As part of their ongoing Design Open series, WDO Corporate Member Spread Design recently partnered with WDO Educational Member FLAME University, the Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design (CIID) and the Bengaluru chapter of Association of Designers of India (ADI) to host an engaging discussion exploring the future of design.
The event, which took place on 3 February 2026 at Spread’s Design Barn in Bengaluru, brought together renowned design leaders including Simona Maschi, Co-Founder and Director of CIID; Sean Carney, corporate design and innovation leader; Dr. Amit Kundal, academic and design strategist; and Sonia Manchanda, WDO Board Member and Founding Partner at Spread Design.
With an emphasis on mentorship, collaboration and knowledge-sharing across experience levels, speakers reflected on their professional journeys while sharing insights into the shifting responsibilities of designers in a rapidly transforming world.
Simona Maschi highlighted the power of design education to shape transformative career pathways and nurture designers capable of addressing complex societal challenges, while Sean Carney offered a complementary industry perspective, emphasizing design’s expanding influence within corporate strategy and its growing role in driving positive social and environmental outcomes.
The event concluded with a fireside chat examining how design is moving beyond traditional execution toward leadership, long-term impact and systems-level thinking. Against the backdrop of accelerating artificial intelligence and technological disruption, speakers explored how designers are uniquely positioned to shape resilient, human-centred futures.
