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dEX Design Conference '26

WHEN?

12th-14th
November 2026

WHERE?

National Theatre,
Accra, Ghana

THEME?

Sustainable Design for People, Planet & Profit

FOR WHO?

Open to all, from students to studio leads​

Find What You Need

Everything you need to know about DDC26 — in one place

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Partner with us to drive meaningful change

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Ticket passes starting from GHS 150

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Meet the practitioners doing the work

FEATURED SPEAKERS

What's happening across the three days

PROGRAMME
Attendees networking at the dEX Design Conference 2025 in Accra
Speaker on stage at the dEX Design Conference 2025, Accra
Designers in a workshop session at DDC25, Accra
Audience at the dEX Design Conference 2025, National Theatre, Accra

Find What You Need

Africa's Annual Convening of the Creative Industry​

dEX Design Conference brings together practitioners, students, policymakers, and entrepreneurs shaping the future of African design — for three days of thinking, making, connecting, and growing.

DDC26 is built around three dimensions: People (design for equity), Planet (design for ecological resilience), and Profit (design for sustainable business).

Read More About dEX

The Programme

Three days, Three dimensions

Each day is dedicated to one dimension of sustainable design — all three in conversation throughout.

day 1 [12th nov]

PEOPLE

Design for equity, dignity & representation

day 2 [13th nov]

PLANET

Design with awareness of ecological impact

day 3 [14th nov]

PROFIT

Design for sustainable business & long-term value

The Programme

Three days, Three dimensions

Each day is dedicated to one dimension of sustainable design — all three in conversation throughout.

day 1 [12th nov]

PEOPLE

Design for equity, dignity & representation

day 2 [13th nov]

PLANET

Design with awareness of ecological impact

day 3 [14th nov]

PROFIT

Design for sustainable business & long-term value

2026 Speakers

Practitioners, thinkers, and educators doing the work

View All Speakers

Makafui Awuku

Founder,  Innovator, Environmentalist and Circular Economy Business Modeling Expert

Stefania Manfreda

Founder & Creative Director, Lokko House

Caleb Nii Odartey Aryee

Director | Cinematographer | Creative Producer

DK Osseo-Asare

Co-Founding Principal, Low Design Office (LowDO) |
Associate Professor of Architecture & Engineering Design, Penn State University

Audrey Quaye

Creative Director, Innova DDB Ghana

Hanson Akatti

Design Lead at Hanson Akatti Ltd.

Rachael Tachie-Menson

Founder & Managing Partner, Author Digital Labs

Nana Yaw Kwao

Chief Digital Marketing & Innovation Officer, GTI Holding

Bernard Sokpe

Founder, Jambo Spaces

Fige Deegbe

Creative Director/Film Colorist – CutnColor

Travis Obeng-Casper

Creative Director, Ajabeng

Nabeela Abubakari

Founder, goTo Initiative

Ama Adi-Dako Seidu

Host & Co-founder Big Fat African Development

Duah Francis

Creative Director

Nana Kofi Asihene

Creative Strategist, Producer and Visual Storyteller

Paul Kweku Akrofie

Programme Head ( British Council SoCreative) | Founder, RPC Design

Simon Charwey

Co-founder, Ubani

Dankyi Emmanuel

VP, dEX Ghana and Senior brand designer, Mintlify

Francis Osei-Owusu

Photographer

Audrey Forson

Managing Director at Tekura.
President, Interior Designers & Decorators

Julian Ayim

Founder, Moxie Marketing Group

Abigail Nikoi

Head of Business Development & Marketing, Bentsi-Enchill, Letsa & Ankomah

Kwabena Owusu-Adjei

Co-Founder, Thirdway Capital & Founder, Kenten

Anita-Pearl Ankor

Founder, Jagreh Customs

Aisha Ayensu

Founder/Creative Director, Christie Brown

Sam Kwabena A. Yeboah

Sustainability & Product Innovation Expert | Co-founder, Boxplay Ventures & Venture Nest

TICKETING ACCESS

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Explorer Pass
GHS 350 20% OFF
GHS 350
BENEFITS
Full 3-day access to talks & panels
Exhibitions & showcases
Networking lounges
Digital certificate of participation
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Pro Pass
GHS 550 20% OFF
GHS 550
BENEFITS
Everything in Explorer
Workshops & Masterclasses
Design labs & challenges
Portfolio reviews
Evening experience
Career & Mentorship Hub
dEX souvenirs
Limited access to session recordings
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Full Experience Pass
GHS 900 20% OFF
GHS 900
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Priority session access
Founder & leadership roundtables
Curated networking
Fast-track check-in
Early access to future programs
dEX souvenirs
Extended access to recordings
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Student Pass
GHS 150 20% OFF
GHS 150
BENEFITS
Full 3-day access to talks & panels
Student-only workshops & sessions
Career & Mentorship Hub access
Innovation & Tech Zone
Exhibitions & showcases
Youth-focused Creative challenges
Lifetime Community Access (WhatsApp/Slack)
Digital certificate of participation
Get Student Pass
Day Pass
GHS 250 20% OFF
GHS 250
BENEFITS
Talks & panels (1 day)
Exhibitions
Innovation Zone
Networking spaces
Career Hub (1 day)
Get Day Pass
Virtual Pass
GHS 150 20% OFF
GHS 150
BENEFITS
3-day livestream (all talks)
Virtual attendee chat and Q&A
Get Virtual Pass
Explorer Pass
GHS 350 20% OFF
GHS 350
BENEFITS
Full 3-day access to talks & panels
Exhibitions & showcases
Networking lounges
Digital certificate of participation
Get Explorer Pass
Pro Pass
GHS 550 20% OFF
GHS 550
BENEFITS
Everything in Explorer
Workshops & Masterclasses
Design labs & challenges
Portfolio reviews
Evening experience
Career & Mentorship Hub
dEX souvenirs
Limited access to session recordings
Get Pro Pass
Full Experience Pass
GHS 900 20% OFF
GHS 900
BENEFITS
Everything in Pro
Priority session access
Founder & leadership roundtables
Curated networking
Fast-track check-in
Early access to future programs
dEX souvenirs
Extended access to recordings
Get Full Experience Pass
Student Pass
GHS 150 20% OFF
GHS 150
BENEFITS
Full 3-day access to talks & panels
Student-only workshops & sessions
Career & Mentorship Hub access
Innovation & Tech Zone
Exhibitions & showcases
Youth-focused Creative challenges
Lifetime Community Access (WhatsApp/Slack)
Digital certificate of participation
Get Student Pass
Day Pass
GHS 250 20% OFF
GHS 250
BENEFITS
Talks & panels (1 day)
Exhibitions
Innovation Zone
Networking spaces
Career Hub (1 day)
Get Day Pass
Surprising Facts About the Event
1500+
Expected Attendees
30+
Speakers
3 days
People, Planet & Profit
11
Experience Types
Grab a seat
Open to all

From students to studio leads

Our Partners

Key Partners
I Am Adinkra logo — DDC26 partner
VOME logo — DDC26 partner
ThirdLaw logo — DDC26 partner
Programme Partners
GoTo logo — DDC26 partner
Chapter logo — DDC26 partner
Dikan logo — DDC26 partner
Experience Partners
Hingees logo — DDC26 partner
Technology and Logistics Partners
Dawncraft logo — DDC26 partner
Media Partners
Pulse logo — DDC26 partner
Unscripted with Raygan logo — DDC26 partner
Kweku Tech logo — DDC26 partner
KSS logo — DDC26 partner
Peswa logo — DDC26 partner
Zelos logo — DDC26 partner
Community Partners
Ladies in Design Network logo — DDC26 partner
Flexbyte logo — DDC26 partner
ALX logo — DDC26 partner
Brud AI logo — DDC26 partner

2025 Speakers

Practitioners, thinkers, and educators doing the work
Maame Adjei

Filmmaker & Creative Entrepreneur, Studio Accra

Angel Kobby Dom

Co-Founder & Operations Director, Wyred IN LTD

Jean Quarcoopome

Associate Creative Director, Insel Communications

James Maxwellson

Team Lead, Scolpta

Harriet Ann Adjabeng

Founder and Lead Consultant, Quinsera

Ekow Barnes

Editor & Creative Producer, CGI

Dennis Gawuga

Communications Manager, Branding Expert, Creative Leader, mPharma

Clinton Nyarkoh

CEO, iSupreme

Ama Ofeibea Tetteh

Founder + Lead Creative Consultant, Chapter54

Lawrence Kayku

Creative Director & Photographer

Francis Etetere Essel

Independent Designer

Benjamin Arthur

Lead, LimeAR

James Baduor

Founding Designer, Mintlify

Eldad Nutakor

Generalist, Thinker. Oxygene

Joshua Cleopas

Founder & Creative Director, VOME Studios

Meekah Jagun

Filmmaker & Executive Producer

Bright Ackwerh

Artist / Illustrator

P.K. Woode

Media & Brand Strategist , Regional Digital Media Lead (CWAR), Publicis

Julian Owusu

Founder, Build the Company

Eli Boahen

Cyborg Anthropologist

Lorraine Eyetsa Ocloo

Past President | Founder, IDDG | ELO Studios

Ready to be part of DDC26?

Passes start at GHC 150. Whether you’re a student, a practitioner, or a studio lead — there’s a place for you.

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About DDC
Get Involved

Makafui Awuku

Innovator, Environmentalist and Circular Economy Business Modeling Expert

Mr. Makafui Awuku is an innovator, entrepreneur, environmentalist, and circular economy expert. As Founder and CEO of MCKINGTORCH Africa, he transforms plastic waste into sustainable products, jobs, and business opportunities. He has pioneered and commercialized products including school desks, roofing tiles, footwear, bags, benches, and waste receptacles, generating over $50,000 in revenue. His work spans innovation, research, policy advocacy, and climate leadership across Africa. He has trained over 15,000 beneficiaries, contributed to Ghana’s plastic waste policy, and collaborated with leading global institutions. His work has gained international recognition through major media and sustainability awards.

Stefania Manfreda

Founder & Creative Director, Lokko House

Stefania Manfreda is the Founder and Creative Director of Lokko House, an independent creative and retail platform based in Accra, Ghana. An industrial designer by training, she has spent nearly two decades building spaces, platforms and opportunities that champion contemporary African design and creative entrepreneurship. Since founding Lokko House in 2008, her practice has expanded across fashion, retail, art, curation, hospitality and cultural programming, with a particular focus on creating commercially sustainable ecosystems for African creatives. Her work explores the intersection of design, culture and enterprise, and the role independent creative businesses can play in shaping more resilient and locally rooted creative economies.

Caleb Nii Odartey Aryee

Director | Cinematographer | Creative Producer

Odartey Aryee is a Ghanaian filmmaker and photographer whose practice explores culture, tradition, and lived experiences through a contemporary visual lens. Working across photography and film, his work examines cultural identity, representation, migration, and social issues through documentary and artistic storytelling. His projects have been exhibited and recognized by Royal Photographic Society, Sony World Photography Awards, African Film Festival New York, Berlinale Forum, Planet in Focus and Capture Photography Festival. He has produced and filmed for SSENSE, Numéro Magazine, Universal Music Switzerland, Magnum, CBC, Amazon Prime, and Netflix. Odartey has also spoken and participated in panels at the University of Copenhagen, University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University , ZilArt Musuem and ClimateCulture Film Festival.

DK Osseo-Asare

Co-Founding Principal, Low Design Office (LowDO) | Associate Professor of Architecture & Engineering Design, Penn State University

DK Osseo-Asare is a Ghana-American design engineer who works across art, architecture, materials, technology, ecology, futures and urbanism. He is co-founding principal of transatlantic architecture and integrated design studio Low Design Office (LowDO), based in Austin, Texas and Tema, Ghana and Associate Professor of Architecture and Engineering Design at the Pennsylvania State University, where he directs the Humanitarian Materials Lab (HuMatLab). He led design of Anam City and Koumbi City new town projects (Nigeria/Ghana); co-initiated the Agbogbloshie Makerspace Platform (AMP spacecraft; Bambot: Fufuzela) innovation ecosystem, and served as architect of Ghana’s second national pavilion at La Biennale di Venezia.

Audrey Quaye

Creative Director, Innova DDB, Ghana

Audrey is a strategic creative leader who turns bold ideas into business impact and cultural relevance. She currently serves as Creative Director at Innova DDB Ghana, where she drives high-performing teams across traditional and digital platforms.

With over a decade in the industry, Audrey has evolved from designer and writer to creative architect, building ideas that travel, resonate, and endure. Her portfolio spans global and pan-African brands including GoodBusiness UK(SKY Girls Ghana), YLabs USA, MTN, Vodafone, Absa Bank, DIAGEO, AfCFTA, Arla Foods, Unilever, PZ, Ghana Association of Banks and Right To Dream Ghana.

Her work and perspective have earned her recognition on panels and juries where she shares her experience and expertise. She most recently served as a a juror for the ANDY Awards Africa region, served as a panelist on DiscovHer and has been featured in an article by the Bizcommunity, South Africa on the place of African creativity on the global stage.

Audrey is committed to elevating the creative standard on the continent by mentoring emerging talent in the creative industry. She is also passionate about championing campaigns that make the world a better place.

Hanson Akatti

Design Lead at Hanson Akatti Ltd.

Hanson Akatti is a graphic designer, illustrator, and digital artist whose work typically roots in Afro-urbanistic ideals. From retro cinema and comic book art to 90’s hip-hop motifs, his art style is ever-evolving, bringing a broad spectrum of pop influences to both traditional and digital spaces.

Through his firm, Hanson Akatti Ltd, he has created book and album covers, gig posters and brand identities for high-profile clients including Penguin, Audible, The L.A. Times, This Is Accra, Sports Illustrated, Afrofuture and Nestlé.

His work has been featured in solo and group exhibitions exploring themes of identity.

Hanson envisions an Africa that is as enamored with its own people and culture as it deserves to be; a vision he is helping to realize through art and design. He was born on January 21st, 1989 and currently lives in Accra, Ghana.

Rachael Tachie-Menson

Founder & Managing Partner, Author Digital Labs

Rachael Tachie-Menson is a product leader, entrepreneur, and Founder and Managing Partner of Author Digital Labs, a product strategy and growth studio. Over nearly two decades, she has built and scaled digital products at some of the world’s leading technology companies, managing multi-billion-dollar portfolios and launching multiple products from zero to one. Her work spans product strategy, growth, marketplaces, and AI. Rachael holds a BS from Stanford University, an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, and an MS in Design Innovation from Northwestern University’s McCormick School of Engineering. She is passionate about helping businesses turn complex problems into products people value and use.

Nana Yaw Kwao

Chief Digital Marketing & Innovation Officer, GTI Holding

Nana Yaw Kwao is a creative and technology leader with over 16 years of experience across media,  advertising and technology, and a practitioner of applied AI in creative businesses. 

His career spans some of the most recognised names in African media and marketing. He launched  and led Pulse TV Ghana at Ringier (2014 to 2016), returning in 2021 as Countries Director for  commercial Video at Pulse Ghana. 

Nana has also worked on Global projects for the likes CNBC Africa, BBC, Forbes Africa, Former  Presidents Forbes Africa Feature. 

In 2020 he led the Kasapreko hand sanitiser campaign, Ghana’s first major corporate response to  COVID-19, taking it from nationwide lockdown to first delivery in 86 hours. 

In his most recent role as Regional Director of Content at Publicis West Africa, he led content efforts  across 27 countries in Central and West Africa for Nestlé brands including MAGGI, MILO, NIDO,  IDEAL MILK, NESCAFÉ, etc. reaching an audience of over 600 million. 

He is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (UK) and holds a dual certificate in  Entrepreneurial Marketing & Technology Entrepreneurship, from Harvard Business School Online.  He also possesses an MBA In Technology & Innovation Management from the Plymouth Marjon  University, UK 

Earlier in March this year he Nana was invited by Anthropic (the makers of Claude Ai) to attend the  “Code with Claude” event in London. 

Nana Yaw Is also formally certified by Anthropic to Teach Anthropic’s Ai framework. 

Today, he’s the Chief Digital Marketing & Innovation Officer & GTI Holding, a multinational group  operating across nine sectors in Ghana, the UAE, the USA, DR Congo, São Tomé, Liberia and China. 

He is also the Founder of THINGS COLLECTIVE, A Creative Venture Studio exploring, Culture, Chaos &  Commerce, across Accra & London. Amongst their recent venture launches is includes 

  • Revel, creators of the Unlimited Barbecue Experience in Ghana. 
  • Bata Ai, A conversational Commerce platform built on top of WhatsApp. • Others in Hospitality, Food & Beverage, Real Estate. 

Away from computers, he’s occasionally a fire chef, a hunter or a Farmer.

Bernard Sokpe

Founder, Jambo Spaces

Fige Deegbe

Creative Director/Film Colorist - CutnColor

Fige Deegbe is a Ghanaian Creative Director and Film Colorist working across film, music, advertising, and culture. He is the founder of CutNColor Post, a boutique color grading studio, and Pore, a production company focused on commercial and content production for brands, where he serves as Creative Director. His work has spanned projects for global brands and leading artists, including Warner Bros., Spotify, Puma, Crocs, MTV, Davido, Rema, Burna Boy, Akon, and Black Sherif. Fige’s practice explores the intersection of visual storytelling, technology, and culture, with a focus on building world-class creative work from Ghana for audiences globally.

Travis Obeng-Casper

Creative Director, Ajabeng

Travis Obeng-Casper is a Ghanaian fashion designer and the creative director of AJABENG, an “Afro-Minimalist” brand that embodies his passion for design and storytelling. 

He developed a keen interest in design and has nurtured this passion, evolving into a unique aesthetic that blends traditional African elements with contemporary minimalism.

AJABENG reflects Travis’s vision of fashion as a medium for storytelling. His commitment to continuous learning and innovation has enabled him to create a brand that celebrates African culture while appealing to a global audience with its distinctive Afro-Minimalist style.

Nabeela Abubakari

Founder, goTo Initiative

Nabeela Abubakari is the Founder and Director of goTo Initiative, a Ghanaian sustainability systems platform working at the intersection of design, business and the systems that shape how things are produced, used and moved. Her work examines practical questions around circular economy, materials, waste, sustainable production and market development, often bringing businesses, practitioners, communities and institutions into the same room to work through problems that sit between them. Through goTo, she has developed and convened initiatives spanning circular fashion, built environments, sustainable business and emerging circular technologies. Her approach is grounded in the simple principle that sustainability has to work in the systems where people actually live, make, buy and build.

Ama Adi-Dako Seidu

Host & Co-founder Big Fat African Development

Ama is a storyteller, producer and development strategist passionate about using design, technology and media to transform African lives. She is the host and co-founder of Big Fat African Development (BFAD), where she is helping build a continent-wide citizens’ movement to tackle Africa’s toughest development challenges. She is also Chief Content Officer at Afrotoons, an African animation studio bringing African stories for children to global audiences. Previously, Ama spent six years at TED in New York, working across MainStage Talks, television, audience development and social media. She has also produced for Builders, a movement focused on reducing toxic political polarization.

Duah Francis

Creative Director

Duah Francis is a Creative Director, working globally across brand, motion, film and spatial experiences. With over a decade of experience, he has directed work for Fairmont, Omniyat, the Istanbul Archaeological Museums, St. Regis, ABSA, Africa Magic and DStv among others.

Growing up in Ghana shaped an approach to design grounded in adaptability, clarity and real-world function, principles he carries into every project. His practice is driven by curiosity about how people interact with brands, systems and designed environments.

Alongside his creative practice, Duah is committed to education and mentorship, with a growing focus on the relationship between design, culture and judgment.

Nana Kofi Asihene

Creative Strategist, Producer and Visual Storyteller

I am Nana Kofi Asihene, a Creative Strategist, Producer & Visual Storyteller.

I’m a Ghanaian creative who has spent the last couple of decades moving between film, photography, design, advertising, fashion & music.

I’m interested in Africa, but more specifically, I’m interested in the way we see ourselves, the stories we tell about ourselves and what happens when we tell those stories differently.

Paul Kweku Akrofie

Programme Head ( British Council SoCreative) | Founder, RPC Design

Paul Kweku Akrofie is a Ghanaian designer, entrepreneur and creative economy consultant with over 12 years of experience spanning creative practice, business development and skills training. He founded RPC Design (Real Peoples Company) and brings firsthand experience of building a creative enterprise to his work supporting other entrepreneurs. As a consultant with the British Council, he leads the development and delivery of SoCreative across Sub-Saharan Africa, helping creatives strengthen their business foundations through enterprise learning and partnerships. His work connects design, entrepreneurship and cultural policy, with a focus on helping African creatives build commercially viable businesses that create lasting value.

Simon Charwey

Co-Founder, Ubani

Simon Charwey is an anthologist on African design systems and African symbologies. His recent work centers on African script research, type design, and leading African Design Matters (ADM)—a global digital sketchbook archiving the contributions of Black, Indigenous, Afro-Caribbean, and continental African creatives. Parallel to his archival work, he co-founded Ubani, a research-led studio operating at the intersection of motion graphics and type technology (typemography).

Guided by the principle that design is a cultural response and culture is a design response, his practice interrogates the frameworks that have long flattened design into a homogeneous cultural history. Instead, he champions a restorative approach—equipping African creatives with strategies to operationalize design’s true, heterogeneous cultural past. An MFA alumnus of the Yale School of Art and 2024–2025 Stanford SILICON Fellow, Charwey serves on the Advisory Board for the UNESCO Chair in Digital Futures at Stanford. Through global foundry collaborations and the “African Type Designers” community, he equips creatives with practical methods and ethical anchors to build their digital futures without flattening their legacy.

Dankyi Emmanuel

VP, dEX Ghana and Senior brand designer, Mintlify

Francis Osei-Owusu

Photographer

Francis Osei-Owusu is a documentary photographer whose work captures people, leadership, culture, and significant moments with a timeless visual perspective. As a photographer documenting the work of Ghana’s President, John Dramani Mahama, Francis brings a strong eye for storytelling, authenticity, and detail to his craft.

Beyond photography, he is a devoted husband and father, a passionate reader, and a lover of documentaries, films, and meaningful stories. His personality is warm, energetic, and people-  oriented, with a genuine appreciation for human connection.

For Francis, photography is more than taking pictures—it is about preserving moments, telling stories, and creating images that remain relevant long after the moment has passed.

Audrey Forson

Managing Director at Tekura. President, Interior Designers & Decorators

Audrey Forson is a Ghanaian furniture designer, Managing Director of TEKURA, and President of the Interior Designers and Decorators Association of Ghana (IDDG). She is recognized for redefining African design by combining cultural storytelling, craftsmanship, and sustainability.

With a background in psychology and finance, Audrey took an unconventional path into design, rising from intern to leadership within TEKURA, a global design brand with over 25 years of heritage.

Under her leadership, TEKURA has gained international visibility, including a feature in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in 2022 and Africa Inc on CNN in 2026. Audrey is a strong advocate for TVET, artisanal skills development, youth empowerment, and gender inclusion, promoting African design as a driver of economic growth and cultural identity. In 2022, she co-authored Africa and Sustainable Global Value Chains. Her contributions have earned her recognition as a Young Innovator of the Year (2024) and one of the 100 Most Influential Women in Africa (2024).

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