Top Drawer A/W26

As AI accelerates content creation, earning attention is becoming harder. Consumers now look for brands that cut through the noise and make them feel something real and human.

In this inspiring and practical session, Laura Sawyer, founder of The Detail, explores how wonder can become a powerful tool for building genuine customer connection. She’ll look at the unique advantage independent brands have in knowing their customers more personally, and how that closeness can be used to create moments of joy, surprise and thoughtfulness that give people a reason to choose your brand, remember it and come back.

Through practical examples, Laura will illustrate how curiosity, anticipation and the senses can turn everyday customer interactions into memorable experiences that deepen loyalty, whether online, in store or somewhere in between. She’ll also share achievable, low-cost ways for brands to create meaningful in-person connection through partnerships, collaborations and small-scale events.

Packed with achievable ideas and inspiration, this session will show how designing for feeling, rather than the feed, can help your brand stand out in an increasingly automated world.

You’ll leave with:

· Practical ways to create more human, memorable brand experiences, whatever the size of your business.

· Simple techniques for using curiosity, anticipation and surprise to create moments of wonder.

· A clear starting point for shaping every interaction a customer has with your brand.