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Coming Soon: Common Matters #10 in Manchester

3 August 2026

Common Matters

What matters to you is what matters to us

Common Matters is our event series that unites the creative community, through the matters that matter to us all. And we’re heading back to Manchester for the tenth edition!

Guest speakers share their stories and experiences across design leadership, thought-provoking inspiration, culture, vision, and future-defining creativity. Quite simply: the things that matter to the design industry right now.

Tickets for Common Matters #10

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The Speakers & Talks

So who are we going to hear from this time?

Zeynep Akay, Creative Directort Dalton Maag

Talk: Accessibility Easy Peasy

Zeynep’s spent a decade proving that creating accessible design is never simple – shaping typographic solutions for Meta, Airbnb, Korean Air and Volvo since joining Dalton Maag in 2016. In this talk she cuts through the noise around type and accessibility: why the guidance is so confusing, why it matters anyway, and how to spot misinformation.

 

Annie House, Head of Strategy at OK COOL

Talk: I’m begging, be less mid

Annie’s verdict is simple: make it clear, thrill, or fall behind. She leads OK COOL’s annual trend report, a deep and slightly unhinged dive into culture, community and audience, built for clients like Disney, Chanel, Berghaus, TikTok, Spotify and KFC. Expect a rallying cry against playing it safe.

 

Benji Wiedemann & Alex Lampe, Co-Founders of Wiedemann-Lampe

Talk: TBC

As Executive Creative Director, Benji’s built cultural impact at scale; as Chief Strategy Officer, Alex has spent his career on brands, digital ecosystems and the tools that transform a business from the inside out. Together, Wiedemann-Lampe is what happens when creative ambition and strategic rigour take on the cultural sector, together.

We’re returning to the spiritual home of Common Matters – Band On The Wall, right in the heart of Manchester’s Northern Quarter and where it all began. The venue is fully wheelchair accessible, with level access to the main venue and bar. If you have any access needs for the night or questions, please email news@itscraft.com and we will help you.

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