A Weekend in Antwerp: Us by Night 2025

Us by Night

Last weekend we travelled to Antwerp for Us by Night; a festival that feels less like a conference and more like an immersive celebration of creativity. Across three nights, the city buzzed with talks, art, and connections that reminded us why this community is so special.

The line-up was diverse, but each speaker shared insights that sparked something new:
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• Future Deluxe opened with a look into their R&D playground, showing how experimentation led to incredibly innovative and experimental projects like Powerbeats Pro 2.
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• Buck highlighted their devotion to craft and how starting from handmade processes can unlock entirely new visual languages. For example the paper crafted Lunar New Year Festival film for Riot Games, the modern graphic-novel style ad campaigns for AirBnb, and the architecturally monumental 3D graphics for GitHub's Universe ’24 conference.
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• Bráulio Amado entertained with a comedic sketch featuring a virtual baby version of himself while revealing how everyday life fuels his prolific crude but energetic poster designs.
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• Porto Rocha reminded us that success is never overnight—it comes from sticking to your core values and consistently creating work that is, in their words, "Obviously Iconic and Contextually Surprising"
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• Vincent Schwenk brought colour, humour and joy in his 3D motion pieces for artist Peggie Gou, before quickly being outshone by his dog Brezi, who added his own stage tricks to the mix.
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• Studio Tyrsa closed with an inspirational talk on how logos don't have to remain static, but can shift and evolve to adapt to their context. A reminder that great design is alive and responsive.

Beyond the talks, the Waagnatie warehouse buzzed with inspiration and activity. Artists’ animations and illustrations were projected onto the walls, their light reflecting off the venue’s centrepiece — a giant disco ball. One entire wall was covered with posters: promotional designs from studios, high-quality art pieces, event photography, and spontaneous, hand-made inspirational quotes created on site. Alongside a live DJ, tattoo parlour, massage studio, personalised merch stall, arcade games, sculptures, and food trucks, Us by Night became a microcosm of creativity and sensory stimulation.

Us by Day

In contrast to the sensory overload of the evenings, the days were spent slowly exploring the city and unwinding with friends — both new and old — who were also attending the event. We reflected on the work we had seen the previous nights and shared honest conversations about navigating the industry and our hopes for the future. These moments proved invaluable for strengthening our network within the design community, and we’re excited to follow our friends’ journeys, reconnect at upcoming events, and collaborate again when building specialist teams for future projects.

Antwerp itself was a constant source of inspiration. Its architecture blends historic craftsmanship with contemporary materials and techniques, creating a striking dialogue throughout the city. The local fashion embraces refined comfort, while the Fashion Museum (MoMu) reminded us of the Antwerp Six — the designers who placed Belgium on the global stage with their surrealist and deconstructivist styles. The restaurant scene is minimalist in design, allowing the delicious food to take centre stage. And everywhere — from shopfronts to street corners — graphic posters reinforce that design here isn’t just valued; it’s lived.

Lasting Impressions

We left Antwerp carrying more than just notes. The weekend’s themes—experimentation, craft, playfulness, persistence, joy, and adaptability—reminded us what it takes to make work that resonates. Us by Night proved once again that creativity isn’t just found in the projects we complete, but in the conversations we share and the places that shape us.

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Written by Daisy Watson