Hjalti Karlsson and Stefan Sagmeister to speak at DesignTalks 2026

The graphic designer, Hjalti Karlsson and Stefan Sagmeistar, one of the most influential contemporary designers take the stage at Harpa May 6th to share the stories behind their work - and their real life connection. Hjalti and Sagmeister are the two first speakers to be announced for next edition of DesignTalks.

Hjalti Karls

Hjalti Karlsson, born and raised in Reykjavík, combines minimalist design with storytelling and a human-focused approach to space and communication. In 2000 he co-founded the NYC design studio Karlssonwilker, renowned for its deeply original design solutions for a wide variety of clients ranging from Bloomberg, the Guggenheim Museum, TIME Magazine, Vitra and many Icelandic ones. Hjalti is a frequent speaker and a judge on the international scene and a recipient of the Torsten and Wanja Söderberg Prize, one of the world's highest endowed design award, for his outstanding achievements in graphic design.

Stefan Sagmeister

Sagmeister, a two time Grammy winner talks about the large subjects of our lives like happiness and beauty, their connection to design and what that actually means to our everyday lives. A native Austrian, he’s been running his studio for years out of NYC and designed for clients as diverse as the Rolling Stones, HBO, and the Guggenheim Museum. He’s one of the three most frequently invited TED speakers and his books have been sold in the hundreds of thousands. His exhibitions have been mounted in museums around the world and way over half a million visitors worldwide came to  ’The Happy Show', which became the most visited graphic design show in history.

Life-long friendship side effect of design

This time around, the DesignTalks event focuses on the intricate threads that link everything and the inherent magic of connections, in line with the DesignMarch festival theme. When asked about it, Sagmeister says:

“Hjalti and I worked together for years. When I went on sabbatical and he opened his own studio, we stayed connected. Now his wife and my partner are connected. One of the most beautiful side effects of design is it helps you make life-long friends.”

DesignTalks is the keynote event of the DesignMarch festival running May 6th - 10th 2026, produced by Iceland Design and Architecture, since 2008.