In September 2025, our team from the Design Thinking Center Asia traveled to Izmir, Turkey, for D.Conference 2025, the flagship event of the Global Design Thinking Alliance (GDTA). This year’s theme, Design Thinking for Good, brought together over 500 professionals, researchers, and innovators from Europe, Asia, America, and Africa to tackle global challenges—from sustainability to education and business.
Why It Matters
Design thinking is more than a methodology; it’s a way to unite people in creating solutions that make a real impact. D.Conference 2025 showcased how this approach works on a global scale: participants from diverse backgrounds shared insights to make cities more sustainable, education more inclusive, and businesses more innovative. Being part of such an event reminds us that even local ideas can have a global reach.
The Joy of Being Part of a Global Community
Joining GDTA and events like D.Conference feels like stepping into a worldwide community of like-minded individuals. Designers, researchers, entrepreneurs, and educators from across the globe come together, each bringing a unique perspective. From casual coffee chats to deep discussions during networking sessions, the conference created an atmosphere where ideas sparked in real time. It’s an inspiring feeling to be part of a global movement driving positive change.
Our Role: The Playing the Future Workshop
We proudly presented our signature workshop, Playing the Future, led by Maria Stashenko, which became one of the conference’s highlights. Participants worked in teams, leveraging trends in technology, customer experience, and business to generate ideas for addressing global challenges. Our Playing the Future tool helped teams create practical and creative concepts. The feedback was fantastic—participants noted that the workshop offered a fresh perspective on generating ideas “for good.” For us, it was a chance to showcase our approach and gain valuable insights from the community.
What We Explored
The conference was packed with keynote speeches, workshops, city tours in Izmir, and networking opportunities. Key topics included:
Speakers shared practical case studies, demonstrating how design thinking is applied across various fields. Tours of Izmir complemented the program, showing how local initiatives embrace sustainability and creativity.
- Sustainability: How design thinking can drive solutions for eco-friendly cities and communities.
- Education: Using empathy and iteration to develop inclusive educational programs.
- Business Innovation: Applying trends to create customer-centric products and services.
Speakers shared practical case studies, demonstrating how design thinking is applied across various fields. Tours of Izmir complemented the program, showing how local initiatives embrace sustainability and creativity.
What’s Next
D.Conference 2025 left us with fresh ideas, new connections, and a deeper understanding of global design thinking practices. We’re excited to share insights and materials from the conference on our website and social media in the coming weeks. This experience has fueled our plans for new projects and opportunities to apply what we’ve learned.
A huge thank you to GDTA for organizing this incredible event and for the chance to be part of it. It was a powerful boost for our work and a source of inspiration to keep creating solutions that make the world better.
A huge thank you to GDTA for organizing this incredible event and for the chance to be part of it. It was a powerful boost for our work and a source of inspiration to keep creating solutions that make the world better.
We’re also sharing a video from the organizers to give you a glimpse of the event’s atmosphere! The original can be found here.
