THE DESIGN THINKING CONFERENCE
FOR WHOM?
For Design Thinking professionals who practice what they preach in their own organizations or with other organizations.
WHY?
Because It is time to take the next step and truly deep dive into Design Thinking.
WHAT?
Deep diving Design Thinking means critically looking at it, constructively discussing it and surprising ourselves with fresh perspectives.
It means to reframe and be sure about the problem we are solving.
It means to feel and discuss how truly empathic we can be.
It means to experiment and to test out new perspectives.
It means to envision and discover how far we can bring Design Thinking.
HOW?
Instead of definitions, tools and showcases, we will focus on inspirations to question oneself, debates to get further, perspectives outside our comfort zones, all in togetherness and positivism, and with a bit of lightness.
ABOUT
The Design Thinking Conference is an interactive and high-energy gathering of experienced design thinking practitioners from around the world. We offer a platform to share knowledge and further your understanding of what is driving the changes we all experience in today’s world.
The Design Thinking Conference is not a traditional conference, but highly inspired by theatre. We have developed an experimental and exciting new format to challenge both the speakers (our actors) and the audience (supporting actors).
With this conference we aim to shake you up and enrich you with new insights, not just leave you comfortable and confirmed in your beliefs. No preaching to the converted, but experimenting, experiencing, having fun and being surprised.
PULENG MAKHOALIBE
“Empathy is the most powerful force that makes us human and one. Designing from a place of empathy elevates the human experience.”
ROOS SCHLIKKER
“Showing empathy means having guts. Guts to look beyond what you see in front of you. To be open to the vulnerabilities of each other. And your own.”
JEANNE LIEDTKA
“Empathy changes the experience of the designer in ways even more profound than it does those we design for.”
ESTHER THOLE
“No empathy without life, but is there life without empathy?”
CRISTINA ANDERSSON
“When you start to develop your powers of empathy and imagination, the whole world opens up to you.”
Susan Sarandon
ARNE VAN OOSTEROM
“In a world always searching for balance we need empathy for others and ourselves to find it.”
KALWANT BHOPAL
“Empathy is about awareness and understanding; it’s about being aware of the feelings and emotions of others.”
STEFAN VAN DER STIGCHEL
“Being visually aware can help us to look at the world around us with a completely different perspective.”
CALENDAR
The Design Thinking Conference offers many opportunities to get your hands dirty. All the speakers (main actors) will be running experiments and during the two days we’ll offer several breakout sessions.
We’ll post the details of all sessions on this website soon.
COMMUNITY
As we are developing the conference we would like to keep you posted – join our Facebook community.
ARNE VAN OOSTEROM
A VISION ON EMPATHY
Our own Arne van Oosterom, founder of the Design Thinking Conference, speaks about Empathy, making Connections and building Bridges in view of Design Thinking.
ADAM STJOHN LAWRENCE
“Empathy is often uncomfortable, but it’s worth it.”
CONFERENCE ’18
AFTER MOVIE
Here you can find the after movie of our Design Thinking Conference 2018. Take a look and experience a little bit of the energy and atmosphere of those magnificent 2 days.
A VISION ON EMPATHY 2018
Visit our Youtube channel and be inspired by visions on empathy from the Design Thinking Conference 2018.
LAUREN CURRIE
ACTOR FROM PREVIOUS EDITION
“Empathy is the most difficult form of thought and emotion, yet the most progressive – it is the founder of communities and the leader in cultural compassion.”
LILIAN STOLK
ACTOR FROM PREVIOUS EDITION
“It’s very funny the way even the most nice-seeming people turn into trolls and monsters when they go online alone at night. Anonymity unmasks them.” The Age of Earthquakes: A Guide to the Extreme Present
ANNA WILSON
ACTOR FROM PREVIOUS EDITION
“Having empathy with one person is easy. With a hundred thousand people, or a million people, all at the same time — that’s hard work.”
ROBBIN PHILLIPS
ACTOR FROM PREVIOUS EDITION
“Empathy fuels connection.”
JOHN BIELENBERG
ACTOR FROM PREVIOUS EDITION
“Design without empathy is not design”
REGISTER
THE DESIGN THINKING CONFERENCE IS NOW OPEN FOR REGISTRATION
Are you ready to look “Through Different Eyes”? To register as a future hero of our inspiring play please subscribe through below link. To keep our conference small and personal we only offer a limited amount of tickets. For “early birds” we offer a special discount.
LOCATION
TOBACCO THEATER AMSTERDAM
This secret location in the heart of Amsterdam has been the stage for many amazing theater dinners, international product presentations and music presentations, congresses, events, and loving theater performances.
