ODC annual conference 2026

Designing for the Unknown

September 30 - October 1st, 2026

The 2026 ODC Annual Conference will be held fully on-line, spread out over two consecutive days: September 30 and October 1. It is co-organized by Özgecan Koçak (Emory University) and Jeroen van Bree (Berenschot & University of Amsterdam). The theme of this year’s conference is ‘Designing for the Unknown’. The unprecedented turbulence that organizations are currently faced with means we have to design for an unknown future. Our hope is that this conference will be a forum for exchange about this pressing issue between academics, practitioners, and executives. On the first day of the conference, we want to explore several developments that are bringing change and uncertainty to organizations, such as the rise of GenAI, geopolitical turbulence, and climate change. On the second day, we want to explore what innovations the field of organization design can bring to address these challenges.