The paradox of designing a design, framing what a framework is and questioning why we ask questions is what the ‘making of a design forum’ feels like to me.

The majority of the discourse behind the scenes in the making of KVDF 2026 has romanticized and celebrated the notion of asking more questions. Of dialogues that open ideas, facilitate conversations, critiques and spark curiosity. The creation of a platform where we yearn, as the hopeful always do, for an equal exchange. The aim; to curate an atmosphere of quid pro quo, one that favours the inquisitive over the conclusive. Yet, this writer believes that in the making of the design forum, lie all the answers we’re afraid to give.

Designing a forum demands attention to both content and context: the choice of themes that resonate with contemporary discourse, the framing of discussions that provoke reflection, and the setting that fosters participation rather than passive listening. It is a balancing act between structure and spontaneity. Too rigid, and the forum becomes a lecture; too loose, and it loses focus. The making is also about choreography, how people move, interact, and inhabit the space of dialogue. Whether it takes form as a physical assembly, an exhibition, or a digital network, the design forum becomes a mirror of its makers’ values: openness, plurality, and critical thought.

Thus, while the outcome of the forum may raise questions that keep us up at night, the biggest one was answered in the making of it itself.