# DSGN DROP: Forward Festival Takeaways [Kristina Konkova](https://www.strv.com/blog/authors/kristina-konkova) Product Designer --- **TL;DR** AI is reshaping design, and the speakers at Forward Festival Frankfurt 2026 agreed on what carries you through it. Last year, I went to Forward Festival in Berlin, and this year I followed it to Frankfurt for the first edition in the new location. Honestly, I preferred the Berlin venue, but the speakers and talks in Frankfurt were great. It also felt like a relevant year to be there. Design, like the rest of the creative industry, is going through a pretty major transition, and a lot of the talks were reflecting on exactly that. AI is changing the way we work, traditional roles are evolving, and nobody really knows what the industry will look like in a few years. At the same time, almost everyone I saw on stage shared the same message: DON’T PANIC. Creative industries have always changed. Technologies evolve, formats disappear, new opportunities emerge, and people adapt. We can’t predict the future. What matters is understanding who you are within it. Several talks stood out to me because they approached this idea from very different perspectives. ## Johanna Jaskowska: Identity Beyond the Medium One of the talks that resonated with me the most was [Johanna Jaskowska](https://www.instagram.com/johwska/). Johanna became widely known as one of the pioneers of Instagram face filters and AR experiences. She was among the first creators experimenting with the medium, eventually helping shape an entirely new visual language and working with major brands and celebrities. Then the industry changed. Meta announced the shutdown of Meta Spark, and all third-party AR effects on Instagram and Facebook became unavailable starting January 14, 2025. For many creators, this meant losing not only a tool but an entire professional ecosystem. Johanna had to reinvent herself. Today, she continues creating visual experiences in different contexts, collaborating with musicians and expanding her practice beyond the medium that originally made her famous. For me, this was one of the strongest examples of what adaptability actually looks like. She didn’t abandon her interests, aesthetic or creative identity. Instead, she translated them into a new format. One sentence from her talk stayed with me: > **“What matters is not thinking about ‘the next’. What matters is loving the journey, the changes, the grief and the challenges.”** I think I needed to hear that. Both because of what’s happening in the industry and because I’m personally going through a period of creative recalibration. It’s a process of redefining what I want to make and who I want to become professionally. ## Mike Meiré: Staying Curious Another speaker who left a strong impression on me was [Mike Meiré](https://www.instagram.com/mikemeire). There was something incredibly inspiring about listening to someone with more than four decades of creative experience who had already lived through previous technological shifts. He began his career long before the internet existed and witnessed entire design paradigms being transformed. Unlike many younger creatives who are currently anxious about technological change, Mike approached new tools with genuine curiosity. What struck me most wasn’t just his knowledge but his attitude. He remains interested. Open. Playful. His creative confidence comes from continuously learning. He reminded me that curiosity itself is a creative skill. If we isolate ourselves from new technologies, we risk repeating what already exists. If we stay engaged with them, we create opportunities to build something new. ## Zetafonts and Fight for Kindness: Using Creativity to Make Things Better One of the most unexpected highlights came from [Zetafonts](https://www.instagram.com/zetafonts). Typography is often perceived as a traditional, perhaps even conservative, area of design. Their craft was impressive, but I kept thinking about the values that shaped it. The team radiated kindness. They asked a deceptively simple question: Can design make the world a little better? This question eventually led to the [Fight for Kindness](https://www.typecampus.com/fight-for-kindness) initiative. The project demonstrates how something seemingly small (typography, participation, creative contribution) can create meaningful impact. What moved me was the reminder that creativity doesn’t always need to be disruptive or revolutionary. Sometimes it simply needs to be intentional. And while AI can generate endless outputs, it cannot replace the very human impulse to care about a problem and decide to address it. ## Other Observations I enjoyed seeing [Julia Hoffmann](https://www.instagram.com/juliahoffmanndesign) from OpenAI on stage. One thing I found interesting was that OpenAI’s own presentation materials relied heavily on real people and real stories rather than AI-generated visuals. In a moment when AI imagery is everywhere, this choice felt deliberate. [Erik Kessels](https://www.instagram.com/erik.kessels) was, of course, brilliant on stage, although I had heard him talk about this topic before. Outside of the festival itself, one unexpected highlight was [Tokonoma](https://www.instagram.com/tokonoma.club) Craft Fair in Frankfurt. I’m not really a club person, but I deeply appreciate beautiful interiors and good music. If you’re ever in Frankfurt, it’s worth visiting. ## Three Takeaways From Forward Festival If I had to summarize my biggest takeaway from the festival, it would be this: - Keep looking for your own voice. - Keep paying attention to what genuinely excites you. - If you’re doing work that truly matters to you, it will find its place. The industry will continue changing. Technologies will come and go. Entire disciplines may disappear and re-emerge in different forms. But curiosity, taste, kindness and the willingness to keep making things remain timeless. And maybe the most important reminder of all: > **“Turn your ideas into reality. Otherwise, they remain just ideas, not a reality.”** --- Don't miss anything