Prague International Design Festival

Ben Hobson

President of the Jury, Media Executive, co-CEO of Dezeen (UK)

From 2012 to 2018, Benedict led Dezeen's in-house creative team, Dezeen Studio, which produces the online magazine's original video content and delivers projects as diverse as print publications, exhibitions, talks, and events for prestigious clients all around the world. He held the position of Chief Content Officer from 2018 to 2022, which saw him oversee Dezeen's editorial, video, and social media output and spearhead Dezeen's digital development strategy. Benedict is an experienced public speaker and digital media consultant and has spoken at events in cities that include London, Beijing, and Sao Paulo. He has hosted talks and panel discussions, organised workshops, and been a member of panels of judges all around the world. Benedict was appointed co-CEO at Dezeen together with Wai Shin Li in 2022.

Yoko Choy

China editor at Wallpaper*, Creative Consultant (HK)

Her work has been featured in numerous Chinese and international publications by renowned publishers such as Assouline, Gestalten, and Phaidon. With a deep understanding of creative and communications dynamics, she has collaborated with institutions like Art Basel, Beijing Design Week, and the German Design Council, as well as prestigious brands including Hermès, Louis Vuitton, and Whyte & Mackay. Dividing her time between Hong Kong and Amsterdam, Yoko is an active participant in design awards and conferences, such as Architizer A+Awards, Dezeen Awards, Maison & Objet, and Salone del Mobile. She is dedicated to fostering cross-cultural exchange, aiming to bridge the gap between East and West by translating knowledge and insights into a shared creative language. 

Luca Nichetto

Designer, Founder of Nichetto Studio (IT/SE)

Luca Nichetto began his career at the Murano-based glassmaker Salviati and later worked as a consultant for the lighting company Foscarini, following his graduation from the Università Iuav di Venezia. He founded Nichetto Studio in Venice, which is celebrated for its multidisciplinary design approach, and subsequently opened a second studio in Stockholm. This expansion mirrors his fusion of Italian creativity with Swedish modernity. Nichetto's diverse body of work, which includes products, furniture, architecture, and branding, has been showcased in major global exhibitions and has garnered numerous international awards. His achievements underscore his prominent status in both Scandinavian and Italian design cultures.

Tej Chauhan

Designer, Founder of Tej Chauhan Ltd (UK)

Tej Chauhan is a British industrial designer and founder of Tej Chauhan Ltd. A Central St Martin’s graduate, he is known for creating emotive connections through everyday objects. At Nokia, he designed iconic phones like the Nokia 7600 and 7280. Chauhan has collaborated with top brands such as Artifort, Blackberry, British Airways, EE, Fiskars, Huawei, Ikea, Nike, Panasonic, and Samsung. His work has earned awards like IDSA Gold and Silver and has been featured in Elle Decoration, Vogue, and Wallpaper*. In 2022, he was a judge on Sky TV’s The Big Design Challenge.

Emma Marga Blanche and Fredrik Färg

Designers and founders of FÄRG & BLANCHE (SE)

Studio FÄRG & BLANCHE has collaborated with renowned furniture brands such as BD Barcelona Design, Bernhardt Design, Gärsnäs, Petite Friture, Johanson Design, and Design House Stockholm. In addition to product design, they create limited art pieces and public installations. Known for their experimental approach to materials and techniques, they skillfully balance between handmade one-offs and commercial production. In 2023, the studio created an installation for Sweden's Presidency of the Council of the European Union in Brussels.

Ineke Hans

President of the Designblok Awards Jury 2023, Designer and Teacher (NL)

Ineke Hans is a Dutch critical designer of furniture, products, exhibitions, and spaces with content. She explores new design strategies and works for clients and leading international manufacturers on product typologies to fit our future social context. Ineke has a studio in Arnhem (NL), a small workshop in Berlin, and is a teacher of Design & Social Context at the Berlin University of the Arts.

Joseph Grima

Architect, Editor, Curator, Founder of Alcova and Space Caviar, Creative Director of Design Academy Eindhoven (UK)

Joseph Grima is the founder of Space Caviar in Genoa, a research collective that operates at the point where architecture, technology, design, and politics all intersect. Graduating from the Architectural Association in 2003, he broadened his international experience as a curator, publisher, and writer, most notably as editor-in-chief of Italian magazine Domus.

Birgitta Homburger

Creative Director, Designer and Strategist (DE)

Focusing on cultural context and strategic thinking, Birgitta Homburger has built up an impressive portfolio of work that spans the international stage, taking in collaboration with brands such as Mattiazzi, Wästberg, Volkswagen, and Laufen Bathroom. Her contributions to the development of creative direction and product design have been recognised by visiting professorships at Kunsthochschule Kassel and several other institutions, such as Universität der Künste in Berlin and Akademie der Bildenden Künste in Stuttgart. In 2023, her dedication to her craft led her to become creative director of and partner to Analog, an innovative glass brand based in Berlin.

Benedict Hobson

Journalist, co-CEO of Dezeen (UK)

From 2012 to 2018, Benedict led Dezeen's in-house creative team, Dezeen Studio, which produces the online magazine's original video content and delivers projects as diverse as print publications, exhibitions, talks, and events for prestigious clients all around the world. He held the position of Chief Content Officer from 2018 to 2022, which saw him oversee Dezeen's editorial, video, and social media output and spearhead Dezeen's digital development strategy. Benedict is an experienced public speaker and digital media consultant and has spoken at events in cities that include London, Beijing, and Sao Paulo. He has hosted talks and panel discussions, organised workshops, and been a member of panels of judges all around the world. Benedict was appointed co-CEO at Dezeen together with Wai Shin Li in 2022.

Simone Post

Multidisciplinary Designer (NL)

Simone Post, based in Rotterdam, is a Dutch multidisciplinary designer whose roots lie in textiles. She graduated with honours from Design Academy Eindhoven in 2015 and has since won numerous national and international awards. Her work has been recognised and exhibited worldwide, some works having become part of renowned collections such as those at Vitra Design Museum in Weil am Rhein, Centraal Museum in Utrecht, MAD in Paris, the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW), and Cooper Hewitt in New York. Her clients include Hermès, Vlisco, Kvadrat, and Adidas.

Andrew Ayers

Architecture and Design Critic, Contributor to Publications such as Architectural Record, L'Architecture d'aujourd'hui, Detail and Architectural Review (GB)

Anne-France Berthelon

President of the Designblok Awards Jury 2022, Design Critic, Freelance Journalist and Creative Strategy Consultant (FR)

Ana Dominguez

Freelance Journalist, Writer and Design Curator (ES)

Vanessa Chenaie

Editor-in-Chief of IDEAT Magazine (FR)

Barbara Minetto

General Manager, Magis (IT)