A gathering of creative minds exploring design beyond the obvious
DGS marked International Design Day 2026 on April 27, 2026, with an engaging, multi-city celebration centered around this year’s global theme, “The Spaces In Between.” Hosted simultaneously across Pune and Bangalore, with audiences joining both in-person and online, the event brought together leaders, designers, and innovators from across Creative, Media, CXM, and the wider dentsu India network.
The event explored the often-overlooked moments that shape user experiences – pauses, transitions, and the subtle interactions that influence how people connect with products, spaces, and each other.
A Thoughtful Beginning
The celebration opened with an inaugural address by Nishiyama-san, Chief Operating Officer, Dentsu Global Services, who shared his perspective on design as a strategic force in building meaningful global connections. He also brought a thoughtful lens to the theme “The Spaces In Between,” reflecting on how some of the most important moments in creativity happen in transitions, pauses, and shared understanding across cultures and teams. His address set the tone for an afternoon focused on reflection, and forward-thinking design practices.
Engaging the “In-Between”
A unique interactive segment titled “The Word Wall” invited participants to reflect on personal experiences of transitional moments, those small yet powerful in-between spaces that often go unnoticed. The activity sparked conversations and surfaced diverse perspectives on how design can shape even the quietest interactions.
Keynotes Bridging Design, Technology, and Experience
The event featured a diverse lineup of keynote speakers who brought unique viewpoints to the theme:
- Akshay Kore, Head of Product, VoiceCare AI, spoke about designing human-centric AI systems and the evolving relationship between technology and empathy in product design.
- Shivani Sonawane, architect and co-founder of Studio Akara and The Aryavart Escape, shared insights on crafting immersive, contextual environments rooted in conscious design.
- Ramprasad Sedouram, UX Lead and design-thinking advocate, explored the intersection of user experience, innovation, and the influence of music in design.
- Umeed Kothavala, co-founder and former Chief Experience Officer at Extentia, spoke about “spaces in between” as moments where design can intentionally create friction to spark interaction and conversation. He highlighted how even small disruptions or imperfections can turn passive moments into meaningful human connections.
Each session highlighted how design operates not just in defined outputs, but in the transitions and connections between them.
Leadership Perspectives and Recognition
The event also featured a talk by Naazneen Boocha, Global Delivery Lead for Experience & Commerce, who connected this year’s theme, “The Spaces In Between,” to design at scale, highlighting how the often-overlooked gaps between strategy and execution, teams and touchpoints, are where meaningful experiences are truly shaped.
The keynote speakers were felicitated in recognition of their valuable contributions, reinforcing DGS’s commitment to fostering a culture of appreciation and knowledge sharing.
Panel Discussion: Redefining Boundaries
A highlight of the event was the panel discussion titled “Between Disciplines, Between Eras,” moderated by Rajarshi Ray, Group Creative Director at DGS. The session explored how artificial intelligence is dissolving traditional boundaries between design disciplines, enabling new forms of collaboration and innovation.
The panel brought together diverse voices to discuss the evolving role of designers in an AI-driven world, emphasizing adaptability, interdisciplinary thinking, and human-centered approaches.
Closing Reflections
The event concluded with reflections from key contributors and leaders, bringing the focus back to the central idea – how the in-between spaces, often overlooked, are where meaningful design truly lives.
From interactive participation to thought-provoking discussions, International Design Day 2026 at DGS was a celebration of design not just as an outcome, but as a continuous, evolving process shaped by moments in between.
The session closed with a heartfelt thank you note from Saranic Banerjee, Experience Strategy Lead, appreciating everyone for their presence, participation, and the energy they brought to the day.
About dentsu
Dentsu is an integrated growth and transformation partner to the world’s leading organizations. Founded in 1901 in Tokyo, Japan, and now present in approximately 120 countries and regions, it has a proven track record of nurturing and developing innovations, combining the talents of its global network of leadership brands to develop impactful and integrated growth solutions for clients. Dentsu delivers end-to-end experience transformation (EX) by integrating its services across Media, CXM and Creative, while its business transformation (BX) mindset pushes the boundaries of transformation and sustainable growth for brands, people and society.
About Extentia, a Merkle Company
A global IT services firm that helps clients transform and realize their digital strategies. With a unique Experience Centric Transformation approach, Extentia’s ground-breaking solutions are in the space of mobile, cloud, and design. The team is differentiated by an emphasis on excellent design skills that they bring to every project. Focused on enterprise mobility, cloud computing, and user experiences, Extentia strives to accomplish and surpass their customers’ business goals. The company’s inclusive work environment and culture inspire team members to be innovative and creative, and to provide clients with an exceptional partnership experience.