February 02, 2026
Designing for Human Rights: Highlights from Plakaton 2025
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Plakaton 2025 was a 10-hour creative sprint hosted at Admind’s new Warsaw office, held in partnership with the WATCH DOCS Human Rights Film Festival. Designers explored the theme Interpenetration through posters that blended form and meaning. The event was shaped by mentorship from top Polish designers and culminated in a jury-led awards ceremony, with Karolina Walas winning the grand prize. In this post, we explore the energy, insights, and stories behind the event.
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Olga Lany
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7 min
What is Plakaton and why does it matter?
Plakaton is a design marathon built for deep creative exploration. Unlike typical competitions, it brings designers together in one space, for one day, to solve one challenge. It’s fast, intense, and focused on collaboration.
For Admind, it’s also a platform to:
- Amplify the role of design in social dialogue
- Support emerging creatives
- Foster community around shared values
Whether you’re an art student or seasoned creative director, Plakaton tests your limits and sharpens your message.
What made the 2025 edition so unique?
This year, Plakaton moved to Warsaw, hosted at Admind’s brand-new office on 76 Marszałkowska Street. The open, still-being-settled space buzzed with energy as designers set up workstations, exchanged ideas, and dove into creation mode. The space became an active co-creator shaping how people connected and worked.
In partnership with the WATCH DOCS Human Rights in Film Festival, the theme for 2025 – “Interpenetration” – reflected the complexity of today’s world. It encouraged participants to explore how styles, cultures, and experiences collide and interact in our daily lives.
Who were the mentors, and how did they support the process?
Plakaton thrives on mentorship. This year’s mentors were:
- Beata Śliwińska (Barrakuz) – known for expressive visual collage
- Justyna Czerniakowska – graphic designer and visual culture lecturer
- Edgar Bąk – expert in design systems and editorial visuals
- Full Metal Jacket – a Warsaw-based studio with typographic precision
They didn’t just review the work, but actively engaged throughout the 10 hours. They gave feedback, challenged assumptions, and helped push concepts further. For many participants, this direct access to experienced creatives was one of the most valuable aspects of the day.
What was created during the 10-hour sprint?
With Interpenetration as the overarching theme, participants responded to a specific design challenge: to visually explore different forms of exclusion, loneliness within society, or stories of marginalized groups.
The interpretations were powerful and often deeply personal. Posters blended analog and digital media, juxtaposed order with chaos, and used form to express vulnerability, resistance, or solidarity.
Each poster became:
- A reflection of individual perception and emotional response
- A commentary on societal tensions and invisible borders
- A visual experiment in crossing boundaries of form, medium, or narrative
From delicate illustrations of isolation to bold, typographic protests, the diversity of approaches showed how design can carry empathy, provoke thought, and give voice to what’s often unseen.
Who won and why did their work resonate?
Grand Prize: Karolina Walas – “Wszystko mam bardziej” (“I Feel Everything More”)
“The author created a powerful visual metaphor for today’s sensory overload – an assault of sounds, visuals, smells, tastes, and touch that constantly penetrate our perception,” said Justyna Czerniakowska, jury member and award presenter at the WATCH DOCS gala.
“The composition captures the moment when this excess becomes unbearable for the brain, leading to internal overload. The work stands out for its cohesive message, formal bravery, and the rare ability to translate a complex psychophysical experience into an expressive, clear visual.”
Honorable Mentions
Justyna added:
“The level of submissions was incredibly diverse. That’s why we decided to award six equal honorable mentions recognizing work that impressed us with craft, creativity, or sheer authenticity.”
- Arkadiusz Haratym – “Laski”
- Natalia Bugaj – “Łąka”
- Lena Malecha – “Oko”
- Bartosz Zieliński – “Małpka”
- Julia Basałaj – “Pasy”
- Zuzanna Koźlarek – “Słoik”
Each of these posters brought something unique: emotional clarity, technical strength, or conceptual boldness.
What did participants take away from the experience?
Based on feedback surveys collected after the event:
- 95% said they’d participate again
- 87% cited real-time collaboration as the most valuable part
- Many noted that working under time pressure improved their clarity and decisiveness
For most, Plakaton was as much about growth as it was about the final outcome.
What can your team learn from Plakaton?
Even outside the marathon, the Plakaton model offers lessons that apply to any creative environment:
- Deadlines sharpen ideas. Constraints push clarity and focus.
- Mentorship matters. A fresh perspective can unlock new directions
- Process > polish. Sometimes raw, honest work resonates more than perfection.
- Collaboration fuels momentum. Working side by side fosters mutual inspiration, energizes teams, and builds a stronger sense of shared purpose
The 10-hour sprint reminded us that creativity isn’t just individual. It’s social. Ideas evolve faster and go further when shaped in dialogue.
Want to integrate this mindset into your team’s workflow? Admind offers custom creative workshops inspired by Plakaton focused on co-creation, mentoring, and purpose-driven design. Get in touch to learn more.
What is the story behind Plakaton and its previous editions?
Plakaton is a creative poster design marathon launched by Admind Branding & Communications in 2019, inspired by the popular format of hackathons. Just like in tech sprints, participants work intensively under time constraints but instead of coding, they design posters that respond to complex social or environmental challenges.
From the start, Plakaton was conceived not only as a test of skill, but as a platform for dialogue, collaboration, and purpose-driven creativity.
- 2019 marked the first Plakaton, aimed at uniting the design community and empowering young talents through mentorship.
- In 2024, Plakaton became part of the Carbon Footprint Summit, focusing on climate change and sustainability.
- In 2025, the event moved to Warsaw and partnered with the WATCH DOCS Human Rights in Film Festival, with participants designing around the theme of Interpenetration and tackling subjects like social exclusion, loneliness, and marginalized communities.
What connects each edition is the belief that design can do more than just look good. it can start conversations, shift perspectives, and inspire change.
What’s next for Plakaton?
We’re already planning future editions with:
- Broader accessibility
- More international voices
- Deeper exploration of global challenges through design
If you’re new to Plakaton, keep an eye out and we’d love to see you next time.
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