Danielle Townsend

What a wonderful few days. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Our founder @danielle_townsend_pro spent last week at @stovenetwork in Stranraer with an extraordinary gathering of practitioners doing genuinely important work, across community, place, and people, from all corners of Scotland and the UK. The room was full of honest conversation. Real projects, real challenges, real hope. The kind of energy that reminds you why this work matters. A particular highlight was hearing political economist Neil McInroy challenge the room with a simple but profound reframe: we need to stop funding artists and start investing in them. It’s the difference between a transaction and a commitment — and it goes to the heart of how we build a social economy that actually works. Thanks to the panel @emmett_scanlon from @irisharchitecturefoundation @mre_arts Kimberley and Neil for their open and frank opinions expertly guided by @wheelerkatharine Community-rooted, culture-led, people-centred. That’s the thread running through every project in that room. It was great to share the BOUNCE X A Playful City Challenge with attendees. And to deliver a workshop with the impossibly impressive Kimberly Guthrie ✊ A massive thank you to The Stove team for their support with the project too! So much food for thought. So grateful for the conversation and the company. And looking forward to seeing the dialectogram crafted by Mitch Miller @dialectographer and Alison Irvine #SocialEconomy #CreativePlacemaking #CommunityDesign #WhatWeDoNow #TheStoveNetwork DesignForGood IrishDesign

The absolute joy of a messy studio space! Great to speak with 1st years at @ncad_dublin today about all things Process, @bouncecreativeie and @idi_ireland Design 2035! Thanks for having me!

Feeling incredibly grateful after a fantastic 72 hours in Malta judging the @europeandesignawards It was a real privilege to be part of such a thoughtful and inspiring panel of peers, reviewing work from across Europe and engaging in rich debate about design today. The energy, generosity and shared commitment to excellence made the experience truly special. A huge thank you to @demetrios_f for the great experince, and for creating the safe space for such meaningful exchange. Let’s cross paths again soon @valgerdurp @penlix @iragritsayyy @czelmatyas @mksimilian @tenelkarp

A fab day judging @irishprintawards How joyful it is to hold material crafted with care, pushing innovation and showing the importance of objects and artefacts in the sometimes too digital world we live in! Thanks for having me and to all the judges! Best of luck to all those who have entered!

What an incredible day and performance at @bouncecreativeie 2026. Thank you @luna__maurer for such a thought provoking session and to @hedgehogsvsfoxes for capturing the day!

Looking back at BOUNCE 2026 we wanted to share some wonderful photography that helped capture the day and the energy in the room. We hope you have had time to process some of the big ideas surfaced throughout the day. We have a summary of some of the highlights over on our Patreon. Link in BIO and in the comments. Photography Credit @aleksandraschmidt

Great inspiration @designskillnet Design Leaders Conference today. Great optimism for the future especially for new emerging talent like @bethcullen_design @iamjustjaz @robin.in.design @niamhc.design . Confidence abound from these guys expertly guided by @danzer_oc Talks for such inspiration @evanmcguinness @janemcdaid @catdrew_ @becolourful_emilypenny Joel Stein @gillwildman Conor Upton. We only scratched the surface of @farouk858 body of work. It was great to see his emerging practice alongside the prolific career of Neville Brody. My appetites is merely whetted! More, more, more of @neville_brody 🙏

🔥 Meet the Visionaries Shaping the Future of Design at @bouncecreativeie 2026! 🔥 Curiosity As Cause // Patrycja Walczak and Agyei Archer from TypeTogether (Prague) Being Human–Identity, Inclusion & Community in Design // Dr. Mamobo O. from GORM, Gillian Henderson from Jill & Gill and Michael McDermott from The Liberties Festival. (Ireland) Talk Raise Your Voice // Shane Casey and Ciara Wade from Accenture UK & Ireland (Ireland) Play for the People // Jaron Korvinus from StudioSpass, (Rotterdam) Beyond Being–Designing for More-Than-Human Futures // Judith van den Boom from Central Saint Martins, University of The Arts London, Peter Evers from Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology and Ceri Almrott from Technological University Dublin What Makes Us Human // Luna Maurer (Amsterdam) The Bounce Challenge, featuring work from Joanne Byrne , Aoife Flynn Luciano Jacob, Karl Toomey, Fergus Craddock, Laura Merrigan, Treasa Burns, Seán O’Beacháin, Aine Power, Areeb Tariq, TJ Ryan. Together with A Playful City Neasa NiBhriain and Aaron Copeland. 📍 Trinity College Dublin 📅 16th Jan 2026. 10am-6pm ⏰ Secure your spot now ➜ LINK IN BIO

I’m thrilled to share an interview over on @slanted_publishers , a publication I’ve admired for years for its commitment to showcasing bold ideas, diverse creative voices, and world-class design inspiration. Grateful for the opportunity, and excited to share the conversation all about @bouncecreativeie and next years iteration!

LIVE – TUESDAY, 5 July @designsourceireland Join us live tomorrow evening as our host Dee Coleman, Interior Designer @collab_designstudio chats to Danielle Townsend, Founder @bouncecreativeie Pop on at 6pm to find out more about Bounce events 📍 Where? Live on @designsourceireland 🕕 When? Tuesday, 5 July at 6PM Danielle Townsend is a designer, educator, and strategist committed to advancing the design sector as a centre of excellence while supporting early-career graduates. As the founder of BOUNCE, Danielle has created an event at the intersection of experimentation, process and critical discourse inspiring design professionals and fostering meaningful connections across the creative community. Through this work she is galvanising the design community, through a cutting-edge interactional educational model, brought to life though the Design Challenge, and delivered in partnership with selected agencies. She is committed to showing the application of creative thinking in a real-world context, that is articulated for, and accessible to those outside of the design community. Alongside her work with BOUNCE, she serves as a Board Director at the Institute of Designers in Ireland (IDI) and works as an independent design and education consultant, leading initiatives to enhance professionalism in the sector, elevate academic standards, and bridge the gap between industry and education. Danielle co-founded The New Now graduate platform with former IDI President Kim Mackenzie-Doyle. This pioneering talent directory connects early-career designers with employers, providing crucial support as they launch their professional journeys. With a background in practice and education, she served as Director of Programmes and Head of Department in higher education, and has developed and taught on design Masters and Degree programmes across Ireland, serving as external examiner, and contributing to numerous validation panels, shaping the future of design education.

A wonderful experience as juror for the National Finals of the Creative Business Cup, hosted and facilitated by @crewdigital.ie Judging made easy with Brady, Robert Rosenberg, Paul Bason and incredible support from @designajp Peters. A massive congratulation to those shortlisted, SEQO Ltd, @thewonkywoolins @biglook.art @magnateai for engaging so deeply in the process. These five companies represent the future of Ireland’s creative economy. These entrepreneurs aren’t just building businesses, they’re shaping culture, exporting Irish innovation, and creating jobs in sectors where creativity meets technology, design, media, and sustainability. The winner who will represent Ireland at the finals in Copenhagen is the very deserving Dora Jean Gillespie @starilum who is pioneering immersive creative technology to reimagine musical back catalogues. By competing on a global stage at Copenhagen, she will spotlight Ireland’s talent and ambition to the world. I wish Starilum the very best of luck in Sept!

What an unforgettable time at the @europeandesignawards in Ljubljana 2025 🇸🇮 It was a honor to serve as President of the Digital Jury, and to present the prestigious Best in Show (Digital) award to @landorofficial for their work on @imperiapasta Huge congratulations to all the winners including the Best on Show, @agyei.design from @type_together and the team at @beetrootdesign with incredible work from agency of the year @cleverfranke Massive thanks to the European Design Awards team for their hospitality and the thoughtful festival experience. And congratulations to every participant whose work pushes our community forward. Until next year! 🚀 hashtag#EuropeanDesignAwards hashtag#EDAwards2025 hashtag#Ljubljana2025 hashtag#DesignLeadership hashtag#CreativeExcellence hashtag#FutureOfDesign