Extended Pack Collective

What if the biggest threat to designers isn’t AI, but failing to redefine their role? That’s what our recent Extended Pack Collective community polls seem to be telling us. Designers believe their greatest value is created before the problem is defined. That their future is in becoming shapers of systems. And that systems thinking is the capability they most need to develop. So, what does the value of a designer become when making is no longer the scarce capability? That’s the conversation we’re bringing to The Evolving Value of a Designer at @ExtendedPack Collective Design Dialogues × @L_D_F London Design Festival 2026. • 18 September • RSA House, London • 8:45-9:30 AM Come join the conversation. #LDF26 #ExtendedpackCollective #EPCDesignDialogues

What if the tension between designers and non-designers isn’t about who gets to design, but whose judgement gets trusted? That’s what our recent Extended Pack Collective community polls are beginning to reveal. The biggest source of tension? Different definitions of quality. Designers trust non-designers less when taste is presented as expertise, while non-designers trust designers most when there is evidence behind their recommendations. And designers may be entering important conversations too late because design is still viewed as execution. So as tools make it possible for almost anyone to participate in design, how should the relationship between designers and non-designers evolve? That’s the conversation at The Evolving Relationship Between Designers and Non-Designers at @ExtendedPack Collective Design Dialogues × @L_D_F London Design Festival 2026. · 18 September · RSA House, London · 09:45–10:30 AM Come bring your perspective. #LDF26 #ExtendedPackCollective #LondonDesignFestival

When technology makes execution faster and creative tools more accessible, what remains uniquely valuable about a designer? We’re delighted to welcome Simon Dixon, to EPC Design Dialogues as a panellist for “The Evolving Value of a Designer.” extendedpack.com/ldf-2026 Simon has spent more than three decades running creative agencies, guided by an undimmed conviction that great thinking and beautifully crafted design can make the world better. In 2001, he co-founded @DixonBaxi with Aporva Baxi. Together, they have built a global reputation in branding and design, helping forward-thinking organisations connect with and inspire their audiences. DixonBaxi is trusted by brands including Netflix, F1, Audible, AC Milan, Roblox, TikTok, Delta and British Land—companies intent on challenging what is expected. Simon brings an essential perspective to our discussion: In a world of rapid and constant change, how can designers combine enduring creative principles with the ability to continually reinvent what they do? Design Dialogues - Hosted by Extended Pack Collective In partnership with @L_D_F London Design Festival 2026 Date: 18 September 2026 Panel 1 : 8:45–9:30 AM Location: RSA House, London Event website and registration details in the comments. #EPCDesignDialogues #LondonDesignFestival #BrandDesign #LDF26 #CreativeLeadership #FutureOfDesign #ExtendedPackCollective

On 18 September 2026, @ExtendedPack Collective is bringing EPC Design Dialogues to the Royal Society of Arts, London, as part of @L_D_F London Design Festival 2026. A half-day gathering bringing together designers, creative leaders, researchers, educators and people who work alongside design to explore three connected questions: Panel 01 The Evolving Value of the Designer When execution becomes faster and more accessible, how is the designer’s value being redefined? Panel 02 The Evolving Relationship Between Designers and Non-Designers What happens to expertise, trust, authorship and decision-making when more people can directly shape design outcomes? Panel 03 The Evolving Responsibility of Design As design’s influence expands across behaviours, systems, organisations and culture, what must it become more responsible for? Date: 18 September 2026 Time: 08:30 AM –12:00 PM Location: RSA House, 8 John Adam St, London Website and registration link in the comments

Design is changing. Its tools are becoming more accessible. More people are shaping design outcomes. Designers themselves are operating across increasingly complex organisational, strategic, and technological contexts. On 18 September 2026, @ExtendedPack Collective is bringing EPC Design Dialogues to the Royal Society of Arts, London, as part of @L_D_F London Design Festival 2026. More Details: lnkd.in/gCUPVDpa A half-day gathering bringing together designers, creative leaders, researchers, educators and people who work alongside design to explore three connected questions: 01 — The Evolving Value of the Designer When execution becomes faster and more accessible, how is the designer’s value being redefined? 02 — The Evolving Relationship Between Designers and Non-Designers What happens to expertise, trust, authorship and decision-making when more people can directly shape design outcomes? 03 — The Evolving Responsibility of Design As design’s influence expands across behaviours, systems, organisations and culture, what must it become more responsible for? 18 September 2026 08:30 AM –12:00 PM RSA House, 8 John Adam St, London See you in London! #LondonDesignFestival #LDF2026 #DesignLeadership #Design #EPCDesignDialogues #ExtendedPackCollective

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EPC Unscripted: Behavioural understanding of the Indian consumer. @ExtendedPack hosted an Unscripted session on understanding the Indian consumer beyond stereotypes. With leaders from Amazon, Flipkart and 1990 Research Labs, we explored how trust, aspiration, culture, and context shape product decisions in India. The following is a 10-point documentation of the session. epicjournal.design/epc-unscr…

Last weekend, Designscape by @ExtendedPack Collective brought together designers and design leaders in Coorg for four days of reflection, dialogue, and connection. We stepped away from routine to focus on what matters most: Design. Leadership. Growth. Trust. Responsibility. We listened. We debated. We learned from each other. There were also moments that mattered just as much — shared meals, coffee conversations, stories, laughter, and time to connect beyond titles and roles. Thank you to every leader who shaped these conversations with candour and generosity. Biju Damodharan - Director of Design at Amazon Debayan Mukherjee - Head of Design at Samsung Electronics Madhumita Gupta - Director of Product Design at Honeywell Bikash Jyoti Biswas - Head of Design at Ather Energy Sameer Bhiwani - Director of Design at Target Monica Deshpande - Experience Design Director at Wells Fargo Thank you to all other participants who brought curiosity, energy, and perspective to the room. We return with clearer minds, stronger bonds, and higher standards for the work ahead. #Designscape2026 #Leadership #DesignCulture #ExtendedPackCollective

The @ExtendedPack Collective recently hosted Design Dialogues in Bangalore, and it was encouraging to see so many thoughtful designers and leaders from different organisations come together for a more serious, generous, and honest kind of conversation. Across the session, we touched on some of the questions that matter deeply to the practice of design today — the balance between storytelling and data, how stronger designers frame problems, how trust and influence are built, what leadership without control can look like, how critique can become more constructive, how design works better with product and engineering, and where to draw the line between useful persuasion and manipulation, especially in the age of AI. The quality of the gathering was incredible — thoughtful questions, open participation, and a genuine willingness to engage with complexity instead of rushing towards acceptable answers. That is exactly the kind of space we want EPC to continue building. A heartfelt thank you to all our speakers for bringing depth, candour, and lived perspective to the discussions. And thank you to every designer and manager who joined us and helped make the gathering so rich through your presence, questions, and participation. Satish Patil Shreeya Malpani Shantanu Kulkarni Sandeep Karmarkar Abhay Vyas Utkarsh Biradar Sonam Sengar This was a meaningful start, and we are excited to keep building more such spaces through the Extended Pack Collective. If you are keen on engaging with the collective, please follow our annual calendar on Luma (link in the comments). #ExtendedPackCollective #EPCDesignDialogues #DesignLeadership #DesignCommunity #ProductDesign #UXDesign #DesignCraft #DesignManagement #Leadership

Perfect weather. A giant tree for shade. The aroma of fresh croissants, sandwiches, and a perfect cup of SUBKO coffee. Add 30 designers and leaders. And, squeeze in 9 sessions in 90 minutes. That was our morning as we hosted our first EPC Socials Design Meet-up by @ExtendedPack Collective. And yes, it was as intense and rich as it sounds. We swapped ideas, debated, laughed, and learned more in an hour and a half than most all-day conferences manage. Massive thanks to Amit Chowdhury and Bikash Biswas for the energy, stamina, and stories. Here are the 10 big takeaways for the design community: 1. Lock the vision early: A strong product story and form before specs keeps everyone aligned. 2. Differentiate on purpose: Be aspirational, not just “good enough.” 3. Own more of the stack: Speed and flexibility come from control. 4. Design for the long game: Think in decades, not launch days. 5. Let real behaviour lead: Design for how people actually use things. 6. Hire for mindset: Curiosity beats tool mastery. 7. Collaborate from the start: Shape the problem, not just the solution. 8. Track and adapt: Keep an eye on shifting perceptions. 9. Balance now and next: Incremental and disruptive ideas both matter. 10. Expand your toolkit: Speak design, business, and engineering fluently. These learnings are just the tip of the iceberg. Stay tuned for the detailed ones on EPIC Design Journal very soon (Link in the comments). It’s incredible what can happen when you put curious people in the same space (and keep them well-fed). #ExtendedPackCollective #EPCSocials #Wolffkraft

Excited to host Amit Chowdhury, India Design Leader at Adobe, at our next EPC Socials! With a storied career across Adobe, Samsung, Microsoft, and Google, Amit has been at the forefront of building iconic products and shaping some of the strongest design cultures in India. Join us for a morning of candid stories, creative sparks, and exceptional SUBKO coffee, hosted by @ExtendedPack Collective. Saturday, 9th August 2025: 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM Let’s meet, think, laugh, and learn — the EPC way. Limited seats. RSVP here. lu.ma/epcsocials #EPCSocials #DesignLeadership #AdobeDesign #CreativeCommunity #DesignMeetup #ExtendedPackCollective #Wolffkraft

Last night, we gathered design leaders from the US and Europe as part of the @ExtendedPack Collective to discuss the evolving landscape of design leadership. Key takeaways included the mindset shift from designer to leader, where we emphasized the importance of ambition, empowering teams, and learning to navigate chaos with resilience. We also explored the BEST framework for leadership transitions, highlighting the power of gratitude and self-talk in overcoming challenges. The group also touched on integrating design with business thinking, stressing that design should be seen as a core driver of business success. Emerging leaders were encouraged to embrace both creative and strategic responsibilities, preparing them for a future that requires balance between innovation and practical outcomes. Finally, we touched on how personal experiences shape leadership styles, emphasising empathy and understanding over individual taste, and how these values should be embraced by future design leaders. Thank you to all the design leaders who joined us last night. Excited for the continued discussions leading up to the London Design Festival 2025! #DesignLeadership #ExtendedPackCollective #EmpoweringDesigners #BusinessAndDesign #LeadershipDevelopment #MoonshotAssembly2025 #LondonDesignFestival2025

Bangalore Designers, You're Invited. lu.ma/epcsocials Join a rare gathering of global and local design minds at the @ExtendedPack Collective (EPC) Open Meet-up. We’re bringing together designers from across disciplines for a morning of meaningful conversations, shared curiosity, and unexpected connections — all over exceptional SUBKO coffee. Whether you're a product designer, visual storyteller, strategist, or just design-curious, this space is for you. Limited seats. RSVP soon to be part of it. Let’s meet, think, laugh, and learn — the EPC way.

This morning, we hosted our first mixer for The Moonshot Assembly, a conference alternative by @ExtendedPack Collective, at the @Wolffkraft studio in Bangalore. We had a very enriching discussion. We explored what it truly means to lead in design today and tomorrow—from transparency and collective thinking to letting go, building with patience, mentoring with intent, embracing ambiguity, and leading with imagination and generosity (not credit). We saw firsthand the richness of leadership styles across some of the most respected design teams. This is just the beginning. Insights from this and other upcoming mixers will be shaped into a shared narrative and presented at the London Design Festival 2025. Stay tuned for the announcement of the date and venue in London. If you're a Design Leader helping shape product teams and culture, feel free to reach out. You may get an invitation to the next mixer. A big thank you to the leaders who took the time to slow down and engage in a deep, thoughtful conversation with the pack. Your openness and reflection made the dialogue truly meaningful. Anurag Bartare - Dashtoon Sunit Sharma - Condé Nast Naveen Mamgain - Rapido Ishan Upadhyay - Uni Cards Asis Panda - PayU Vatsal Chaoji - Ex-Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited #MoonshotAssembly #DesignLeadership #ExtendedPackCollective #LondonDesignFestival2025