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 for the twelfth edition, we’re heading back to London.
Join us on Wednesday 14th October, back at the Steel Yard. 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.
Speakers & Talks
Janneke Geerts & Marcos Rodrigues, PORTO ROCHA
PORTO ROCHA is a global strategy and design agency with offices in New York and London, helping brands navigate complex challenges through work that is strategically rigorous, emotionally resonant, and beautifully designed.
Janneke Geerts is a creative partner known for her honest, empathetic, and grounded approach to leadership. As Business Director, she builds authentic partnerships through future-facing, culturally relevant strategy and design – while also having the privilege of supporting the studio’s growing team in London.
Marcos Rodrigues is a Brazilian designer working at the intersection of brand and digital products. He has collaborated with leading digital-focused agencies such as Huge Inc and Work&Co, and now he’s Interactive Design Director. He also teaches at aprender design, a school for those who challenge the established in design and beyond.
Talk: “A Seat at the Table”
This talk unpacks the notion that the future of design belongs to those who show up authentically. How unlearning legacy rules, radical openness and lived experience redefines how global design craft actually moves culture.
Aaron Skipper & Ayo Fagbemi, Co-Founders of Explorers Club
Explorers Club is an independent global strategy and design studio founded by Aaron Skipper and Ayo Fagbemi, helping brands discover their secret genius. Guided by cultural curiosity and commercial conviction, the studio builds timeless and timely brands.
With a portfolio spanning culture-shaping brands like Coca-Cola and Universal Music Group’s Real Thing Records, Nike, Atlantic Records, Dr. Martens and more, Explorers Club leverages strategic rigor, cultural insight and imaginative design to define what makes brands truly distinct.
Talk: “Building Timeless and Timely Brands”
In this talk, they share personal and professional lessons on building brands that are timeless and timely.
Emily Ash Powell, Writer and Brand Consultant
Emily is a Welsh writer and brand consultant who lives in London and misses the sea. She is the author of Hurdling, the newsletter that looks at how we get over the things that get in our way. Having spent 10 years building brands and helping them to find (and keep) their personalities. She has worked for brands like Bumble, Tony’s Chocolonely, Freddie’s Flowers, Skin + Me, tails.com and various advertising agencies.
Today, she works as a brand and personality consultant, a mentor to young creatives and regularly writes for places like Stylist, Condé Nast Traveller, Cosmopolitan, Refinery 29, the iPaper, HuffPost, Metro and many others.
Talk: “Personality Hire: does who you are matter more than what you do?”
See you soon, London!
If you have any access needs for the night or questions, please email news@itscraft.com and we will help you.
