3 Days of Design 2025. Your attention matters.

I have a lot of conversations around 3 Days of Design and the question I get the most is - isn’t it repetitive at some point? It’s hard for me to be objective - experiencing, touching, looking at design makes me happy. I don’t care if it’s repetitive. Beautiful design is timeless and makes me happy repetitively and constantly. So you need to ask someone else. What I will say is - event organisers go the extra mile to always propose something fresh, to push for a more authentic narrative and, this year, to keep it real. They succeeded big time - let me tell you why.

3 Days of Design is really big now. And is getting bigger every year, there’s no denying that. The scale of the event got to a point where it seems like you get to experience the world of design, not the world of Scandinavian design. And that’s great - it brings new perspectives, broadens our horizons, gives more answers, makes us all more open (myself included). But - often, growing in scale comes at a cost. Everything becomes faster, overwhelming, FOMO becomes a daily part of chasing each event, each exhibition, showrooms’ opening hours. 3 Days of Design, magically, manages to keep growing with every edition, while still allowing us to celebrate sustainable, genuine, “slow” attention.

You can jump in between the biggest showrooms and loudest of events - if this is your thing, and that’s why you come to design events, you’ll find plenty of it. All of those showrooms and all of those parties will be tasteful, bright, loud and amazing.

I fall on the other side of the spectrum - big events make me immediately enter fight or flight mode - and 3 Days of Design allows me to feel included in the design universum, experience the designs, meet and connect with people, while still operating on the smaller scale. It serves beauty to all, no matter what you need, while keeping everyone included and engaged.

By now you probably think - yes, Zuza, it all sounds lovely, but what all of this means in practice? Let me explain.

Intimate exhibitions and really thoughtful spaces for the win

The true power of this event was in how intentionally it allowed its audience to slow down in order to experience design. It felt like many spaces were created with this one clear purpose: to help me feel design. No rushing, and most importantly, no visual overstimulation. Just care, clarity, and curation.

The exhibition curated by White Label Project – Crafting New Design Narratives – was one of those perfectly balanced moments. Held at Ruby Atelier, the event featured designers and brands from all over the world, but with such a coherent tone of voice. As someone (insanely) deeply invested in design storytelling, this exhibition had me hooked the moment I walked in.

Real and honest engagement over big production

Some of the most memorable brand experiences didn’t happen in big, orchestrated showrooms – they happened in smaller spaces, with fewer (if any) distractions and people who really care.

It shows something I feel very strongly about – the best storytelling often comes from a single human interaction, not a detailed marketing deck or a glossy magazine ad.

The art is no longer a random guest – it lives here now, permanently

I think it was the first time I didn’t see artworks that were simply added to design experiences – it was a fully integrated experience. Placed there not as decoration or just to fill the space – it was part of the exhibition’s core. Sometimes I almost felt like the lines between art and design became blurry, and what we ended up with is useful art and artistic design.

It’s not the presence of art that excites me, it’s how I see brands and artists slowly moving toward co-authorship. Less “art as styling,” more “art as strategy” or “art as useful object.” I hope this keeps evolving and becomes a norm at some point.

Wellbeing should be designed and planned into anything we produce

Wellbeing is not something we need to explain anymore. During 3 Days of Design I noticed how it was the strategy and absolute basic of some of the spaces. When there’s, again, no visual overload, when you’re not forced to multitask (and physically forced to slow down), when someone offers you a scent or tea instead of another tote bag – that’s design for wellbeing too.

I think I often underestimate how much mental clarity and health can be designed into spaces. It’s something we take for granted when it’s there, but immediately notice when it’s missing.

Curators are the real visionaries

The real meaning often comes from what’s invisible – selection, order, pacing, limitations.

This year made me think of curators as the true visionaries of the event. They are the ones who decide what story gets told and how we’re going to connect to it. You don’t always notice them, but when the experience is truly curated, you feel it.

The Carlo Nason exhibition by Form Portfolios was a perfect example of it. You could sense it had been built by people who understood Nason’s legacy, who respected the scale, who knew how to guide attention without grabbing it. And that’s a kind of storytelling I’ll always admire – when nothing screams but everything speaks.

Craft is not an aesthetic

I talk a lot about craft – this year reminded me that craft is a way of thinking about the processes, not only the end product. About a way of working.

So many brands showed the processes as they really are, without romanticising it. No “handmade” used just as a marketing buzzword. Just showing how things came to life. I cannot think of a better, more honest and sustainable way of creating a lasting connection with a piece of design.

In the end – your attention matters

What made this edition special was how we were invited to engage with design. The whole event felt like a clear statement – your attention is valuable, people! And we’re not going to waste it!

The organisers of the event gave us all space to choose how we want to experience design. They didn’t push, they didn’t shout – they invited us and made us feel welcomed. It was clear we were encouraged to experience everything at our own pace. It’s something I need to keep reminding myself about – design is not something you rush through. Its meaning grows the longer you stay with it. And good design should ask for our time – and this event gave us the rare chance to really give it.

That’s what I’ll remember – not the flashy product launches, not the parties (although, fab, and I’m sure glad I went!) – but the stillness or even intentional emptiness in some of the rooms. The people who interacted with me with genuine interest and care. And the feeling of me, giving my full attention to something.

So thank you again, 3 Days of Design, for creating a space where we can honour the work, but also for honouring us, the people who came to witness it. You reminded me that attention is not a useful skill, it’s a gift. And this year, it was beautifully returned.