Talks and Workshops
We love to share what we have learnt along the way: the methods, the insights, the experiences that drive our innovation process.
If you’d like us either to talk or run a workshop at your event please get in touch with Pearl:
pearl@specialprojects.studio
Selected Talks
TEDxNewcastle
5 October 2019
Clara Gaggero Westaway
Turn Frustrations Into Delight: The Empathic Design Method
Newcastle, UK
NUX6
27 October 2017
Clara Gaggero Westaway
The Importance of Empathy in Design Thinking
Manchester, UK
UX London
26 May 2017
Adrian Westaway
London, United Kingdom
Thinking Digital
11 October 2016
Clara Gaggero Westaway
Thinking Digital & Physical
Manchester, UK
Social Innovation Summit
12 October 2014
Clara Gaggero Westaway
Hong Kong
The Conference
20 August 2014
Clara Gaggero Westaway
Making Sense of New Technologies
Malmö, Sweden
TEDx London Business School
24 April 2014
Adrian Westaway
Making the Ordinary Extraordinary
London, UK
Selected Exhibitions
Grazie Enzo: Contemporary Responses to Enzo Mari
2024
the Design Museum
March 2024 - February 2025
London, UK
NEW OLD Exchange
2020
Pratt Manhattan Gallery
7 February - 23 May 2020, Manhattan, NYC
NEW OLD Exchange
2018
Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts
31 Jan. - 23 Apr. 2018, Taiwan
NEW OLD Exchange
2017
Lodz Art Center
03 - 17 Oct. 2017, Poland
NEW OLD Exchange
2016
The Design Museum
London, UK
Designs of the year
2015
The Design Museum
London, UK
Talk to Me - Out of the Box
2009
Museum of Modern Art
New York, USA
Selected Workshops
Special Projects Studio
2016
Alexa Münch
Bryanston Square Foundation Private Workshop
London, UK
Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design
2015
Special Projects
Enchanted Objects Workshop
Copenhagen, Denmark
Special Projects Studio
2015
Clara Gaggero Westaway
British Council and Korea Foundation Private Workshop
London, UK
Upcoming Talks
Royal College of Art
November 14, 2024
Adrian Westaway & Clara Gaggero Westaway
Design Thinking & Innovation in Practice
Oxford Strategic Leadership Programme, Saïd Business School, Oxford University
Nov 18, 2024
Clara Gaggero Westaway
Rethinking Frustrations, Inventing Delight
Oxford, UK
Most Recent Talks
Royal College of Art
October 1, 2024
Clara and Adrian Westaway and Adam Cheyer
IN SESSION: Designing for Delight
Online
Royal College of Art
September 18, 2024
Clara Gaggero Westaway
Building a globally successful creative business
Creative Boom Podcast
June 3, 2024
Clara Gaggero Westaway
S7EP116: The beauty of design in turning frustrations into delight
Interview
Project Love and Showcase Event at the RSA
May 08, 2024
Adrian Westaway
Project Love “Designing the Magic of Love” Keynote 
London, UK
Kingston University Town House Lecture Series
Feb 29, 2024
Clara Gaggero Westaway
Entrepreneurship and Enterprise
London, UK
Oxford Strategic Leadership Programme, Saïd Business School, Oxford University
Dec 06, 2023
Clara Gaggero Westaway
Rethinking Frustrations, Inventing Delight
Oxford, UK
RCA Design Age Institute
Nov 21, 2023
Clara Gaggero Westaway
User-Centred Design
London, UK
The Oslo School of Architecture & Design (AHO)
Oct 26, 2023
Adrian Westaway & Clara Gaggero Westaway
Design + Magic at The Institute of Design
Oslo, Norway
Design Museum/RCA
Oct 20, 2023
Clara Gaggero Westaway
Design Thinking & Innovation in Collaboration with the Design Museum
London, UK
InnovationRCA
Oct 09, 2023
Clara Gaggero Westaway
Royal College of Art Executive Education 'Building a Globally Successful Creative Business' Course
London, UK
Royal College of Art
2nd & 3rd May 2023
Adrian Westaway
Design Thinking & Innovation in Collaboration with the Design Museum
London, UK
Archive
2022
Royal College of Art
23rd September 2022
Clara Gaggero Westaway
Session 6: Social Sustainability: the Role of Inclusive Design
Birmingham Design Festival
10th June 2022
Alexa Münch
The Delight of Design Research
Birmingham, UK
YPO Leadership Programme, Saïd Business School, Oxford University
3rd June 2022
Clara Gaggero Westaway
Design for a Better Future
Oxford, UK
Oxford Strategic Leadership Programme, Saïd Business School, Oxford University
18th May 2022
Clara Gaggero Westaway
Rethinking Frustrations, Inventing Delight
Oxford, UK
Design Museum/RCA
3rd May 2022
Adrian Westaway
Design Thinking and Innovation
Design Innovation Network Launch
24th February 2022
Adrian Westaway
Using design to inform decision making
Glasgow School of Art
3rd February 2022
Adrian Westaway
Private workshop
2021
National University of Singapore
18th October 2021
Adrian Westaway
Private workshop
Convex
12th October 2021
Clara Gaggero Westaway
Private workshop
EDGE 2.0
9th June 2021
Clara Gaggero Westaway
Private workshop
Nordkapp Academy
27th May 2021
Adrian Westaway
Private workshop
RCA
28th April 2021
Adrian Westaway
Private workshop
Design Museum x RCA
22 March 2021
Adrian Westaway
How Designers Think
Design Thinking & Innovation in Collaboration with the Design Museum, London UK
H&M Group
22 February 2021
Adrian Westaway
Private workshop
Royal College of Art
3 February 2021
Clara Gaggero Westaway
Service Design Work in Progress Show
Seminar
2020
School of Visual Arts, New York
10 December 2020
Adrian Westaway
Magic and Empathy in Design Thinking
Private workshop
Alkémia
3 December 2020
Matteo Bandi
Digital Detox Design, Italy
Online conference
Instituto Marangoni
28 November 2020
Clara Gaggero Westaway
Turn Frustrations Into Delight: The Empathic Design Method
Private workshop
BBC
26 November 2020
Adrian Westaway and Clara Gaggero Westaway
Magic and Play in the work of Special Projects
Private workshop
RCA Service Design
11 November 2020
Clara Gaggero Westaway
Turn Frustrations Into Delight: The Empathic Design Method
Private workshop
RCA Innovation Design Engineering
16 October 2020
Adrian Westaway
Magic and Empathy in Design Thinking
Private workshop
Design Museum x RCA
21 September 2020
Adrian Westaway
How Designers Think
Design Thinking & Innovation in Collaboration with the Design Museum, London UK
FitBit
25 February 2020
Adrian Westaway
Magic and Empathy in Design Thinking
Private workshop
Google Creative Lab
28 January 2020
Adrian Westaway
Magic and Empathy in Design Thinking
Private workshop
2019
Oxford Strategic Leadership Programme, Saïd Business School, Oxford University
November 20, 2019
Clara Gaggero Westaway
Innovation in the Digital and Physical Worlds, Oxford UK
Ludic Insights, Episode 12: Innovating and inventing for digital humans
November 5, 2019
Clara Gaggero Westaway & Adrian Westaway
Ludic Insights Podcast
November 5, 2019
Adrian Westaway & Clara Gaggero
EP12: Innovating and inventing for digital humans
Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design
October 18, 2019
Adrian Westaway & Clara Gaggero Westaway
Empathy and Design Thinking (open lecture)
Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design
October 17, 2019
Adrian Westaway & Clara Gaggero Westaway
Concepts Review
TEDxNewcastle
October 5, 2019
Clara Gaggero Westaway
Humanising Technology: the empathic design method
The Sage, Gateshead
LG
September 25, 2019
Adrian Westaway & Clara Gaggero Westaway
Private workshop
Global Design Forum
September 20, 2019
Clara Gaggero Westaway
Amplifying The Everyday
Victoria & Albert Museum, London
Global Tech Company
September 16, 2019
Adrian Westaway & Clara Gaggero Westaway
Private workshop
Design Museum x RCA
September 13, 2019
Adrian Westaway
Design thinking and innovation: How designers think
Design Museum, London
Demonstrate Impact Competition Briefing
September 3, 2019
Adrian Westaway
Design Thinking
Innovate UK, London
Oxford Strategic Leadership Programme
May 22, 2019
Clara Gaggero Westaway
Innovation in the Digital and Physical Worlds, Oxford UK
IoT, Data and the New Last Mile
March 5, 2019
Adrian Westaway & Clara Gaggero Westaway
Physical and Digital: Finding the Balance
Berkeley, California
MIT Architecture
February 27, 2019
Adrian Westaway
Magic and Design Thinking
Cambridge
The Royal College of Art
February 25, 2019
Clara Gaggero Westaway
The Importance of Empathy in Design
London
McLaren Technology Centre
February 19, 2019
Adrian Westaway
Magic & Empathy in Design
Woking, UK
BBC
January 30, 2019
Adrian Westaway
Magic and Design Thinking
London
2018
University of Oxford Saïd Business School
December 5, 2018
Clara Gaggero Westaway
Strategic Leadership Programme
Oxford
Design Museum
November 26, 2018
Adrian Westaway
Worktech Academy
London
Design Museum
November 16, 2018
Adrian Westaway
Design thinking and innovation masterclass
London
Bryanstone Square Foundation at Special Projects
November 15, 2018
Alexa Munch
Finding magic in what you do
London
Google, London
September 18, 2018
Adrian Westaway
Internet of Things Meetup 80: LDF Special
Wieden & Kennedy
September 20, 2018
Adrian Westaway
Private workshop
Innovate UK
May 22, 2018
Adrian Westaway
Break Through Innovation with early stage design
London, UK
Design Museum
May 10, 2018
Adrian Westaway
Magic & Design Thinking
London, UK
Google
April 26, 2018
Adrian Westaway
Private workshop
London, UK
HS2
Feb 7, 2018
Adrian Westaway
Magic in Design
London, UK
RCA
Jan 18, 2018
Adrian Westaway
Student tutorials
London, UK
2017
Itera
Dec 1, 2017
Clara & Adrian Westaway
Magic in Design
Oslo, Norway
BBC White City
Sept 20, 2017
Clara Gaggero Westaway
Thought Starters — Episode 17
University of Oxford Saïd Business School Strategic Leadership Programme
Nov 22, 2017
Clara Gaggero Westaway
Innovation in the Digital and Physical Worlds
Design Thinking Camp
Aug 1-3, 2017
Clara & Adrian Westaway
Moscow, Russia
inEvidence: Advocate Marketing Academy
Oct 10, 2017
Clara Gaggero Westaway
Norden Farm Centre for the Arts, Maidenhead, UK
Amazon
October 9, 2017
Clara & Adrian Westaway
Private workshop
London, UK
OffGrid
July 10-13, 2017
Clara Gaggero Westaway
Osea Island, UK
Cancer Research UK
Oct 4, 2017
Clara Gaggero Westaway
Sharing audience research, insights and experiments
London, UK
Pistoia Alliance
June 28, 2017
Adrian Westaway
Keynote for UXLS Joint Workshop
Cambridge, UK
University of Oxford Saïd Business School Strategic Leadership Programme
May 24, 2017
Clara Gaggero Westaway
Design Thinking
Oxford, UK
Google
May 18, 2017
Adrian Westaway
Private workshop
London, UK
Thinking Digital
May 17, 2017
Adrian Westaway
Newcastle, UK
Hardware Pioneers
May 4, 2017
Adrian Westaway
The Role of Design and UX in IoT Products
London, UK
Cancer Research UK
May 2, 2017
Clara Gaggero Westaway
Innovation in Charities (Private talk)
London, UK
St. Mungo's
Apr 11, 2017
Clara Gaggero Westaway
Innovation in Charities (Private talk)
London, UK
Barometer of Change
March 2, 2017
Clara Gaggero Westaway
Customer Centered Innovation, The Leadenhall Building
London, UK
The Design Museum
Feb 17, 2017
Adrian Westaway
Life Hacks - Interaction Design for the New Old
London, UK
The Story
Feb 17, 2017
Clara Gaggero Westaway
London, UK
Google
Feb 2, 2017
Adrian Westaway
Private workshop
London, UK
The Design Museum
Jan 24, 2017
Clara & Adrian Westaway
NEW OLD public talks programme
London, UK
2016
Monocle Weekly Podcast
Nov 27, 2016
Clara Gaggero Westaway & Adrian Westaway
EP386
University of Oxford Saïd Business School Strategic Leadership Programme
Nov 16, 2016
Clara Gaggero Westaway
Design Thinking
Oxford, UK
NYK Europe
Oct 20, 2016
Clara Gaggero Westaway
How Hidden Needs Can Become Magical Changes
London, UK
Thinking Digital
Oct 11, 2016
Clara Gaggero Westaway
Thinking Digital & Physical
Manchester, UK
100% Design - Putting Human Experience at the Centre of Design with Jeremy Myerson
Sep 24, 2016
Clara & Adrian Westaway
London, UK
Super Talks - The Open Debate
Sep 23, 2016
Adrian Westaway
London, UK
100% Design
Sep 22, 2016
Clara & Adrian Westaway
Pecha Kucha: The Five Senses
London, UK
Google
Sep 22, 2016
Adrian Westaway
Private Workshop
London, UK
Design Ventura, Design Museum
Aug 25, 2016
Alexa Münch
Bristol, UK
Design Ventura, Design Museum
Aug 23, 2016
Alexa Münch
Birmingham, UK
Design Ventura, Design Museum
Aug 22, 2016
Alexa Münch
London, UK
UX London
Jul 07, 2016
Clara Gaggero Westaway
Physical and Digital: Finding the Balance that Makes the Ordinary Extraordinary
London, UK
University of Oxford Saïd Business School Strategic Leadership Programme
May 18, 2016
Clara Gaggero Westaway
Thinking Like a Designer
Oxford, UK
New Old Round Table, Design Museum
Apr 07, 2016
Special Projects
London, UK
Private Client
Mar 18, 2016
Special Projects
Design Thinking Workshop
London, UK
Mobile Convention London
Mar 10, 2016
Clara Gaggero Westaway
Physical and Digital: Finding the Balance that Makes the Ordinary Extraordinary
London, UK
2015
University of Oxford Saïd Business School Strategic Leadership Programme
Nov 15, 2015
Clara Gaggero Westaway
Design Thinking
Oxford, UK
Ravensbourne
Nov 10, 2015
Clara Gaggero Westaway
Workshop
London, UK
Google
Oct 06, 2015
Adrian Westaway
Private Workshop
London, UK
Include Conference 2015, Royal College of Art
Sep 17, 2015
Alexa Münch
London, UK
P&G
Jul 23, 2015
Special Projects
Private Workshop
London, UK
Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design
Jun 25, 2015
Special Projects
Enchanted Objects
Copenhagen, Denmark
EA Games
Apr 29, 2015
Special Projects
Private Workshop
Stockholm, Sweden
Tag - IT Conference
Mar 18, 2015
Clara Gaggero Westaway
Tromsø, Norway
R:evolution 2.0
Mar 05, 2015
Special Projects
London, UK
Take 5, Design Council
Jan 29, 2015
Adrian Westaway
London, UK
2014
Desso Best in Class Exhibition
Dec 02, 2014
Adrian Westaway
Making the Ordinary Extraordinary
London, UK
Social Innovation Summit
Oct 12, 2014
Special Projects
Hong Kong
New Designers
Jul 03, 2014
Special Projects
Design Plus: Unexpected Fusions
London, UK
Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design
Jun 19, 2014
Special Projects
Workshop
Copenhagen, Denmark
Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design
Jun 16, 2014
Special Projects
Magic & Design Workshop
Copenhagen, Denmark
Chelsea College of Art and Design
Mar 25, 2014
Clara Gaggero Westaway
Lecture for MA in Graphic Design Communication
London, UK
Central Saint Martins
Mar 25, 2014
Clara Gaggero Westaway
Reflection of Future Humans, Lecture for MA in Material Futures
London, UK
NESTA Health
Mar 17, 2014
Clara Gaggero Westaway
Wearable Technology
London, UK
Butchers Apron: Interview for Selfridges Festival of the Imagination
Feb 08, 2014
Clara Gaggero Westaway
London, UK
2013
Wearable Futures
Dec 10, 2013
Clara Gaggero Westaway
The Past, Present & Future of Wearable Technology
London, UK
BEKK
Dec 06, 2013
Special Projects
Design Research and Prototyping Workshop
Oslo, Norway
Making Waves
Dec 04, 2013
Special Projects
Design Research & Prototyping Workshop
Oslo, Norway
IxDA
Dec 04, 2013
Special Projects
Everything has the Potential to be Incredible
Oslo, Norway
The Oslo School of Architecture and Design
Dec 02, 2013
Special Projects
Magic & Design Workshop
Oslo, Norway