\u201cI can speak for both of us when I say we are both enjoying it very much,\u201d <\/em>Eli\u0161ka says. \u201cOver time, however, we realized time passes so quickly – since then I feel like it\u2019s running three times as fast.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n B\u00e1ra adds that along with it, the feeling of responsibility increases. \u201cWe try to approach it very responsibly, but luckily this role isn\u2019t completely foreign to us. In previous editions of the festival, we have already experienced leading smaller teams. This time, the size of the team simply increased from five people to over ninety.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDespite this, it\u2019s a pleasant experience and something that gives us a lot,\u201d <\/em>B\u00e1ra closes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n They both agree that Zlin Design Week has a strong foundation which they want to build on. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe don\u2019t want to redesign the concept from scratch,\u201d <\/em>Eli\u0161ka explains. \u201cThe festival was founded with a beautiful idea, which we want to develop further. But we also respond to the changing world and the visitor\u2019s expectations.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n B\u00e1ra specifies the programme will become more open to the public and it will focus on the weekend, when the most people are coming. \u201cWe\u2019re not in Prague, where something is happening every day. The weekend will be more packed, but we still want the visitors to have something to discover even during the week.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Collaboration is working well for us. \u201cWe each have a different perspective and different skills, and that\u2019s exactly what our biggest advantage is,\u201d <\/em>Eli\u0161ka says. \u201cI study marketing communications and B\u00e1ra studies industrial design, so we complement each other and teach each other.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n B\u00e1ra adds that they already collaborated closely last year and that it was a great experience, which showed them they can function together even under pressure. \u201cLast year, we tried out close cooperation with other sections – Eli\u0161ka directed the Best In Design competition, while I directed the Architecture and Festival Design section – but we also prepared the exhibition curation. That was our first direct collaboration and it worked great.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n \u201cB\u00e1ra is a person who can tune into the energy of each person and get along well with them. She is naturally funny, empathetic, and can create an environment in which everyone feels good,\u201d <\/em>Eli\u0161ka says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOne thing I admire about Eli\u0161ka is that she\u2019s very organized,\u201d <\/em>B\u00e1ra says with a smile. \u201cI\u2019m very spontaneous, while she always has everything under control. While I usually arrange things, Eli\u0161ka knows how to follow through with them \u2013 and that\u2019s why it\u2019s a match.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n It took them the longest time discussing the topic and the name of the upcoming edition. \u201cWe had different opinions than the festival management and finding the right thing took us a lot of time. When we finally agreed, it took us a while to get used to it, but then it was good,\u201d <\/em>Eli\u0161ka says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The topic of this year\u2019s edition came from the desire to name something strong, provocative, but also human and relatable to all participants. \u201cWe wanted a topic which will surprise the public, which will make them ponder and which will evoke emotions,\u201d <\/em>B\u00e1ra says. Eventually, what came out of the team\u2019s debates was love \u2013 a topic which can be both sharp and caring. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Eli\u0161ka adds that the main objective is to show that design can listen, connect people and return to values such as quality, honesty and meaningful creation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhen you say love, most people imagine something intimate,\u201d <\/em>Eli\u0161ka says. \u201cBut we perceive it as love for the craft \u2013 love for creation, courage and care.\u201d <\/em>She adds that the festival also wants to show empathy, mental and physical wellbeing of designers or social overlap. <\/p>\n\n\n\n B\u00e1ra adds that love also includes mistakes. \u201cI want it to be seen that failure also has a place in creation. The festival should be a safe space where people rediscover their passion for their work.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe can definitely reveal a little something,\u201d <\/em>they both laugh. They then reveal that the accompanying programme will be expanded with new activities, in order for the visitors to enjoy the festival even more. And they also promise we\u2019ll see more exhibitions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Eli\u0161ka thinks a functional design can be created like that, but not a design that will truly touch someone. \u201cWhen you create with care and enthusiasm, you can feel it from the result. That energy is imprinted on the work and elevates it to something more than just a nice product,\u201d <\/em>she says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n B\u00e1ra agrees. \u201cYou said that very nicely. Love and passion are key in design, especially if it\u2019s supposed to make sense to people. The best things are not flashy \u2013 they simply work and there is a piece of the person in them who created them with his heart.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Eli\u0161ka says it isn\u2019t only about inspiration, but also about a powerful experience that will stay with people. She wishes they connect the festival with an emotion which they won\u2019t forget, and wish to return. <\/p>\n\n\n\n B\u00e1ra adds that she would like people to leave pleasantly \u201cexhausted\u201d \u2013 full of impressions, emotions and new ideas. \u201cLet it linger in them for a while and let them say to themselves: yeah, I want to experience that again,\u201d <\/em>she smiles. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Eli\u0161ka chooses \u201cpurpose, joy and courage\u201d<\/em>, B\u00e1ra continues: \u201cInspiration, enthusiasm and finally, of course, love!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"B\u00e1ra Kolondrov\u00e1 and Eli\u0161ka Jane\u010dkov\u00e1 are running Zlin Design Week for the first time this year. In this interview, they spoke about what it\u2019s like […]","protected":false},"author":53,"featured_media":35560,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"class_list":["post-35557","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog-en"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/zlindesignweek.com\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35557","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/zlindesignweek.com\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/zlindesignweek.com\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zlindesignweek.com\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/53"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zlindesignweek.com\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35557"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/zlindesignweek.com\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35557\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":35580,"href":"https:\/\/zlindesignweek.com\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35557\/revisions\/35580"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zlindesignweek.com\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/35560"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/zlindesignweek.com\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35557"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zlindesignweek.com\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35557"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Zlin Design Week has a long-standing tradition. Do you want to bring changes into it, or rather follow up on what already works?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
What is it like to direct the festival as a duo?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/zlindesignweek.com\/2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/barueli-scaled.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nAre you able to see each other\u2019s strengths and say what you appreciate about each other?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Have you ever had different opinions which you had to resolve?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
The topic of the 12th edition of Zlin Design Week is LOVE. How was this idea born?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
What forms of love do you want the festival to showcase?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Can you give us a teaser about the programme?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Do you think good design can be created without love for what we\u2019re creating?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
What do you wish the festival visitors take away from the upcoming edition?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
How would you describe Zlin Design Week in three words?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n