Grant Show is on a mission. 

As a thought leader in design and the Festival Director of DO23, he wants to reignite a foundational element in 2023.

“In 2022 we came together for the first time, taking perspectives of design across leadership, scale, and impact,” he says when reflecting on the Design Outlook Conference last year. 

“In 2023, we’re facing new frontiers, escaping our current paradigm, and boldly rediscovering creativity in design.”

Bold is a word you’d use to describe Grant. 

He’s a passionate design leader with vision and energy. And an amazing career, one that includes leading design teams for brands like Deloitte, AutoDesk, Australia Post, Cisco and frog Australia. 

“The inspiration initially wasn’t to actually create a design conference or design festival, it was just tapping into what I call my ‘designly’ anxiety and the state of design in Australia,” he says. 

“And how the pandemic happened at the worst time in Australia, in that design should be coming together and collaborating and working to create a better industry and a more sustainable design industry. 

“Instead we were all locked in our bedrooms to think about what we’d done for three years. So I started with you and other design leaders about ultimately a meet-up about design and design leadership.

“It was such an overwhelming response at the time … and there was enough momentum and so we decided to jump start it by creating the festival aspect.” 

Creative minds from Canva, City of Melbourne and Qantas are just some sharing their perspectives. 

Chi Ryan, one of the many talented DO23 speakers, says being back in person after a few years of virtual events is invigorating, even if she’s also “bricking it!”. 

She’ll be contemplating the creative process and the “slippery” notion of finding creativity. But for Chi, there’s a human element to DO23. 

“I’m actually just looking forward to getting around interesting, talented, unique, unusual, different people,” the designer, writer, researcher, academic and creative polymath told DO23 on LinkedIn. 

DO23 is a timely way to stay up-to-date with the latest trends and innovations in the industry. Design is constantly evolving, and attending DO23 is a smart way to stay ahead of the curve. 

By attending, you'll gain a better understanding of where the industry is heading, an intentionally curated range of world-class speakers that bring broad perspectives and distinctly optimistic outlooks to modern design conversations.

Photo from Grant Show’s LinkedIn Profile

This year, Grant and the DO23  team have lined up some of the most innovative minds in the industry to impart their insights and perspectives.

Aside from Chi Ryan, some of the speakers include Jess Faccin Principal Product Designer at Canva, Amplitude Product 50 “Best Product Design Leader” Finalist; Berlin Liew, Co-organiser for Ladies that UX, Melbourne Chapter and Senior Product Designer at Xero; and Ben Keenan Creative Director and Founder at Thought Police. 

Design Outlook exists to celebrate, support, and grow the design community by taking an optimistic outlook toward the future and the impact design can have in changing the world’ and to ‘create connection and community, celebrating design impact, and building capability amongst designers in Australia.

There’ll be workshops, open houses, meet-ups, masterclasses and a conference day. 

The conference offers a unique opportunity to learn, be inspired, and connect with other designers. Whether you’ve been in design for decades, or just starting out, DO23 has something for most design palettes. 

There’ll also be a sustainability element to the festival. DO23 is working closely with Frank Wild to produce a sustainable event once again with a Carbon Neutral Certification from Climate Active.

And it is not just about learning and inspiration, it's also about networking. The festival provides a unique opportunity for designers and industry professionals to connect and collaborate.

Want to attend? It’s happening soon. May 11, Fed Square. Learn more about Design Outlook DO23 here. 

Head to Matters Journal socials for info on the ticket giveaway.