Multiplicity 2026

Ten Years of Design in Conversation

Foilco's acclaimed design gathering Multiplicity, is set to return on 5^th February 2026 at St James Church, Clerkenwell marking both its tenth anniversary and its first event since November 2019. A gathering for designers, studios and anyone working with visual ideas. It brings together people from across the creative community for an evening of talks, discussion and connection. 

Over the past decade Multiplicity has taken place in cities across the UK and Europe including Copenhagen, Edinburgh, London, Manchester and Glasgow. Each edition shares the same aim: to create space for people to talk honestly about their work, what drives it, what challenges it and where design is headed next.

This year introduces a new venue and a strong line-up from some of the most forward-thinking studios working today. Whether you are established in your practice or just starting out, Multiplicity offers an opportunity to hear from people shaping the field and to meet others who care about the craft.

Speakers

Nils Leonard & Lisa Smith / Uncommon Creative Studio

Nils Leonard is an internationally acclaimed creative leader, ranked the No.1 Creative Person globally by Business Insider and listed among the Sunday Times’ 500 Most Influential People. As co-founder of Uncommon, he helped build one of the fastest-growing and most awarded creative studios of its generation, producing globally recognized work for brands like EA Sports FC, SiriusXM, Quaker, and British Airways. Previously, Nils served as Chairman and Chief Creative Officer of Grey London, leading the agency through its most profitable and awarded period. In an era of platform fatigue and AI-driven sameness, he remains committed to channeling cultural tension into bold creative work.

Lisa is a globally recognized design leader with over two decades of experience shaping some of the world’s most loved brands. As Global Chief Design Officer at Uncommon, she drives the studio’s mission to place design at the heart of every brand, communication, and experience it creates. Formerly Global Executive Creative Director at JKR, she helped evolve the agency into a full-spectrum branding powerhouse, leading major rebrands for Walmart, Burger King, Mozilla, Uber, Paramount, and more. Her earlier roles include ECD at Chobani—where design powered a major brand transformation—and Head of Design at Wolff Olins New York, delivering celebrated work for USA Today, The Met, and Zocdoc.

Named one of Fast Company’s Most Creative People in 2021, Lisa has been featured in leading publications and has earned major honors including Fast Company’s Rebrand of the Year, multiple Cannes Lions, and Innovation by Design awards. She has served as Jury President for Design at Cannes Lions and D&AD and is currently Deputy President on the D&AD Board of Trustees

Joseph Lebus / Porto Rocha

Joseph is a Design Director and London Principal at Porto Rocha. He combines creative and systematic thinking to build visual identities with enduring impact for global brands. His practice spans brand identity, campaigns, editorial and experiential design, and art direction. His work has been recognised by D&AD, The Type Directors Club, Creative Review, and It’s Nice That. Joseph is currently establishing and leading Porto Rocha’s London presence, and has recently worked on brand identities for a diverse range of clients including Nike, Apple, W Hotels, MASP, and Robinhood.

Kirsty Carter & Emma Thomas / A Practice for Everyday Life

A Practice for Everyday Life (APFEL) is a studio for creative direction, design and type founded by Kirsty Carter & Emma Thomas in 2003. Collaborating with cultural institutions, global brands and individuals, the studio creates meaningful, original design through research and consultancy. The studio works across brand identities, campaigns, digital, editorial design and type design for clients including Aesop, Birkenstock, JW Anderson, the V&A, Vitra, and the Whitney Museum of American Art.

Their projects include the Identity and campaign for the Venice Biennale 2022; Branding for the Centro Arte Moderne Gulbenkian in Lisbon; Type design for Elle Magazine; And the design of books including Lee Miller, Alexey Brodovitch, Noah Davis and Yoko Ono, and recently a comprehensive book looking back at the history of Vitra. In 2020, they started the APFEL type foundry, working on custom typeface commissions, and publishing their collection of retail fonts. Carter and Thomas are currently presidents of the Alliance Graphique Internationale UK.

APFEL is the art world’s favourite studio’ – The Observer

The Makers’ Vault

In the Crypt The Makers’ Vault will showcase work and materials from our partners Winter & Co, Baddeley Brothers and Dreyer Kliche. Doors open at 5:30pm with a drink on arrival giving you time to explore before the talks begin. Food will be available throughout the evening so arrive hungry and make a night of it.

Location

St James Church / The Crypt on the Green
EC1R 0EA

As always all profits from the event will go to our chosen charity, Create. 

Create is a multi-award-winning charity empowering lives, reducing isolation and enhancing wellbeing through the creative arts. Create provides free creative experiences for those who need it most, working with professional artists and community partners to bring creativity directly to people