When I walk into the Vancouver Convention Centre, I feel primed to learn, connect and explore. From the vast windows overlooking the bay to the colorful TED exhibits, the air breathes with possibility. Just as the people around us can change the way we feel and move in the world, so, too, can the spaces we inhabit.

That’s why we put so much thought, care and intention into each TED conference. Every space is thoughtfully crafted to help connect you to others in ways that feel delightfully unexpected. These moments are indeed serendipitous — with some help from brilliant design.

“Spaces can create a sense of intimacy, can sort of hold us together, or they can make us feel like we’re kind of just all floating around,” said Ingrid Fetell Lee, a designer and TED speaker. “One thing that I feel like TED has always done really well is take big spaces and make them feel really intimate.”

Whether you’re introverted, extroverted, ready to connect or simply need a break, TED offers an opportunity for you to find what you need in community. So let’s take a stroll through TED2026 and see what we find — and perhaps learn how you can make your next gathering feel welcoming and connective.

Catalyze emotion

Design has the power to change how you feel. The place to start, says Lee, is color.

“It doesn’t have to be a ton of color. You don’t have to get out the paint cans,” she said. “But having just a little bright pop of color, maybe it’s your coffee mug that you have on your desk. Maybe it’s a brightly colored lamp or a throw that you put over the back of your chair. Those kinds of things can bring a lot of joy.”

All throughout the space, bright splashes aligned with the “All of Us” theme bring a sense of excitement — from the steps to the second floor to the backsplashes in the couched resting areas. Similarly, cool tones invite you to slow down and relax. In the simulcast lounge, where attendees can watch the stage content livestreamed, cream curtains hang from the walls around white couches, making you feel as if you’re in a cozy Greek colosseum. The space primes you to both relax and indulge in thoughtful conversation.

Next? Plants! Bringing in the natural world introduces “really wonderful textures and shapes that we often don’t have in the built environment,” Lee explains. “And this can help balance out some of the hard lines and edges of the built environment and make a space feel more joyful.”

A colorful pillow and a potted plant may seem like small details — but they can have a big impact. “Our spaces are influencing us all the time, whether or not we’re aware of it,” said Lee.

As I walk through, I see greenery can be found on every table, between every exhibit. One of my favorite touches is the vibrant orange, pink and white flowers adding a fuzzy pop of color to every high top table.

The restore lounge, sponsored by Visit Greater Palm Springs , is a peaceful oasis — colorful designs shift into soft hues emphasized with natural greenery. There attendees can indulge in massage and rejuvenating self-care products. Surrounded by plants, overlooking the bay, you can take a moment to breathe deeply and reset.

“Well-designed spaces don’t just look beautiful, they influence how we feel and function,” said Colleen Pace, CMO of Visit Greater Palm Springs. “They give us permission to slow down, to reflect, and to be present. At gatherings like TED, where ideas and interactions are abundant, these spaces are essential for balance. They allow people to absorb, process, and ultimately engage more meaningfully.”

Invite serendipity

At TED, colliding with people of wildly different disciplines — but similar values — is a frequent occurrence by design. Everyone here is obsessed with learning, and attendees are encouraged to not just be present, but to engage. Conversations move quickly from surface-level to something more substantive, and exhibits around the center catalyze this.

Starlings is a stunningly immersive experience where attendees are invited to ask a question of a friend, a stranger or themselves, writing the response on a bird-shaped paper that then hangs with others in the center of the exhibit. The cloud of hand-written responses, collected through human points of connection, gives you a sense of grounding and unity despite the wide range of responses.

“I feel like in a day and age in which all of our respective industries can feel so siloed, the interconnectivity of talking to someone that is doing work that you’ve never heard of, I think it’s really reinvigorating,” said Yara Shahidi, actor, producer and TED speaker.

“You need an underwater explorer talking to somebody that’s deep in tech, talking to somebody that’s in the humanities and arts,” she said, “to start bringing about really comprehensive questions about what the future looks like.”

Another fascinating space is the AI Lounge, where attendees enter a curtained corridor through an neon-red lit archway, arriving in a cozy, elegant lounge space designed to help you dig deeper into your relationship with AI.

“The best AI experiences don’t just show us what machines can do; they make us think more deeply about what people can do,” said Scott Likens, principal global chief AI engineer at PwC United States. “I hope visitors leave with a sense of wonder, but also a connection to the possibilities of the technology and to the very human questions it raises.”

Embrace wonder

Whether it’s a hidden lounge, a quick game of mahjong or a mini dance party, whimsical joy can be found in so many spaces. Around the TED conference, you’ll find seats that swing, a station to paint clay pots, a tent full of magicians and more. There’s even a space to decorate a zucchini — yes, the squash — as a racecar and roll it down a ramp. Winners get T-shirts (and yes, I won).

“We all need a bit of silliness in our lives,” said Stephanie Furlong, senior manager of events and experiences at TED. More than this, we need to create. Embracing your inner child and letting yourself create and play is key to connection.

“That's the fuel, that's our life force,” said Debbie Millman, host of the TED podcast Design Matters. “And when we finish something, rather than being addicted to that feeling of what we've just accomplished, what we're really experiencing, I contend, is that we want so badly to be continuing to make things.

This sense of whimsical creation can be crafted through activities — like zucchini racing — or a surprising piece of art, colorful flowers or fascinating puzzles.

“Awe and wonder, I think, are as sustaining as vitamin D and protein,” said Shahidi. “Oftentimes I feel as though self-care can be repackaged in a way that can feel very inaccessible. But I think awe and wonder at its core is something that we all have an ability to attain, which is what makes it so universal.”

There’s still time to join in.

If you want to bring some whimsical joy and connective design into your life, join us online with TED Live. You can watch the entirety of the TED2026 conference streamed live or on demand anywhere in the world — before anyone else.