Inside My First UK Design Week: Reflections & Takeaways from a UK Global Talent
Inside My First UK Design Week: Reflections & Takeaways from a UK Global Talent
About a year ago, I was awarded the Exceptional Global Talent Visa by Tech Nation and the UK Government — a milestone that allowed me to relocate to the UK a few months later.
The exceptional global talent visa is awarded to top tech talents whose impact has been recognised in the digital technology sector for over five years. It enables them to live in the UK and contribute meaningfully to its tech ecosystem.
Prior to my relocation, I had already been actively involved in the global and grassroots tech scenes — working as a designer in product-led companies, mentoring, speaking, and serving as the founding coach of a UX training academy.
Along the way, I’ve also contributed to industry-led initiatives and been honoured to speak at and organise a few myself — from local UX design meetups to global platforms like the UX in Africa interview by Jakob Nielsen, the Global Content Design podcast by Sarah Winters, former Head of Content for GOV.UK and several other global conferences to highlight a few.
So when I heard about the first-ever design festival in the North East of England, Tyne Design Week, I was super keen to attend.
About Tyne Design Week
Tyne Design Week was a celebration of the role and impact of multidisciplinary design across the Northeast of England, brought to life through a collaboration between Edge Innovation, the North East Combined Authority, Northumbria University, and Newcastle University.
The full-week-long event brought together a dynamic mix of seminars, workshops, and open studio sessions designed to foster cross-disciplinary collaboration among design practitioners, entrepreneurs, educators, students, and communities.
As I attended multiple programmes across the week, I figured the best way to share a not-so-overwhelming account is to consolidate my experience into 5 standout themes and 5 tips that helped make the most of the event. In case you’re planning to attend a tech or design event yourself.
These themes consolidate my entire experience, grounded in the Northeast’s unique design landscape, where cultural heritage, innovation, and evolution shape the practice, all viewed through the lens of a global design talent integrating into a new tech ecosystem.
5 Themes I Took Away from Tyne Design Week
1. Design in Action: A Wide Array of Topics Across Each Day and Sector
Tyne Design Week spanned an entire week, and with only two approved learning days off work, I had to be intentional about picking sessions that best aligned with my role. And as you probably know, that’s no small feat when the options are rich and varied. Hello, decision fatigue.
However, I wasn’t exaggerating when I mentioned that intentional design seems woven into the fabric of the Northeast. You can feel it in the architecture, the services, in everyday life, and in this case, in the thoughtful way the event programme was structured.
From accessible colour contrasts to a clear content hierarchy, the event listings were not only intuitive but also thoughtfully designed to guide without overwhelming.
In my opinion, this small but mighty UX detail made a huge difference. It eased the decision-making process and set the tone for a seamless event experience from the outset. Talk about practising what you preach.
As designers, we know the experience doesn’t begin with the offering — it begins with how findable, accessible, and intuitive your product or service feels from the very beginning. And the designers of the event site definitely clocked that.
2. Northern By Design: More Than Just an Opening Event
I kicked off my Tyne Design Week experience at the opening ceremony, where Professor Katy Shaw of Newcastle University delivered a powerful talk that used a past–present–future framing to walk us through the North East’s evolving design narrative.
She highlighted the region’s role in the Industrial Revolution, its iconic legacy structures like the Tyne Bridge (an engineering and cultural symbol), and other design landmarks such as the Angel of the North and BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art.
Beyond being heritage-rich, the Northeast design sector with over 44,000 designers, contributes £1.87 billion to the GVA from the design sector, making it one of the UK’s fastest-growing design economies.
Even as a new expatriate still integrating into this region, I could instantly feel the pulse of a place where design is more than a profession — it’s a lived experience.
3. A New Design Perspective Learned: Design for Ageism
One of my favourite aspects of the event was its diversity in content formats — from seminars to workshops to open studios — spread across various locations in the city, providing a perfect way to soak in the design atmosphere while heading to your next learning stop.
Speaking of which, my next session took place at the UK’s National Innovation Centre for Ageing (NICA), where I participated in a product design challenge titled ‘Redesigning Infuriating Objects,’ co-hosted by NICA and the Internet of Caring Things (IoCT).
I loved learning about NICA’s co-design approach and exploring their methodology in real-time through this product redesign challenge. The workshop encouraged us to reevaluate how we enhance accessibility in product design to create more inclusive and age-friendly solutions.
It was also great to see an exhibition of how these design principles are integrated into emerging tech solutions for ageing and longevity, which is not something you see every day.
This session took me right back to Don Norman’s classic: The Design of Everyday Things.
At its core, design serves as the communication between the object and the user, and we must optimise that conduit of communication in order to make the experience of using the object pleasurable.
So, essentially, when you design for older adults, you design for all.
4. Network. Network. Network.
Beyond active learning, one of the perks of attending events is the opportunity to connect, converse and build relationships. And for me, the evening networking and fireside chat by Ladies, Wine & Design was another standout session of the week.
The room was filled with creatives and designers of all forms, featuring inspiring panels who shared their stories honestly, from the highs to the hard lessons.
What struck me was the diversity: from homegrown talents who’ve shaped the region’s creative fabric to expatriates like me, newly integrating into the UK’s design ecosystem — all united by a shared goal.
I left the session feeling seen, connected, and supercharged.
Throughout the week, I met people I wouldn’t typically encounter during my usual day-today — PhD researchers, students, and professors . With two of them, we even discovered shared connections — one through my interview with Don Norman, and another through my involvement in an inclusive financial workshop in Nairobi, Kenya, sponsored by the Gates Foundation.
As someone with a history of advocating for equitable digital education, these organic conversations meant a lot, as they helped clarify how I might contribute to the region’s edu-tech scene, not just as a practitioner but also as a mentor and collaborator.
5. A Peek into the Latest Innovations
As a tech professional, I’m always keen on what innovative solutions people are building. So I spent some time at the product stands, speaking with exhibitors, listening to product demos and explainers, collecting info packs, and asking all the questions I could.
I didn’t realise how engrossed I’d become until I stumbled on some photos of myself at the stands in full-on “curiousity mode” see for yourself 🙂
Tyne Design Week wrapped up with a social networking night, and even though I only attended a few sessions during the week, by the final day it felt like I’d known some people for weeks.
So if you’re thinking about attending a tech or design conference soon, here are a few tips that helped me make the most of mine.”
5 Tips to Maximise Any Design or Tech Event
- Be genuinely curious.
I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious – Albert Einstein
Curiosity opens you to people, places, and professions.
- Explore
Immerse yourself in new learning formats and conversations. At worst, the conversation fizzles. At best, you’ve made a new friend, or future collaborator 🙂
- Do your pre-event homework.
Before the event, it’s usually helpful to review the speaker list, sessions, and locations beforehand. It’ll help you set a purpose for attending the event and everything else will fall in place. This is also a hack for conversation starters; when in doubt, just revisit your objectives for attending.
- Connect with intention
Events move fast, and you rarely finish a conversation in one sitting (or standing). So, if you find someone’s work very interesting, make it easy to pick up the conversation later by having your LinkedIn QR code or business cards ready for exchange.
- Ride the Post-Event Wave
What can I say? Networking at events can be exhilarating or exhausting — sometimes both. But if you’ve already made the effort to show up, don’t be a stranger! Send follow-up connection requests or DMs where appropriate, share your learnings online, comment on others’ posts, and keep the conversation going — you never know where it might lead.
For instance, I’m still in touch with a few people I met at Tyne Design Week who share similar professional interests. We even went out recently to try some Asian dishes (my first time!), and it all started from a simple chat at the event. So you see? It doesn’t always have to be difficult.
When approached with intention, design events or tech events in general can be catalysts for growth and integration, especially if you’re new to an environment. And if lasting relationships blossom out of that? That’s a plus!
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I’m Kat
I'm a Content Designer & UX Writer
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2 thoughts on “Inside My First UK Design Week: Reflections & Takeaways from a UK Global Talent”
This is well-written, Kat! Your words painted a vivid picture of the event in my mind. Honestly, events like this don’t just help us learn, they also help us connect with like minds. And who knows? Opportunities can spring up from there. I really enjoyed reading this article. Good job!
I had to read this twice because it is such a refreshing and well crafted read, You captured the energy of the event beautifully. Your writing has a natural flow that made it really engaging. Well done Kat story telling at its best…