Global Design Conference "Design Matters 26" to be Held in Tokyo on Nov 14-15, Featuring Top International Designers

Spectrum Tokyo Inc. (hereafter Spectrum Tokyo), in collaboration with the Danish-born global design conference Design Matters, will hold "Design Matters 26" for two days on Saturday, November 14, and Sunday, November 15, 2026, at the DMM.com seminar space in Roppongi, Tokyo.

## A Conference to Learn from the World's Top Designers, Offering Insights Unavailable in Japan
Design Matters is a global conference for designers by designers, focusing on technology and digital design, originating from Denmark. Since its inception in Copenhagen in 2015, it has continued to inspire designers as a platform for creators worldwide to share their ideas and experiences.
The conference has expanded its footprint from its annual event in Copenhagen, Denmark, to Mexico City, Lagos, Singapore, and Tokyo. In 2025, it successfully held a major five-day event in Copenhagen, combining a two-day conference with a three-day festival. The next stage, "Design Matters 26," will be held in Tokyo.
*Since 2020, Spectrum Tokyo has been leading the organization of "Design Matters Tokyo."

## Features of Design Matters
1. Carefully Selected Themes by an Expert Committee and a Commitment to DEI
The content of Design Matters is built upon themes carefully selected by an expert committee of designers from around the world, deeply considering the current and future critical issues in the design world. Furthermore, a core principle of the conference is the promotion of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).
The content strongly leads the improvement of accessibility in practice, and participants can expect to gain new perspectives and deep insights beyond conventional frameworks.

2. An International Conference Experience where Domestic and Foreign Cultures Intersect
With a diverse international lineup of speakers and attendees, the conference has a unique, open atmosphere characteristic of overseas events. You can experience an extraordinary conference in Tokyo, within the pleasant ambiance of its Danish origins. In a cozy setting of about 200 people, there are opportunities for natural conversations with speakers during coffee breaks and parties, making unexpected encounters with world-class designers a unique experience of this conference.

## Four Themes Shaping the Future
Each year, "Design Matters" explores current and future critical issues along themes selected by a committee of designers from around the world. This year's themes are:
- Theme 1: Slow Speed
It's easy to be fast, but slowing down is a skill. This theme views intentional restraint not as nostalgia, but as a form of intelligence. To be human is to think deeply, question, and choose carefully. In doing so, we think more deeply and create better designs.
- Theme 2: Driven Decisions
Information is abundant, but meaning is not. In an age of data saturation, judgment and aesthetic sense are formed not just from datasets, but from intuition and accumulated experience. Designers are required to hold their ground even amidst ambiguity.
- Theme 3: Connecting Beyond Screens
We are not interfaces. We are human. This theme shines a light on connections beyond the digital medium. It turns empathy into practice and inclusion into responsibility. What remains for us when clicks, scrolls, and systems have served their purpose?
- Theme 4: Designer's Evolution
Roles change, and questions become more complex. In an era where tools evolve faster than job titles, we overcome these uncertain waves by honing human skills that resist automation—communication, collaboration, aesthetic sense, and responsibility.

## A Lineup of World-Leading Designers
Leading domestic and international speakers who have pioneered the forefront of the design world will take the stage.
Featured companies/affiliations: Knapsack / Slow Tech Studio / Winning / Miro / Neko Health / Medium / MundoMendo / AQ / Fycely / Lyse Tele / Blank / and more to be announced.

## Call for Sponsorship Partners for Design Matters 26
Design Matters 26 is looking for sponsors. As a place for direct networking with top global designers, it is an ideal conference for Japanese companies aiming for global expansion and for overseas companies wanting to increase their presence in the Japanese market.
Design Matters is a prominent international global community in the design world with 53,000 annual website visitors, 243,000 social media followers, over 2,200 global participants in 2024, and more than 50 nationalities. 48% of participants are from corporations, with key job titles like Head of UX, Design Lead, and Senior Product Designer, making it highly effective for recruitment, branding, and product PR.
Sponsorship plans include main stage presentations, workshop hosting, networking booth exhibitions, and co-hosting meetups, with multiple options available to suit your objectives.

## Event Overview
- Event Name: Design Matters 26
- Dates: Nov 14 (Sat) - 15 (Sun), 2026, 9:30-17:30 (Doors open at 9:00)
- Venue: DMM.com Seminar Space (Sumitomo Fudosan Roppongi Grand Tower 24F)
- Format: Hybrid (In-person + Online streaming)
- Language: English
- Special Japanese Website: https://dm26.spectrumtokyo.com/

## How to Participate in Design Matters 26
Tickets for Design Matters 26 are on sale now. You can purchase tickets at a special price by applying through Spectrum Tokyo. Group discount tickets are also available for companies and teams.