OFFF Festival 2025 Highlights
As a designer, I always seek fresh ideas and inspiration—what better place than the OFFF Festival in Barcelona?
After 25 years of running, OFFF is still a magnet for creatives. Seeing friends go last year gave me serious FOMO, so I grabbed tickets. My friend Tyler Jack Cross came along from Cornwall.
Held at the DHUB in a buzzing city, the festival attracts global digital artists and makers who share their work, ideas, and creative journeys.
May in Barcelona? Perfect. Sunny days, good vibes, and the best minds in design are ideal for socialising and soaking it all in.
Sketching people soaking up the sun
Highlights from Each Day:
Dixon Baxi
I’ve long admired their work, so hearing them speak about their people, first philosophy and seeing new projects was great. They’re even making some processes open source.
Best quote: “Be brave enough to be uncool.”
Samar Maakaroun
As a Pentagram partner, Samar showed how Western and Middle Eastern influences can harmonize through type and design. Her work for SkatePal, blending Arabic lyrics like “Haraka baraka” (“movement is a blessing”) was especially powerful.
Mr Bingo
Wild, fast-paced, hilarious. Mr Bingo shared how a few bold projects shaped his career.
Best insight: “Most of it is getting people to see your art.”
Mat Voyce
I caught the second half of his talk: bold colours, punchy motion typography, and strong personality throughout. Loved his collaboration work with other Designers / Artists. Who doesn’t like seeing a massive version of After Effects on stage?
Day 2
Highlight, I got to meet Kyle T. Webster, whose brushes I use religiously in Procreate; he had kind words about my work, which meant a lot.
Kyle T-webster
Digital Kitchen kicked off the day with a behind-the-scenes look at title sequences for Pablo Escobar and Manhunt.
Nice Auntie from Singapore blew us away with her surreal, AI-powered world-building in the “Auntieverse”; the jellyfish visuals were next-level.
Nice Auntie
Marina Willer, a designer and filmmaker at Pentagram, brought a more tactile, emotional energy.
Notable quotes: “Creativity is a way of life.” / “Art is the only way to escape without leaving your home.”
That day, Tyler and I also met design legend David Carson. We talked about surfing and Cornwall, He drew in my book and I even drew him (he wasn’t too impressed).
Day 3
Field.io stunned us with tech-driven design. Their Nike project stitched together street photos to create an interactive treadmill experience. Genius.
Field.io
Nathalie Van Sasse Van Ysselt spoke on experiential design, and her work on the Las Vegas dome screen, the yellow emoji project, stood out.
Musketon delivered offbeat, anti-social media art through his awkward daily poster series. Big fan of his work.
The day ended with a projection show on the side of the DHUB, an epic finale. Seeing work from my talented friend Hash, who creates brilliant 3D art, made it even better.
Wrapping up the weekend, I can confidently say it gave me exactly the inspiration I was looking for. I’m leaving with renewed motivation and a head full of fresh ideas. Sharing the experience with a friends made it even better—we had great conversations about the talks and sparked some exciting ideas of our own.
Huge thanks to all the speakers and organisers for putting together such a valuable event.
