3daysofdesign’s Managing Director on this year's theme KEEP IT REAL. 

Widely regarded as one of the world’s leading design events, 3daysofdesign once again transforms Copenhagen into a vibrant hub for all things design this week. 

In an exclusive interview, we spoke with 3daysofdesign’s Managing Director, Signe Byrdal Terenziani, about the powerful vision behind this year’s theme: KEEP IT REAL. In an age clouded by digital illusions, Signe Byrdal Terenziani calls for a return to authenticity, emotional depth, and genuine human connection—through the transformative power of design. 

KEEP IT REAL is a powerful theme for our times. What inspired you and your team to choose this message for 2025, and how do you see it resonating with today’s design community?

I look at people around me, and I can see that they’re not really here. They’re somewhere else. They’re often online, in the never-never land, living vicariously via virtual images of someone with a much more interesting life. I look at couples together, who are not really together, because they’re each elsewhere on their tablets. I look at young people, whose only source of inspiration is via apps or videos. And I look at children, whose only idea of play is through their phones. 

Our KEEP IT REAL theme is a wake-up call for people to tune into what really matters. To be present, staying true to themselves and pursuing their personal angle on realness. It’s a gentle reminder to discover original ideas within themselves imbued with emotion, empathy and humanity. And to search their soul for answers, because that’s where you’ll find them. 

You describe the theme as a celebration of "one-of-a-kind originals". In what ways do you hope this theme will empower designers and brands to present themselves more authentically during the festival?

When you think about it, every creative person is driven by a desire to express something. For makers, every object tells a story, and this is their opportunity to tell it. As we move away from being a disposable society, consumers are seeking sustainable brands over others, preferring products with origins you can trace back to the raw material.

I think our exhibitors are feeling a certain kind of freedom with KEEP IT REAL. Free to be different, defiant and daring. Our festival honours individual expression and experiences, echoing our deep desire for a world that’s more caring, inclusive, and conscious. Implicit in that desire is a celebration of people from different cultures and perspectives. We are no longer a homogenous society. We are a mix of people with the potential to expand our horizons. If we can harness that potential, and find a common ground, then together we can generate ideas that are greater than the sum of our parts.

In a world increasingly driven by digital impressions and filtered realities, how can design serve as a medium for truth, vulnerability, and emotional connection?

Design has the power to cut through the noise. At its best, design is not just about aesthetics or function. It reflects values, intentions, and emotions. When designers dare to be vulnerable, to share something personal or imperfect, that’s when true connection happens. From the compelling appeal of a design’s shape, size, colour and materiality, to interior design concepts conducive to conversation, collaboration or contemplation. Design informs how we connect with our surroundings, the environment – and each other. Which is why we encourage creatives to explore designs with a raison d'être beyond form and function.

In essence, the power of design lies in its ability to transform spaces and, in doing so, the lives of the people who inhabit them. That’s where design can be a powerful antidote to the digital gloss. With KEEP IT REAL, we wanted to celebrate that kind of authenticity. The idea that real beauty lies in openness, in emotional depth, and in the courage to be seen as we are.

Andreas Samuelsson’s visual for 2025 beautifully reflects the intangible “inner landscape of the soul”. What was the creative process like in collaborating with him on this year’s identity, and what does the image personally evoke for you?

Swedish artist Andreas Samuelsson has a remarkable ability to distil complex ideas into simple, poetic visuals using lines, shapes, and surfaces. Throughout our collaboration, we had deep, meaningful conversations about authenticity, creativity, and the evolving future of human-centred design. These exchanges shaped the final outcome—a striking image composed of fluid, organic forms set against curvaceous negative space, punctuated with vivid colour.

Personally, the image speaks to me on a very emotional level. It feels both introspective and expansive, like a visual echo of the quiet thoughts and bold ideas that shape who we are. It reminds me that creativity often begins in the invisible spaces within us. Something Andreas captured with such sensitivity and clarity.

KEEP IT REAL also speaks to inclusivity and honouring personal expression. How is 3daysofdesign evolving to be more inclusive—whether in terms of participants, audience, or the narratives it promotes?

For us, it means creating space for honest expression, diverse perspectives, and new voices. Whether that’s emerging designers, underrepresented communities, or ideas that challenge the status quo. We actively select participants in 3daysofdesign, not only based on geography, but also based on background, discipline, and point of view.

It has always been our intention that the festival should be free to attend for all.  Whether you are from the industry or not. In this way everyone can access design, learn something new, make connections they otherwise wouldn’t have had access to and celebrate different perspectives from around the world.

3daysofdesign is not a commercially-driven venture, as such. Instead, it’s more about storytelling than selling. It’s about passion, applauding talent, celebrating creativity and connecting with people who see the potential of design to help make the world a better place with all its richness and complexity to create an environment where everyone feels they belong.

This article is written by our European correspondent Akgün Akdil.