Skip to main content
Leadership Summit

Design Leadership 2026

100attendees from leading brands
Two women sit attentively, smiling and engaging with a speaker at DL24–M. The foreground woman wears a striped shirt, the background is slightly.
Attendees listening during a session at DL24: Sydney conference.
Attendees collaborate during a workshop session at DL24: Sydney.
Attendees engaged in roundtable discussions during DL25: Melbourne.
Participant creating an organisational chart during a workshop at DL25: Melbourne.
23 April 2026
Ritz-Carlton, Melbourne

A focused roundtables session for experienced leaders. Honest discussion, shared challenges, and space to connect with peers facing similar questions.

Angela Bliss presenting at DL25: Melbourne using a microphone and laptop on stage.Presentations

Highly relevant presentations

Attendees dove into transformative presentations that challenged the status quo and ignited powerful discussions. These sessions weren't just about exploring ideas. They catalysed actionable solutions.

Attendees engaging in table discussions during a breakout session at DL24: Sydney.Roundtables

Focused, facilitated roundtables

Attendees engaged in deep, focused discussions with peers. They explored diverse perspectives and generated actionable ideas. These sessions offered a unique opportunity to co-create solutions and challenge the status quo.

Attendees networking during a session break at DL24: Sydney.Networking

Extensive networking opportunities

We built meaningful connections over sustainable meals, drinks, and immersive experiences. The networking sessions fostered collaboration and left people feeling inspired.

Event partners

What we'll explore

202503-Outlook-Leader-138

When everyone can design, the average standard drops. The craft dividend is the return on investing in rigour: the compounding value from embedding critique, maintaining standards, and building systems that elevate quality rather than just velocity. This theme explores how design leaders make craft non-negotiable.

Too many designers have arrived at their current level through luck, finding the right mentor or landing at the right organisation. Without formal pathways, the profession leaves talent development to chance. As AI shifts what designers do, the skills that matter are changing, but we haven't rebuilt the ladders.

As our discipline evolves and we move away from the same old tools, templates, and frameworks, design is rediscovering its identity. We'll finish the day looking optimistically to the future, discussing what excites us most about where design is heading and what we can't wait to get our hands on.

Presenters

Andrew Hogan

Andrew Hogan

Head of Insights, Figma

Figma
Amanda Morkos

Amanda Morkos

Head of Design, TAFE NSW

TAFE NSW
James Ratsasane

James Ratsasane

Head of Digital Product & Design, MECCA

MECCA
Sadia Mir

Sadia Mir

Head of Design, CSIRO

CSIRO
David Bacon

David Bacon

Experience Design Manager, CBUS Super

CBUS Super
Milly Schmidt

Milly Schmidt

Design Manager - Rovo Studio, Atlassian

Atlassian
Amir Ansari

Amir Ansari

Design leader, Independent

Christian Newski

Christian Newski

Product Design Manager, Easygo

Easygo
Jing Shen

Jing Shen

Assoc. Director, Service Design, IP Australia

IP Australia
Rosie Mills

Rosie Mills

Origin, Origin

Origin

Program

We’ve created a program that balances just the right amount of presentation time with just the right amount of discussion time. We’ll cover highly-relevant topics with your industry peers.

8:00
9:00
9:15
9:35
9:55
10:4011:10Morning tea
11:10
11:30
11:50
12:10
13:0014:00Lunch
14:00
14:50
15:1015:40Afternoon tea
15:40
16:00
16:50
17:00
18:0018:00Event concludes

Tickets

Sold out

Earlybird

Full-day conference
In-depth roundtable discussion
Peer-level networking

$395

Sold out

General Admission

Full-day conference
In-depth roundtable discussion
Peer-level networking

$495

Sold out

A helping hand

Full-day conference
In-depth roundtable discussion
Peer-level networking

Free

Group deal

Come for free!

Buy 7 or more TO26 tickets and come to a Design or Product Leadership Summit for free!

Not applicable when using a discount code. 1 ticket per 7 purchased.

Free

Get TO26 tickets (opens in new window)

Included with every ticket:

All-day catering
Closed captions
Networking sessions
Sustainable conference
Conference freebies
Afterparty access
Workshop access
Recording access
Speed networking sessions
Barista coffee
Quiet room access
Event app access

In line with our affordability policy, discounted tickets are also available on Humanitix (opens in new window).

Event sponsors

Principal

Major

Intopia

Partners

Location

rz-melrz-melbourne-room-rounds-19546
Located in the heart of Melbourne’s CBD, The Ritz‑Carlton, Melbourne offers a spectacular backdrop for this event, with sweeping city views, refined interiors and world‑class service.