Joshua Newnham (UK)

Joshua Newnham is a lead design technologist at Method with a focus on the intersection of design and artificial intelligence (AI); interested in leveraging AI to make interacting with computers more intuitive, intelligent and empowering and thus better integrated into our daily lives. At Method Joshua is involved in a variety of projects ranging from wearables that assist medical staff during surgery to health assistant chatbots.
Prior to this, Joshua was a technical director at a startup developing virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) solutions for product designers. Other roles before this included head of mobile for the digital agency Razorfish and cofounder of one of London’s first mobile production studios Ubinow acquired by Havas Workclub, where he lead many projects for major global brands such as Universal Pictures, Vodafone, and Adidas.

Zsuzsa Kovács (HU)

Zsuzsa Kovács is UX Research Lead at Prezi. She has been a UXer since 2008, although she started as a front-end developer at SAP. She works as a UX Researcher at Prezi since 2013, worked on several topics including collaboration, Prezi templates, mobile UX – and just recently she started to lead the UX Research Team at Prezi.

She is generally interested in people and loves stories. She is always looking for ways to learn more about user motivation, pain points and what brings value and delight to people using digital and analog products.

She is a Design Thinker, and a co-organiser of the Amuse UX Conference and the UX Budapest Meet-Up.

Register for the conference 

Karl Stocker (AT)

Karl Stocker is exhibition director, historian, head of Institute of Design & Communication, chair of study programs Exhibition Design and Information Design at University of Applied Sciences Graz, professor at Institute of History/Karl Franzens-University Graz, founder and director of Bisdato Exhibition & Museum Design.

Register for the conference

Rui Coutinho (CA)

Rui Coutinho is a strategist, innovation and science manager, professor, researcher, mentor and entrepreneur. He’s the founder and coordinator of Porto Design Factory (PDF), an experimental education platform, part of Porto Polytechnic and the Design Factory Global Network, to empower a new generation of global innovators, responsible entrepreneurs and future change makers. At PDF he is responsible for a product and service innovation program that works globally with some of the biggest and most innovative companies in the world, within the Stanford University Global Alliance for Redesign. He also manages Porto Design Accelerator and Beta Sound System, two vertical pre-acceleration programs for design and music driven startups.

Rui is an adjunct professor at the School of Media Artes and Design and is an invited lecturer and speaker in many universities all over the world. At research level, he is an associate researcher at CERN and a PhD researcher at Minho University.

Rui is also a facilitator and expert at European Commission’s DG Education and Culture and OECD’s project “HEInnovate” and an external expert of the European Commission’s DG Research & Innovation.

Register for the conference

Stéphane Assadourian (CA)

Stéphane Assadourian is a professional game developer with nearly 20 years of experience. He is one of the original founding members of the Assassin’s Creed franchise. Stéphane has contributed to several of the biggest AAA successes in the history of video games and his original craft is AI programming.
With an unquenched thirst to learn, Stéphane created his consulting company in 2016 and continues to travel the world to broaden his horizons more than ever before. He now helps other game developers and publishers, coaching creative professionals and bringing his wide range of skills to video games around the world. His activity has a very broad spectrum, ranging from hands-on development and production, to advising executives at a strategic level. From shaping a game idea in conception to delivering the complex interactive experience derived from that idea, Stéphane keeps looking ahead into the future and it pulls him forward, into tomorrow.
His passion for both art and creativity is endless : Stéphane also plays classical piano, is an amateur writer and also a photograph hobbyist.

Register for the conference 

Claudia Schnugg (AT)

Claudia Schnugg is an independent researcher in intersections of art and aesthetics with science, technology, and business, and producer of art and science collaboration. Her work focuses on intertwining artists and art projects with new technologies and scientific research. She has explored effects of artistic interventions on social settings, especially framing artistic interventions and art programs in organizations.

She obtained her PhD in an interdisciplinary study at the Johannes Kepler University and the Art University in Linz and was Visiting Researcher at Copenhagen Business School, at the Art|Sci Center at UCLA, and at ESO, Chile. From 2014–2016 she was Senior Curator at Ars Electronica Futurelab and Head of the Ars Electronica Residency Network.

Register for the conference 

Jaro Slávik (SK)

Jaro Slávik is an independent producer, the principal organizer of Bach in the Subways – Bratislava, the project that brings the music of J. S. Bach close to many people in public space. Jaro decided to join the project in 2016 and Bratislava enjoyed 7 concerts for their first Bach in the Subways.

After more than 20 years in international show business working with global superstars like Red Hot Chili Peppers, Madonna, and Phil Collins, Jaro decided to re-focus his career. Currently he runs a sports marketing company with the aim to bring kids and young people to sport. In his spare time he helps with marketing concerts of symphonic music.

Register for the conference 

Luis Fernandes (PT)

Luis Fernandes is the Executive Producer of Canal180 (Cannes Lion, 2012), a media platform focused on culture and creativity that opens a discussion for a community of creators interested in music, design, video, architecture, photography and digital arts. He iss also in charge of 180 Creative Camp (Creative Collaborations in Media Arts) and the Head of Partnerships of Canal180.

He co-founded the Oporto Laboratory of Architecture and Design in 2010 and curated Get Set Festival – presenting young creators, celebrating creativity – between 2010 and 2015.

Luis has a Master Degree in Architecture (Oporto,2009).

Register for the conference 

Andrej Kolenčík (SK)

Andrej Kolenčík nicknamed Admiral is a film director and a visual artist. He studied graphic design at School of Applied Arts and graduated from Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava in field of animation. He studied also at RITS in Brussels during his Erasmus studies and made intership at Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava.

At present he ́s working as a freelance film director of fiction, documentary and also animation films, music videos and commercials. As a visual artist he deals with illustration. Besides of that he was also co- founder and program director of well known international animation festival Fest Anča for 6 years. In 2014 he was selected for Berlinale Talents. In 2015 he started his own production company Admiral Films.

Register for the conference 

Sébastien Larroude (CA)

Sébastien Larroude is an international concept designer, author and art director with a comprehensive and diverse ability in creative direction. He originates from South of France where he studied Fine Art and Photography. Fascination for biodiversity, environment, and nature in general, are at the origin of his multiple creative passions. Sébastien started his career in a French architecture agency specializing in industrial architecture before moving to Canada where he has worked for 15 years in the entertainment industry, on movies and video games titles such as Myst IV Revelation, Assassin’s Creed, Deus Ex HR, Thief, Tron Legacy, X-men, Godzilla etc.

He co-founded Steambot Studios in 2006. A creative agency that provides visual content and develops intellectual properties. Sébastien continues to draw, paint and write with passion for international clients and personal exploration.

Register for the conference