Bend Design festival returns October 26-27 for two full days of speakers, films and creative conversations for changemakers and the curious.

Collaboration, relentless curiosity and a daring expression of design can change everything. Bend Design 2023 promises to do just that by bringing together bold minds, thinkers and doers in AI, visual storytelling, graphic activism, branding and more. 

Bend Design is a two-day creative conference with talks, problem-solving workshops, films, and experiences challenging designers to think differently and design with the future in mind. This event focuses on the importance of reality in the design process — bringing together speakers from various disciplines to highlight the impact design can have. Bend Design is for designers, architects, developers, researchers, product managers, SEO gurus, librarians, artists – anyone looking for inspiration and connection. 

Bend Design’s main stage will feature leaders in technology, architecture, branding and design. The main stage event on Thursday, October 26 will feature six speakers, followed by a full day of workshops on Friday, October 27. Chuck McBride will discuss how creativity is essential to business, followed by Pedro Ruíz talking about AI technology and what our technology-based future looks like. Nishat Akhtar joins to review how we can find inspiration through our surroundings in her talk: Notating and Noticing, a Design Practice. Following that, we dive into human centered design with Cleo Barnett, design solutions towards ending homelessness with Phoebe Anderson-Kline and Bernard Troyer, finishing with Elodie Mailliet Storm discussing photography to inform in her talk Visual Journeys. 

Put your deadlines to the side and take space to grow your personal knowledge and creative connections. Attendees can expect to gain insight into numerous fields and disciplines, walking away with a new network and awareness for a wide variety of creative endeavors.To find out more information on the topics and speakers or to find a workshop that speaks to you simply visit BendDesign.org.