Concept, organizer & speaker
Conference sold out in two months, all 450 tickets
When I started at Elisa as a Design System Lead 2017, one of my personal goals was to speak at an event and increase visibility for Elisa’s design system work. Ultimately shaping the perception of Elisa as a company that truly invests in design. The 2018 Design Systems Conference was born from this ambition: instead of me speaking at an event, we decided to organize one ourselves.
Our goal
The goal was to bring together professionals from design and technology, share knowledge and experiences, and strengthen Elisa’s internal design system work and broader service development.
Another key objective was to elevate Elisa’s role within the industry and create a meeting place that would serve not only internal needs but also the international design community.
Implementation
The conference concept was built around international speakers and participants including experts from Airbnb and IBM Design System and Brand teams. Globally recognized specialists such as Jina Anne and Nathan Curtis also joined as speakers. The program combined keynotes, panels, and workshops designed to encourage collaboration and practical discussion.
My role covered concept creation, event organization, speaker and partner selection, and coordination with collaborating organizations. I also took part in the conference as one of the speakers. The event production was carried out in partnership with Tapaus.
Outcome
The event sold out (450 participants) within two months and quickly gained international attention, attracting attendees from across Europe and the United States. Internally, the event strengthened understanding of the importance of design systems and supported Elisa’s growing design maturity. It also enhanced the company’s employer brand, making it easier to attract top design talent in future recruitments.
Partners: Abstract, Eficode, Futurice, Idean, Intergalactico, Nitor, Smartly.io
Special thanks to: Rami Ertimo, Angelos Arnis, Yves Florak, Jouni Linkola & Sakari Volanen
