You are probably wondering: what is a design system designer doing at an event meant for graphic and motion designers, brand strategists, animators, and filmmakers?
I asked myself the same question. My UX manager did too.
I said I wanted to think outside the box.
So, I went.
Two days packed with creative talks. Ranging from personal development to dangerous experiences. From quick brown foxes to filters. From staying in the comfort of your seat to traveling all around the world.
I was not able to stay until the very end because I had to drive back home. But the talks I got to join were genuinely cool.
What I learned from these 2 days
Creativity is synonymous with crazy and weird. They go hand in hand. It knows no limits and can be a hit or miss. What others deem a failed project could still end up becoming a success. Just because clients did not like an idea does not mean the idea was worthless. Happy accidents really do happen. And there is never enough fonts.
One thing I also learned: presenters love black and white way too much. The contrast hurt my eyes. ESPECIALLY the black font on white background. We were in an old cinema turned event place. It was dark. Then, bam! Like a deer looking straight at the headlights of an oncoming car.
I wished so badly, that I was doing the exact same things they were. That I was one of them.
Let me dive a bit into the talks I joined.
Day 1
Johanna Jaskowska by Adobe
Her story, of living in a WG in Berlin was pretty cool. She lived with three other people, but there were only three keys to the main door. So she built something small—a browser-based app that unlocked the door by swiping on a UI. Clever. The problem of having just 3 keys for 4 persons, solved.
She later talked about getting into AR and creating face filters for a client. The client did not like the idea, but she kept pushing it as a personal project.
That personal project eventually turned into something much bigger.
Take-away:
Just because something does not exist yet does not mean it is destined to fail.
Studio Dumbar
Yo, this presentation was tantalizing. Typography, shape, color, and music all mixed together into something that felt alive. At some point it genuinely felt like being inside a club.
Take-away:
Design should feel human. Music, performed. For it to convey emotion and intelligence.
Mah Ferraz
She talked about moving countries, visa struggles, trying to find her place, and how those experiences eventually shaped her work and brand. The values she built along the way became embedded in what she creates.
Take-away:
Personal experiences, the good and the bad, can become your biggest differentiator.
Zetafonts
Hands down, the BEST talk of the conference. For me, at least. I was entertained. I guess my interest in typeface and fonts also play a huge role.
The italian duo, Cosimo and Debora, talked about how there is never enough fonts. And I FULLY agree. And about the mistake that was Coco Goose. By the way this talk was also, by far, the funniest.
Take-away:
We will never have enough fonts. Ever. Typeface carries meaning. And mistakes sometimes end up becoming the thing people remember.
Day 2
Grilli Type
A very interesting talk on the challenges type foundries face. This one made me appreciate type design so much more. Different font sizes actually contain different levels of detail for readability. And in some scripts, changing what feels like a tiny detail can completely alter meaning.
Take-away:
Creating type is nowhere near as easy as it looks.
Studio Herrström
This talk explored how brands should connect with culture. That resonated with me a lot. Brands are not created in isolation. They absorb people, places, context, and values.
Take-away:
Culture is not decoration. It shapes identity.
Stig de Block
This talk was about adventure, curiosity, and stepping into worlds that are not your own. Stig talked about going to places where lowrider communities met. Places that felt unfamiliar and, at times, even dangerous. But instead of staying an outsider looking in, he kept showing up. Over time, he was accepted into the community.
Take-away:
Curiosity opens doors, but respect and consistency are what make people let you in.
That’s a wrap!
Here are some images, in no particular order. Enjoy.
If there is one thing I am taking home from Forward Festival, it is this:
I went there thinking I would feel out of place. Instead, I left realizing that creativity exists everywhere. Including in design systems.
Maybe thinking outside the box was not stepping outside my field after all.
If you want to find out more about the event, here’s the link to Forward Festival 2026 in Frankfurt.
Silke 