If you were not clear about what is behind the name Design CANTEEN, this article is exactly for you. You will read what it is, what the Design CANTEEN programme will be for this year’s festival and what is behind the special name. And this year there will really be cooking!
Design CANTEEN has been part of Zlin Design Week for several years. As part of the festival programme, it offers publicly available discussions with selected guests. Together with the moderator, they talk about topics from the world of design. Design CANTEEN Manager Emma Matisko would describe it as follows: “We open the door to the world of design to those who are interested in it, but are not involved in it on a daily basis. We try to simplify, explain and educate the general public. We invite inspiring guests from the Czech Republic and abroad, designers, as well as experts from other fields. You will learn about their thoughts and experiences, and gain new perspectives. At the same time, we try to create a space where professionals meet and you can network with them.” However, Design CANTEEN does not begin or end at the festival. It is a platform that goes beyond its boundaries and operates year-round through podcasts and discussions.
Why the name Design CANTEEN?
The Design CANTEEN platform was created on the basis of a graduate thesis. Today it lives its own life and enriches the world of design. The combination of the words design and canteen connects the worlds of creativity, creation, taste and cooking. Design CANTEEN often uses this in its communication. They simply serve us the best from the world of design. They cook the best podcast content and educate us as consumers.
What programme will Design CANTEEN offer at Zlin Design Week 2026?
As part of the panel discussions at the festival, Design CANTEEN will offer a variety of topics. They will focus on sustainability, designing typical rooms with IKEA Brno employees, social design with Canan Akoglu, and the topic of ambition and love from the perspective of three designers and judges of the Best in Design competition – Anna Marešová, Karolína Menclerová, and Veronika Pařízková. All discussions will take place at the Zlín Castle. You can find the specific line-up and the entire program of Design CANTEEN on the Zlin Design Week website in the Design CANTEEN section.
This year’s specialty and fun element of the Design CANTEEN festival program will be pasta making in the CHILLOUT zone, aka BEHIND THE STOVE ON INCLUSIVE DESIGN × MAREK KUŹMIŃSKI, where we’ll be cooking up not only design-related content but Italian cuisine dishes as well. Marek Kuźmiński, winner and current judge of the Best in Design competition, will talk about his travels and experiences while preparing homemade pasta. And you have the opportunity to be there on May 8th from 1:00 PM!Before the festival time comes, listen to the Design CANTEEN podcast and enjoy your meal.
