that!

T: It’s important to remember that everyone starts somewhere—even your favourite designers were once graduates and juniors. Keeping this in mind can really help build self-confidence and a positive outlook for the future.

Resilience is an essential trait to develop, before you receive your first 'yes,' you’ll likely face dozens of 'no’s.' But that isn’t a reflection of your talent or ability—it’s simply the nature of the industry and the opportunities available.

Sometimes, something as simple as sending an email or reaching out can make all the difference. It’s those small steps that become the most valuable investment in our future careers.

8. Looking ahead, what do you want NDF to be in the next few years? What’s the dream for the future?

N: As a community interest company, NDF’s core mission is to create an inclusive space where all creatives are part of a supportive and equal community. We want NDF to be a vibrant creative hub, fostering opportunities amongst the community. Our long-term goal is wanting to make the North of England synonymous with creativity- you don't have to go to London to find what you’re looking for or achieve success!

T: We just hope to keep on growing our community, having fun and supporting emerging creatives as much as we can!

Find out more about Northern Design Festival here .