ABOUT THE CONFERENCE…

AND THE COMMUNITY

“Why corporate America broke up with design”

— Fast Company, 2022 – Suzanne Labarre

“The big design freak-out: A generation of design leaders grapple with their future. Did business really break up with design, or did it just break up with a generation of design leadership?”

— Fast Company, February 15, 2024 – Robert Fabricant

“The Design Industry is Broken”

— Fast Company, December 12, 2024 – Jarrett Fuller

Context

Headlines & Headwinds

Last year (2025) we used the patterns highlighted by these headlines, as well as headwinds playing out in so many companies, agencies, and sectors to frame of theme for last years’ conference:  IS DESIGN DEAD?

Borne from continued and increasing economic challenges, emerging technologies, a prominent shift to near-term planning horizons, shrinking design organizations… and diminishing relevance and responsibilities entrusted to the practice of Design, we were inspired to create a forum… a place… a platform… that might enable candid (sometimes, uncomfortable) dialogue about the state of the Design business.  We still question whether corporate leadership understands just how Design might help influence and change fortunes and impact. 

Inspired by the candor of conversations last year, and the energy and passion which this community generated at the inaugural THE FUTURE OF… conference, last year – we are back for round 2.

We plan continue to build community, encourage and embrace candid conversations about important and relevant topics.  We hope to continue to inspire engagement, and an environment that seeks to learn with (and from) each other. 

Our 2026 theme is:  

ARE YOU READY TO LEAD?

This is the theme that will guide, shape, and frame our discussions this year (May 11-13, 2026).  We will hold a mirror up to ourselves to take inventory of the things that we might own, control, lead, and influence.  We will look to each other for tools, frameworks, models, methods, scripts, checklists, cautions, and support. 

Our goal, this year, is to arm you with insights, perspective, examples, experiences, and a range of these tools, frameworks, models, methods, scripts, checklists, cautions, and support so that you might be able to use some/many of them immediately upon your return to your teams and responsibilities.  We also hope that you return to your professional environment with dozens of new allies, coaches, and cheerleaders to help us all lift each other, and accelerate our efforts to elevate and leverage Design more strategically, and more profoundly for growth and impact.

So… are you ready to lead?

Some Is the idea of leveraging Design as a strategic business competence no longer relevant or desired? Is the belief that Design could be a catalyst for growth, a driver of innovation, a spark for consumer or employee engagement no longer true?

We believe that there is no question that a strategic Design competence has the power to change outcomes, elevate impact, and transform experiences and business performance. 

Come join the conversation.  Share you voice and your experiences.  Become an active part of this movement. 

How did we get here?

The founding team for this unique event (David Butler, Fred Richards, and John Gleason) have all been deeply involved in the rise of Design. We have, also, seen the emerging trends (and realities) – whether in the press or with our own eyes and experiences in corporate organizations – that Design is, in fact, in decline in many companies and sectors. Yet, it still thrives and drives growth and impact in other companies and sectors. We think that you all have seen some of the signs, but may not have the chance to see them as common nor frequent patterns playing out across the industries, sectors, categories, or types of design activities.

We were so moved by these worrisome trends and themes that we decided to try to do something about it. So, we decided to produce a conference… to create a forum for connections and conversation.

And we added the invaluable talents of Elisabeth Emory and Jenna Banks to help elevate the experiences crafted and delivered for the 2025 edition of THE FUTURE OF… conference.  And, WOW, were they amazing! 

Building on the amazing foundation of last year’s (2025) THE FUTURE OF… conference - we are back again!

We want to bring the industry together…

to help you all see the patterns… the common challenges… and the huge opportunities.

We want to enable a community of conversations that might inspire Design and business leaders to see the power, influence, and impact that Design might deliver for consumers, customers, colleagues, and communities… and notably for brand performance and business impact.

We want to emphasize that design is, in fact, NOT dead - and is thriving in many places.  And it is OUR responsibility to step up and LEAD toward the future that we envision and aspire to

We want to create an environment that encourages open, candid dialogue among peers…

To sharewith each other.  To learn from each other.  To see the patterns that might not have been visible from any one of our, separate, individual vantage points. To identify the key challenges and opportunities which might help re-ignite, reinvigorate, revive, resuscitate, reframe, restore, and re-imagine THE FUTURE OF… Design. 

It takes a village…

Let’s come together (again) to continue to find ways to facilitate, and support those leading Design organizations.  Come be a part of this journey… this “movement”.

Thus, THE FUTURE OF… conference, is back for round 2.

Join the conversation. Join your peers and colleagues for this unique event—and unique opportunity—to learn, share, and explore… to be inspired—and to inspire.

THE FUTURE OF… conference is specifically curated to learn with – and from – each other. Sessions are designed to encourage dialogue, and the “so what’s?” related to each topic discussed…

…those things that we all might take back to create growth, influence, and impact.

Format & Participation

  • It is a forum created to serve the Design community. A place to come to learn… to see what might be happening outside of your own role, organization, and vantage. To understand some of the things happening outside of your “walls” and experiences.

    To help elevate Design as a strategic business competence, and a catalyst for growth. To help revive its place as a source of inspiration and business impact. To better prepare Design leaders to influence, engage, inspire, and lead their business partners, leaders, and stakeholders toward exceptional user-experiences which drive exceptional impact for connections, conversations.

    This unique forum could not have happened without the dozens (maybe hundreds) of people who helped shape the vision, the ambitions, and the aspirations for such a relevant and unique event… experience.

    This is NOT a “talk-at-you-from-the-stage” kind of event. It is all about dialogues and conversation.

    It is not a “whoa-is-me”, “why-don’t-THEY-see-how-important-design-really-is”, “why-don’t-we-have-a-seat-at-the-table” kind of event. It is about the “so-what’s?” – those things that we might actually do to change the trajectory, influence, and impact of Design – together.

    THE FUTURE OF… is a group thing. In partnership with dozens (maybe hundreds) of design and business leaders, who helped shape, inspire, and bring this event (and community), as well as those who have already signed up and committed to join the conversations, and are contributing their time, talents, energy, candor, experiences, and perspective throughout both days of this unique conference experience.

    And a huge sense of gratitude for the sponsors who have chosen to invest their time, their talents, their experiences and perspective, and their resources to help make this an exceptional experience for all of us.

    A big thanks to: TaxiStudio and 3D Color who have been a sponsor from the very beginning of THE FUTURE OF… conference. We welcome WovenWorks and Designalytics as first-time sponsors this year.  And our corporate sponsors who are leaning in to help enhanced your experience, W.K. Kellogg.

    THE FUTURE OF… conference is specifically curated around the challenges and opportunities that are driving YOUR leadership. 

    So, ARE YOU READY TO LEAD? THE FUTURE OF… conference is specifically curated around the challenges and opportunities that are driving YOUR leadership.

  • We all have a responsibility for THE FUTURE OF… experiences, innovation, collaboration, engagement, growth, etc. 

    Let’s come together… to explore, together, and help create a brighter future for our brands & businesses, for each other, and for the industry.

    We keep hearing feedback from those who have been a part of this journey with us that THE FUTURE OF… is like no other event. A large-scale working session. An opportunity to really learn from your peers and colleagues.  An opportunity to carry back ah-ha’s, actions, and “how-to’s” that might help make an immediate impact of YOUR work, your teams, your colleagues, your brands & businesses, and your impact on the business – and on the world.

    Big ambitions and expectations. We hope that THE FUTURE OF… inspires a movement – or maybe IS the movement.

    So, come join the conversations.

  • We built this event - and the community that may emerge - around the following core principles:

    CANDOR.  We will curate an environment that encourages and embraces candor – even uncomfortable

    CURIOSITY.  Encourage curiosity, wonder, and exploration. 

    CONNECTION.  Inspire a learning environment.  Be approachable.  Learn with (and from) others.

    COMMUNITY.  To be a catalyst for expanding networks, ideas, and opportunities. 

    CONVERSATION.  Our manta is, “come join the conversation”. 

    The entire event (and experience) should be about dialogue, not a one-way flow of experiences, advice, and inspiration. The challenges and opportunities (and patterns and trends) which we all experience are not limited to “Design”. They are, in fact, BUSINESS challenges and opportunities, which might be enhanced, improved, and otherwise made better with Design.

    CO-CONSPIRATORS. You are not alone, and you do not need to do this alone. 

    We have observed that most of your key challenges and opportunities are actually quite similar, if not the same as most of your peers. But we have also observed that you might not realize this. So want to open eyes and open minds, as well as begin to provide some tools, frameworks, roadmaps, model, methods, scripts, checklists, cautions, and tips to help accelerate and elevate your Design (and business) journey.

    SO WHAT?  We will curate a program that not only speaks candidly to key challenges, but we will also encourage the chance to explore the “so what’s?”… possible next steps, potential actions, potential partners and allies.

  • The focus of the conference will be around engagement… conversation and dialogue.

    None of us have all the answers, but we feel we can co-create a better future, together.

    We’ll use fireside chats, panel discussions, facilitated discussions, workshops and short keynotes to drive as much collaboration and open discussion possible.

  • All conference activities, sessions, and receptions are open to:

    • All corporate-client-side Design and business leaders, including those leading: Design (of course), insights, marketing, innovation, experiences, design operations, as well as senior executive leaders.  We also welcome in-house design, creative, and execution leaders inside corporate-/client-side organizations. 

    • Senior leaders from Agency, Consulting, and supplier organizations who serve the above communities. NOTE:  we ask that attendees from these organizations:

      • Be a part of the senior leadership team of your organization, including: partner, owner, executive leader, etc.

      • And NOT have sales, business development, or growth as their primary responsibilities for your firm/organization.

    • We do reserve the right to restrict or deny admission to THE FUTURE OF… conference, at our discretion.

  • Come “join the conversation”. Register now as seating is limited and we will fill quickly. Register Now to secure your place. 

REGISTER