Regional Meeting Europe 2026

02.03.2026 Council Meetings

The International Council of Design (ICoD) is delighted to announce its first-ever Regional Meeting in Balkan Europe, in collaboration with the European Design Festival. The theme, Confessions of a Designer: Design, Decisions and Impact, invites participants to candidly discuss the realities of decision-making in design.

Decision-making is rarely unbiased and constantly changes as our knowledge, values, and accountability evolve. Today, our perceptions of the ‘right’ design choices are influenced by human sensitivity, AI, and institutions. In this meeting, we will explore how we set the criteria, who gets to decide, and what makes them decide. It will also explore how awareness or blind spots affect public life and tangible benefits.

Participants are encouraged to reflect on their design approaches, acknowledging the vulnerabilities and agency inherent in design as a decision-making practice. Through shared confessions, comparative mapping, and dialogue, we will identify patterns, ethical questions, and insights into how design decisions shape institutions, technologies, and collective futures in Balkan Europe and beyond.

Regional Meetings offer platforms for ICoD Members and other stakeholders to discuss shared regional challenges. By connecting these perspectives with international experiences through insights shared and compared across different contexts, they foster dialogue, exchange and a common cause within ICoD’s global design network.

THEME: Confessions of a Designer
Design, decisions, and impact

DATE: 11 June 2026
Held as part of the European Design Festival

VENUE: National Palace of Culture (NKD), Sofia, Bulgaria