African Artistry in Contemporary Design

In a world where our feeds are flooded with beautiful spaces, how do you develop stories that are truly compelling? This conversation explores how design brands can move beyond aesthetics to create content powerful enough to be shared, saved, and talked about. From ambitious storytelling and consistent series to leveraging your network and investing in the right formats, we'll look at what it actually takes to spark meaningful conversations and grow a design brand in today's social media landscape.

Emerging technologies are collapsing the distance between idea and execution. Generative systems, AI, digital fabrication, and intelligent production tools allow designers to move fluidly from concept to construction. While AI introduces unprecedented abundance, design still depends on intention and constraint. This session explores how designers can harness these tools to iterate more intelligently, personalize at scale, and differentiate their practice in a competitive market. We’ll examine how designers and architects can integrate emerging technologies thoughtfully, using them to expand creative potential while preserving taste, craft, authorship, and meaning.

Toxic substances and unhealthy compounds remain pervasive in building materials—often hidden in everyday products, weakly regulated, and disproportionately impacting vulnerable communities. Designers and architects are increasingly working to change that.

This panel brings together Jonsara Ruth, co-founder and design director of Parsons School of Design’s Healthy Materials Lab, and Lara Kaufman, design principal and leader for Sustainability + Climate Action at Studio Gang. Moderated by Francisco Brown, senior editor and engagement manager at METROPOLIS, they will discuss how design can reduce toxic exposure while addressing industry challenges and social well-being, through applied research and integrated design.

In partnership with METROPOLIS and Healthy Materials Lab