Thinking Creatively Conference
The Thinking Creatively Conference is an annual event in both Wenzhou-Kean University and Kean USA. It consists of a global lecture series and workshops and brings together leading designers, architects, and professionals to discuss the ideas and trends that shape the contemporary discourse about design’s place in the wider world. The theme of the conference is unlimited, as long as it is related to creativity.
Nasrin Seraji
AADIPL FRIBA Distinguished professor, Wenzhou-Kean University
AN Lubing
Art Director, Designer, Partner of Zhi Gui Studio
JIAO Chen
Art Director, Designer, Founder of Zhi Gui Studio
Mustafa Emre Ergül
Professor, Department Head, Izmir University of Economics, School of Art and Design, Türkiye
Paul McNeil
Graphic Designer, Educator, and Writer, London College Communication
Matthew Hill
Senior Lecturer, Course Co-ordinator, Contemporary Music Southern Cross University, Australia
Cedric Nunn
Documentary photographer, Independent Artist
WANG Min
Professor, CAFA & Tongji & Beijing Normal University; Member of AGI; Former Dean of the School of Design at CAFA, Changjiang Scholar Distinguished Professor, and Chair of AGI (China)，Art Director of Visual Image and Landscape for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. His accolades include the Guanghua Longteng Design Gold Medal, the ico-D President’s Award, and the “70 Designers of China.”
HONG Wei
Creative Director, Day Day Up Design；Member of AGI, JAGDA, JTA
Jonathan Nava
Founder, Interior & Product Designer, NAVA + AROSIO Studio
Lorenzo Imbesi
Professor, Sapienza University of Rome; President, Cumulus Association
OU Haiquan
Editor-in-Chief, 360° Design Magazine
HONG Xuebin
Founder, Designer, Nidea.Nlight
Joshua Bolchover
Professor, The University of Hong Kong
2024 Speakers
LIU Zhao
Founder and Creative Director of Another Design
Member of the Alliance Graphique Internationale (AGl)
Vice President, Shenzhen Graphic Designers Association.
Zhao Qing
Member of the Alliance Graphique Internationale (AGI)
Deputy Director, Book Art Committee, the Publishers Association of China
Founder/Creative Director, Nanjing Hangingtang Design
Ahmet Can Özcan
Chair, Assistant Professor, Industrial Design department, Izmir University of Economics, Izmir, Turkey
David Vardy
Distinguished Associate Professor, WKU
Erich Brechbühl
Founder of the graphic design studio Mixer
Co-founder of the Lucerne Poster Festival Weltformat
Member of the Alliance Graphique Internationale (AGI)
Gregory Kovacs
Design Director, BENOY
Holger Briel
Beijing Normal University-Hong Kong Baptist University-United International College
Professor, Dean, Division of Culture and Creativity
Joeri Reynaert
Owner, Joeri Reynaert Studio
Luigi Bistagnino
Co-Founder, Systemic Design Research and Education Center
Former Founder and Coordinator of the Design School, Politecnico di Torino (1996-2015)
Manuel Divino
Lecturer, Program Coordinator, Interior Design, KU
Nasrin Seraji
Distinguished Professor, WKU
Professor of Architectural Design, University College Dublin, Ireland
Sevi Merter
Assistant Professor, Yaşar University
Stephanie Jin
Graduate teaching assistant & graphic designer, Central Saint Martins, UAL
2023 Speakers
Alessandro Antonicelli
Head of the Creative Art & Design at Shenzhen Nanshan Huitong School.
Danilo Trevisan
Italian licensed architect, Director and founder of ALEATEK GROUP
Felicity Louise Aylieff
Professor of Programme, Ceramics & Gloss, Royal College of Art
Judge of Europe contemporary ceramic committee Full Time Senior Tutor
Takeshi Yasuda
Professor of University of Belfast, UK
Doctor of Letters D. Litt., Bath Spa Bath University, UK
Nasrin Seraji
Distinguished Professor of Wenzhou-Kean University
Nuno Andre Gomes Bernardo
Associate Professor of Xi’an Jiaotong Liverpool University
American Institute of Architects
American Institute of Architects Shanghai Chapter
2022 Speakers
DanielleI Savage
Multidisciplinary Artist & Soun Artist
Frederic Eyl
Founder & Creative Director
Hongrui Shen & Fan Cao
Founder | Creative Director
Jacobe Pardoe
Creative Director
Pier Paolo Peruccio
Full Professor of Design
Yeohyun Ahn
Assistant Professor of Graphic Design and Interactive Media
Amy Moore
Founder Executive Creative Director
2021 Speakers
Eric Say
3D Animation & Creative Director of Gameday Creative
LUO Yifei
Professor, Art & Design Theory, Communication University of Zhejiang & Economics College of Art
Snow Fu Yunxue
Association professor, New Media, New York University, USA
Jonny Jensen
Director of Design Reebok
James Weike
AIA Architect, Founding Partner, Chiasmus, BJ & Seoul
ZHONG Fang
Deputy Director of the Eco-design Research Institute, Tsinghua University
HOU Ying
Lecturer of central Academy of Arts
Founder of INWA Design
2019 Speakers
KIM In Cheurl
Architect, Principal at Archium, Seoul, Korea
Patrick Burke
Architect, Partner of the Michael Graves Architecture and Design
Zheng Gu
Architectural Designer, MGA&D
HU Ke
Associate professor, Visual Communication, China Academy of Art
Derek FRIDAY
American Environmental Graphic Designer
Chris CHAN
AIA, LEED AP BD+C. The Principal of Moore Ruble Yudell of Shanghai Office
Aric CHEN
Curator, Architect, Chief Curator of Hong Kong M+
WANG Weijen
Andrew K F Lee Professor in Architecture Design. The University of Hong Kong
2018 Speakers
Xu Weili
CPO & Co-founder, BuildSimHub, Pittsburgh
Gail Anderson
The National Design Awards’ Lifetime Achievement Accolade, Chair of Advertising, SVA, USA
Brooke Roderick
Kean USA Alumna, Art Director, Big Spaceship NYC
Gil Kuruneri
Vice President, Global Creative Director, Edelman NYC
2017 Speakers
Matt Senna
Kean Alumni, Conceptual Artist and Designer based in LA
David Young
Fashion Designer & Coordinator of International Foundation Course in CAFA
Ricky Ng
Head of the Center for Learning and Teaching, Vocational Training Council, HK
Tommy Li
Brand Designer & Member of AGI