Every global experience faces the same dilemma: adapt too little and you feel distant, adapt too much and you lose yourself.
Familiar patterns make experiences easy to use and reduce friction. Yet diverse contexts demand adaptation, from trust signals to the shape of entire experiences.
In practice this means walking a fine line between convergence that simplifies and variation that creates meaning.
In this talk, Anna Nerz explores how to design like a chameleon: adapting to different contexts while staying recognisable at the core.
Drawing on lessons from creating experiences across many markets, she shares what can change, what must remain stable, and how experimentation helps strike the right balance.
Anna Nerz
Experience Design Director
Ex EF Education First
Anna is an Experience Design Director who bridges the physical and digital, specialising in turning complex decisions into interfaces people can trust.
Based in Zurich, she has shaped experiences across more than 100 markets and led teams for iconic brands, from pioneers in circular fashion to global leaders in education.
Her background spans industrial design, entrepreneurship and digital strategy. She designs with curiosity, leads with trust, and believes the most meaningful experiences will rely less on interfaces and more on human connection.