Northern Design Festival announces 2025 line-up

Taking place this May in Lancaster, the second edition of Northern Design Festival brings together studios, strategists and storytellers to tackle the creative industry’s hidden barriers, one honest conversation at a time.

Northern Design Festival (NDF) has revealed the full line-up for its 2025 edition, returning to Lancaster from 15–17 May with a programme that puts transparency in process, practice, and personal experience, firmly in the spotlight.

Now in its second year, the three-day festival is fast becoming a standout moment in the northern design calendar. With a focus on dialogue over dogma, this year’s event promises a candid exploration of the creative industry’s less polished corners and the conversations that too often go unspoken in studios, agencies, and portfolios.

Co-founder and director Antonia Arbova explains the motivation behind this year’s theme: “This year’s festival is centred around uncovering the raw, honest stories that often go untold – stories that may not have come to light without the dedication and encouragement of our team.

“Each speaker invited to take part has been thoughtfully selected for their alignment with our core values: fostering an inclusive and equitable creative community, not just in the North, but across the wider industry.”

In keeping with that ethos, the line-up strikes a balance between practical support and soul-searching reflection. Alongside keynote talks and panels, the programme includes hands-on workshops, portfolio reviews, live podcast recordings and informal chats, all designed to spark connection, challenge assumptions, and demystify industry norms.

Highlights include Work in Process with Hondo Studio, a behind-the-scenes keynote lifting the lid on the collaborative, sometimes chaotic reality of running a creative studio. Louise Sloper’s Typographic Truthiness tackles how type can clarify or confuse depending on how it’s wielded – a timely reminder for anyone working with words and visuals.

Meanwhile, The Transparent Brand panel brings together voices from Studio Up North, M1 Studios, BAGGI and more to discuss how brands can build trust through pricing clarity and values-led collaboration.

Ya’Qub Mir, lead designer at Studio Up North and one of this year’s speakers, says: “Transparency really resonates with me – it’s a celebration of identity, resilience, and the power of design to shape culture and community. To me, transparency is not only a necessity, but also a responsibility that all designers should want to commit to, and I’m looking forward to the panel discussion around this topic.

“The festival is such an important event, giving northern creatives an opportunity to connect, be inspired and showcase the strength of talent in our region. It’s an honour to be part of it.”
The line-up also features a live recording of the My Life in Design podcast with Claire Blyth (Red Setter) and Claire Parker (The Chase), who’ll be sharing personal reflections on careers built through branding. Meanwhile, storytelling takes centre stage in Honest Storytelling: Being Authentic, a panel hosted by BBC Creative, Wash, The Chase and The Engine Room, diving into what it really means to “show your working” as a creative.

There’s a lighter side too. Friday night’s Over a Pint session sees Dave Sedgwick and Creative Boom’s very own Abbey Bamford sink a few and swap stories on the grind of independent practice – expect war stories, wisdom, and probably at least one pint-related mishap.

For those early in their careers, the festival offers practical sessions on routes into the industry, plus portfolio reviews led by Craft and agencies including Robot Food, Studio North and Ultralight. Hands-on workshops include a tile ceramics session – a tactile counterpoint to the theory-heavy talks.

Aaliyah Rice from BBC Creative, who joins the panel on honest storytelling, points to the festival’s value for emerging creatives: “Northern Design Festival is such a great space for beginner designers to really understand their industry, especially with a theme like transparency where they can be involved in honest conversations surrounding design to better understand the career path they might be facing.

“Design can often have a certain glamour and sheen to it as a career and I’m really looking forward to having these conversations. I can’t wait to hear and answer all their insightful questions on the day.”

The festival also includes social moments like the Opening Night at The Storey Gallery and a closing celebration at Mint Cafe Bar. For something more intimate, Demystifying the Agency: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly offers small-group storytelling sessions where no question is off-limits.

Niamh Cartwright, NDF’s co-founder and director, says the spirit of openness runs through every aspect of the event: “The NDF team is so excited to bring together such an incredible lineup of speakers for the second Northern Design Festival. It has been such an honour getting to know all of these amazing creatives and agencies that are involved this year. Their ‘transparent’ approach to innovation and creativity truly represents what we are trying to champion.

“We hope that our talks and workshops inspire you and that you are able to leave Lancaster with the confidence to be open and honest as a creative, knowing that you have a supportive community around you!”