Published: 6 October 2026
Design Stories Łódź
Author: Editorial Team
What does it actually mean to design locally when the world is hyper-connected? Join us for the next edition of Design Stories, where creators and designers will unpack the changing relationship between local roots and global reach. The debate is part of the Polish Design Forum 2026, running from October 8 to 11 in Łódź.
Polish Design Forum 2026: Locality
The Polish Design Forum is a recurring initiative hosted by the Łódź Design Festival. This year, in collaboration with the Łódź Voivodeship, the event revolves around locality.
But it's not just about geography. Here, locality is understood in the broadest sense—as the craft, tradition, raw materials, and history of a specific place. It's about taking these foundational elements and using them to build thoroughly contemporary, forward-thinking projects.
The forum features the "Power of Heritage" conference, which will serve as the stage for our Design Stories Łódź debate. Mark your calendars for October 9—the conference starts in the morning, and our panel kicks off at 15:30 CET.
Design Stories Łódź. A fresh perspective on local design
During the panel, experts from London’s Royal College of Art (RCA) and SWPS University's School of Form will explore a key question: how do we draw on local roots in a borderless digital landscape?
The starting point for this conversation is the post-conference publication, Design Stories Warsaw: Practices of Responsibility. The book features 15 papers originally presented during Design Stories Warsaw conference The papers tackle complex issues ranging from social challenges and material storytelling to museum practices and progressive design pedagogy.
The Design Stories series is a core part of Looking Through Objects, an international initiative that includes a touring exhibition alongside lectures and discussions happening across Poland and Europe.
The project is the result of an ongoing partnership between SWPS University in Warsaw and the Royal College of Art in London. It is supported by the British Council as part of the "UK/Poland Season 2025 Legacy" program.
The details
When: October 9, 2026, at 15:30 CET (conference opens at 10:00 CET)
Where: Łodź Art Center, ul. Tymienieckiego 3, Łódź
Panelists: Julia Bujak, Żaneta Muranko
Moderators: Agnieszka Jacobson-Cielecka, Ph.D. / Associate Professor (Dean of the Faculty of Design at SWPS University and Program Director at School of Form) and Dr. Gian Luca Amadei (Royal College of Art in London)
Admission: Free. However, seating is limited, so registration through the Łódź Design Festival website is required.
Meet the participants
Gian Luca Amadei
Gian Luca Amadei is an architectural historian, researcher, and curator. He is a lecturer in Information Experience Design at the Royal College of Art. His interests include the history of architecture, urban planning, sociology, and cultural contexts. He is the author of the books Discovering Women in Polish Design (2009) and Victorian Cemeteries and the Suburbs of London (2022), and co-author of the Looking Through Objects project. Previously, he was an editor for Blueprint and manager for design programs at the British Council.
Julia Bujak
Julia Bujak is a designer and researcher. She focuses on critical social challenges, including forced migration and systemic violence. By combining traditional weaving techniques with research-driven design, she explores personal, hands-on forms of socio-political engagement—always rooted in care and responsibility. She is a member of the texpol textile collective.
Żaneta Muranko
Żaneta Muranko is a researcher and educator. She investigates how design interventions actually impact local communities. Using a transdisciplinary approach and bringing diverse voices to the table, she creates environments where innovative materials, products, services, and processes can thrive. She collaborates with NGOs, local governments, and businesses spanning fashion, consumer goods, electronics, and micromobility.