We’re back in 2020 for another year of MOD! We chatted with Emily Dwyer, our MOD Festival Director, to get the scoop on what’s in store for this year’s festival.

 

Tell us about MOD 2020. 

At the start of 2020, we were all geared up to run the biggest MOD yet and we still hope that’s the case. We are not going to let COVID-19 stop us. We are adapting, and using this disruption as an opportunity to broaden our offering to include both a physical and digital festival that will allow people both nationally and internationally to get involved. Despite some changes on the logistics front, our core focus is still the same: connecting humans through events that can inspire and educate. This year, more than ever, we want to support our local industries and showcase the incredible talent we are lucky to have right here in our backyard.

We are working hard behind the scenes to get MOD 2020 up and running and ready for action. We are currently accepting applications from event hosts, and we can’t wait to officially announce this year’s programme in the coming months.

 

What’s new this year?

We are looking at putting on more events than the past few years, some of which will be enabled by the new digital arm of the festival. Plus, we’re looking at more variation in the event format to create a more widespread reach across the region and involvement from some of our core industries in Wellington as businesses are facing the challenge to redesign the way they do business. You can expect events from some big names across the industry, but we’re keeping those under wraps for now! We want to create a fully connected and supported country during this challenging time. The aim is to front foot a lot of the issues individuals and businesses are now facing as a result of COVID-19 and provide a forum where people can come together to reconnect and share insights, knowledge and resources of how people are tackling the problems they now face. It is an opportunity to take a moment to reflect and design a new reality that is better than our pre-COVID world; a reality that truly puts humans at the centre of all decisions. 

 

Why is human-centred design important, now more than ever?

Human-centred design ensures that products and solutions are designed around humans and their needs. COVID19 has forced a lot of businesses to redefine their value and what they offer their customers. Taking the time to revisit what has emerged in the last months – what worked and what didn’t – we can see how human-centred design will help us shape a new and improved future.

From a business point of view, adopting a human-centred approach helps create more resilient products, focused on the needs of the people who are facing a problem. It can also help to create a smooth user experience, increase user engagement – as more people will use, and continue to use, a product that addresses their needs – and both of these ultimately benefiting your overall business. 

In this post-COVID19 reality, we want to take a moment to look at what trends emerged in the last months, what worked, what didn’t and how human-centred design can help us shape a new and improved future.

 

Interested in getting involved in Mindset of Design 2020? Applications for event hosts are now open. Sign up to our mailing list to keep across the latest news and announcements about the festival and follow us on social media for the latest updates!