The largest Leeds Digital Festival yet returns this September with more than 200 events organised by businesses, community groups and individuals across the city.
The festival gives people working in different roles and sectors a chance to talk openly about tech, digital and explore their work with others, sharing what they have learned and network with others with similar interests.
This year, Hippo is hosting and supporting 12 events at Hippocampus in Leeds. Speakers from Hippo, partner organisations and local community groups will cover inclusive design, identity, AI, testing, delivery, product strategy and careers.
Whether you are new to digital or have years of experience, there should be something in the programme for you.
Week one
Monday 21 September, 10:00 to 12:00
In What compliance misses: Moving from accessible to truly inclusive design, Hannah Atkinson and Naomi Busuttil will look at the difference between meeting accessibility standards and creating a service that feels genuinely inclusive. They will discuss trauma informed practice and share ways teams can consider safety throughout the design process.
Monday 21 September, 14:00 to 16:00
AI can take care of some administrative tasks, but delivery involves much more than plans, updates and meeting notes. In More than AI-dministrators: The Future of Delivery in the Age of AI, Alex Leppert, Jade Cosgrove, Olli Drury and Stew Livingstone will discuss trust, dependencies, team relationships and where delivery professionals can provide the most value.
Tuesday 22 September, 12:00 to 14:00
Proving who you are to gain access to a service has become a standard interaction in a digital world. In Nobody wants to prove who they are: Designing identity UX that people don’t hate, Andy Turner will draw on experience designing for millions of NHS login users to discuss language, error messages, passkeys and ways to make identity journeys low-friction without compromising security.
Tuesday 22 September, 17:30 to 20:00
PyData Leeds: Leeds Digital Festival ’26 brings together people interested in data and software engineering. The evening will provide time to hear from others working in the field, exchange ideas and meet members of the local PyData community. You don’t have to be a Python expert to join in!
Wednesday 23 September, 11:00 to 13:00
How well is user centred design understood and supported within your organisation? During Building a user-first culture: Mapping your design, Ben Childs, Alison Whitehouse and Matt Lund will help attendees assess their organisation’s current position and identify practical next steps.
Wednesday 23 September, 17:30 to 20:00
Careers rarely follow a perfectly planned route. In Squiggly design careers, Andy Long, Jenni McGeachen, Harry Bailey and Manny Jhutty will talk about how they entered the profession, the skills they brought from previous roles and what has helped them progress.
Thursday 24 September, 17:30 to 20:00
Software does not always behave as expected once it meets real devices, networks and people. At Ministry of Testing Leeds: Testing What You Can’t Control, Adam Davis will use a live audience demonstration to look at observability, resilience and testing under less predictable conditions.
Week two
Week two looks more closely at language, responsible AI, collaboration and how design can support decisions beyond individual screens and services.
Tuesday 29 September, 14:00 to 16:00
Words that appear to mean the same thing can carry different associations and expectations. In No such thing as a synonym, Lois Almond will consider what this means for plain English, digital services and the way people and AI interpret language.
Tuesday 29 September, 17:30 to 19:30
Responsible AI needs to be considered throughout the design and delivery of a service. During An introduction to using AI responsibly in Human-Centred Design, James Barclay will discuss safety, transparency, security and how teams can understand whether an AI tool is providing a genuine benefit.
Wednesday 30 September, 12:00 to 14:00
Design methods can support decisions long before an interface is created. In Beyond the interface: Applying design thinking to product strategy, Charlotte Bunker-Jones, Sarah Wiseman and Emma Halliday will discuss how research and design can help policy, product and delivery teams work towards the same outcome.
Wednesday 30 September, 17:30 to 20:00
Design and engineering teams often hold different parts of the same knowledge. During Using AI to build better services across role boundaries, Ed Hiley and Matt Fielding will demonstrate ways AI and structured delivery knowledge can help teams work together while keeping user needs visible.
Thursday 1 October, 13:30 to 16:30
CIM × MET Marketing brings together Clare Grimshaw, Daniel Matson and Lawrence Christensen for a discussion about brand growth, challenger thinking and how organisations are responding to changes in what customers expect.
Join us at Hippocampus
All 12 events will take place at our Hippocampus in The Brew Society on Aire Street.
You can use the links above to learn more about each session and book a place. You can also browse the full Leeds Digital Festival programme to see what else is taking place across the city.
