ADW + “Design in Balance” Lessons from 30 Years of Practice
Firstly, a big thankyou to the team behind Auckland Design Week.
Photo credit to Pallavi Karambelkar
What an amazng, diverse design event. Not many words can describe the experience, gobsmacked.
Below is my presentation slides from my talk at the 2025 Auckland Design Week. The slides and keynote were about our design journey, key points of balance, like being free to create what you want, being able to pivot, meet stakeholders needs and deliver projects.
A podcast style audio version is complete. This is a refined and faithful redo of my talk on Friday morning:
Play the audio file below.
Each pop indicates a move to the next slide in the gallery below that.
This means you can hear the talk and watch the slides together.
If you have any questions, pop them in the comments box below.
It’s best to view the website in colour for this (mobile defaults to colour so no need to change), use the toggle button in the footer of my website on desktop, where you can change the paper colour and toggle the image effects. Toggle greyscale & multiply.
Photo credit to Liam Nquyen
There were 40 slides in my presentation and the audio cast is 22 minutes long.
Website Excerpt:
Explore the art and science of design with insights from renowned designer Matt Allen, whose 30-year career has spanned diverse disciplines and continuous evolution. This session delves into foundational design theories like intuition, hierarchy, trends, elemental load and the delicate balance designers navigate to create impactful work.
Matt shares his personal journey of growth and learning, showcasing how curiosity and a commitment to lifelong learning fuel creative progress. Join this reflective and inspiring talk to gain fresh perspectives on the enduring principles and ever-evolving nature of design.
Matt Allen, Mata NZ