Edu Talks
Design Like a Renegade: Designing from Belief, Not a Brief
Design Like a Renegade: Designing from Belief, Not a Brief is the Edu Talk by Emile Smeenk, founder of Nature Nomads and CoolBricks. The talk explores how some of the most transformative ideas emerge not from responding to a brief, but from questioning the world around us. Drawing on his own experience, Emile will reflect on how curiosity, conviction and the courage to challenge conventions can become powerful drivers of innovation, regeneration and positive change.
This talk took place during Barcelona Design Week 2026 as part of the Next Gen Design Edu Talks series organized by Barcelona Creativity & Design Foundation. Next Gen Design is a three-year initiative promoting green and sustainable design within the European design sector, especially among young designers, supporting the European Green Deal. The program involves collaborations between five key design platforms and festivals: Skopje Design Week (Public Room), Mikser Festival from Belgrade (Mikser), designaustria, What Design Can Do from Amsterdam, and Barcelona Design Week (Barcelona Creativity & Design Foundation), with support from the European Commission.