Hosted by the brand and design agency Peter Schmidt Group, the Future Playgrounds Design Festival is a networking opportunity that brings together creative talents and renowned speakers to explore trends, innovations and concepts to meet the challenges facing today's design industry. The focus is deliberately expanded beyond purely aesthetic aspects. Technological tools and the joy of experimentation are reflected in the speeches as well as the workshops that are part of the program. This year's edition, themed “Creative Mess,” promises to be a real boost of inspiration. 

 

“Creative Mess” – a breeding ground for ideas that change the world 

 

With this motto, Future Playgrounds shines a spotlight on creative chaos, thereby setting itself apart from AI-generated uniformity. “AI is flooding the media with interchangeable and insignificant design,” says Lukas Cottrell, CEO of Peter Schmidt Group. “But no machine can be as creative and empathetic as ideas that spring from the depth of our human experience. When designers consciously reveal the unconscious and harness creative chaos, they can create genuine moments of surprise that move people emotionally.” The perfect breeding ground for this is the unplanned coexistence of contrasts, a deliberate disorder that creates new contexts. 

 

Inspiration on stage – Exploration in workshops 

 

Keynote speakers will be on hand at the festival on 18-19 September to reveal how this works in practice. Illustrator Friederike Hantel, film-maker and 3D-artist Nicolas Gebbe, as well as Studio Espadaysantacruz from Madrid, which has elevated brand experiences to a new sensory level with its spatial installations. They will be joined by Vincenzo Marchese Ragona from London and Dublin-based Pauric Freeman. Additionally, Henrik Mielicke and Henrik Bergerbusch will invite visitors to experience their award-winning deep-fake installation “Friendly Fire.” 

 

In addition to the stage program, there will brief presentations by young artists, as well as an even wider scope of workshops than was offered in previous festivals. They will range from creativity techniques to sound experimentation, motion design, and the development of avatars. 

 

Comprehensive information about the program, venue, and the link to the ticket shop can be found on the event microsite: https://future-playgrounds.peter-schmidt-group.de. As in the previous year, day passes for each of the two event days are available at fair prices, covering the flat-rate beverage charge.