On October 20, the Staatsgalerie Stuttgart - otherwise home to old masters - was transformed into a lively meeting place for more than 600 creative minds from all over the world. The ADC Design Conference 2025 focused on what is probably the most pressing question facing our industry: How is artificial intelligence changing our work, and what remains irreplaceably human?
"Be nice to the machine, it's still learning"
The dramaturgy of the day's content ranged from technological curiosity to analog reflection. Liza Enebeis from Studio Dumbar/DEPT seemed to underpin the day with a passionate plea for creative responsibility: AI is a tool "that we first have to learn to understand", as she emphasized with a wink in her keynote "For the love of sound and motion". Her agency's projects include the visual identity for the van Gogh Museum and the Typeradio.org podcast project, and she is also involved in international design networks such as the Alliance Graphique Internationale. This combination of industry knowledge and a great love for a creative spectrum ranging from strategic branding to motion design makes her an ideal figure for the lecture on AI & design - she combines a technological approach with a classic designer's perspective. Her attitude set the tone for the conference: optimism instead of fear, experimentation instead of defensiveness.
Marina Willer, partner at Pentagram London, brought a deeper dimension into play and, under the title "More human than ever", pleaded for play, experimentation, the manual and the childlike. As a designer of iconic identities such as for Tate Modern, Amnesty International, Oxfam and Rolls-Royce, she reminded us that "the future of design depends heavily on the human sense of creativity and imagination - especially when it comes to using AI in a meaningful way." She also emphasized the importance of relying on her unique perspective on the world, referencing her Brazilian heritage and the creative resources it provides.
The heart is still beating
The keynote speech "Serious Fun." by Swiss designer Niklaus Troxler, who has long since written design history as a jazz poster artist and tape art pioneer, was almost emotional; he studied typography/graphics at the Lucerne School of Design, was an art director in Paris and then founded his own graphics workshop in Willisau in 1973. His background in the analog, typographic craft and his decades of practice in designing graphic statements provided a strong connection to the debate about the irreplaceable, human element in design: his appeal to "listen to the heart and work from the gut" came across as a poetic counter-proposal to the data-driven discussion - and at the same time as a necessary addition to it.
Prof. Jochen Rädeker, former ADC board member and co-founder of Strichpunkt Design, also summed up the attitude of the day in an apt formula at the beginning: "We don't have to play against AI, but with it. We are not its opponents, but referees."
Design as a "visible strategy"
The panel "Design as strategy - between revolution and radical transformation", which was moderated by our deputy editor-in-chief, dealt with the question of strategic design. Corinna Asmus, who is responsible for the brand development of Nivea at Beiersdorf, provided insights into the evolution of a design classic. Arne Schultchen's consultancy, Design for Human Nature, sees design as a bridge between business and impact - as a catalyst for change, not as its decoration. And Head of Strategy Lisa Krick illustrated how this attitude is implemented in everyday corporate life with examples from her work at brand consultancy MetaDesign, which defines design as a "visible strategy".
In the end, an informative discussion ensued between the three positions: How often do you follow the analysis, and when do you go with your gut feeling? While for some clients, data and consumer research are essential for internal persuasion, Krick emphasized that true innovation often begins "where you consistently prioritize intent." The conclusion of the panel: designers and strategists need each other for the vision and reflection of creative projects, only together can they meaningfully combine economic factors, empathy and vision - and move just as confidently in the language of the board members as in that of the users.
Craftsmanship meets high-tech
Surprisingly topical on both stages: the renaissance of craftsmanship. Tilla Goldberg from the Ippolito Fleitz Group put it this way: "As much as the world is changing right now, we need real spaces and products that create fascinating spaces of opportunity all the more." The business panel with Walter Knoll and Gaggenau underlined once again that craftsmanship is not the antithesis of digitalization, but cultural capital.
And Ina Yamaguchi and Julian Zimmermann from the Stuttgart agency Deutsche & Japaner addressed a problem that many people are familiar with: With today's abundance of inspiration, it is difficult to find your own solution instead of adapting someone else's. Lucas Hesse, on the other hand, remains consistently true to himself: "Instead of setting off the big fireworks, combine simple movements in an interesting way."
Stuttgart as a creative hotspot
"With the ADC Design Conference, we have established Stuttgart as a lively hotspot for international creativity," summarized Patrick Amor from the ADC Executive Board. The mixture of international greats with local talent - the three winners of the "42 x 30 Design Competition" were chosen on site - created the special atmosphere. The ADC Design Conference 2025 has shown: The design industry is not facing an either-or situation. It's about the both/and of human intuition and machine precision, of tradition and innovation, of heart and algorithm.
The ADC Design Conference will take place again in the fall, current events can be found here, as well as the review of this year's conference.
Grafikmagazin is also a media partner at the ADC Digital Conference in Düsseldorf, reserve your tickets for November 10, 2025 here.
