We’re incredibly proud to share that the Ingredients Experience we developed for the iconic Guinness Storehouse in Dublin has won Silver in the Design Business Association Awards 2026!

We partnered with Guinness to create a multi-sensory experience celebrating the four natural ingredients at the heart of the iconic Guinness pint: Barley, Hops, Water, Yeast.

Through a series of interconnected installations, the experience engages all five senses, bringing each ingredient to life. Natural materials, custom soundscapes, bespoke scents and a world-first water installation combine to create a rich, immersive design that takes visitors on a captivating journey of the ingredients behind every pint of Guinness.

We had so much fun celebrating with our friends at Diageo and Guinness, Kathryn Wilson and Catherine Keegan, at the awards ceremony in London this week, hosted at the beautiful National Gallery.

The day also featured inspiring talks and panel discussions with Deborah Dawton, Chief Executive at DBA, Mauro Porcini at Samsung, and Lara Lewington, technology broadcaster and author to name a few. The DBA awards focus on design effectiveness, and the talks were brilliantly curated to add depth and richness to the event.

One of the absolute highlights was hearing Dr Patricia Moore speak about universal design, a topic that isn’t widely understood and is often overlooked by designers. Universal design focuses on creating products and environments that are accessible to everyone.

Between 1979 and 1982, she famously disguised herself as an 85-year-old woman in order to experience the daily challenges faced by older people first-hand. The insights she gained helped revolutionise inclusive and empathetic design.

“Design is meant to create equity and give answers.”

Funny, down-to-earth and deeply inspiring, Patricia showed an incredible level of commitment to truly understanding the customer.

Mauro spoke about human-centric design as an act of love and the enduring importance of people in an AI-driven world. As he said, “AI is becoming a commodity – the difference is the people.”

“In today’s world, an authentic culture of human-centricity is the most powerful and sustainable competitive advantage you can build for your company.”

Deborah explored the idea that design agencies should become today’s “penny universities”, the coffeehouses where people meet, learn, share ideas and debate. It was a powerful reminder of the importance of physical spaces, and the value of gathering in person rather than relying solely on digital interaction.

AI was a hot topic throughout the day. But our biggest takeaway was something more fundamental: the importance of engaging in real life, with real people, in the real world. That’s where true understanding happens, where empathy is built, and where memories are made. It’s also how our industry continues to produce vibrant, creative ideas with real impact.