NYCxDESIGN organizes moments throughout the year for designers to showcase and highlight their work through concentrated celebrations that activate the five boroughs with design. Year-round, NYCxDESIGN amplifies the voices of New York City designers through The Magazine, the first edition of which features dozens of contributions from NYC designers, as well as NYCxDESIGN’s new podcast hosted by Debbie Millman entitled The Mic. These platforms highlight NYC’s most creative minds and provide ongoing opportunities for the creative community through Open Calls. In 2021, NYCxDESIGN launched The Breakout Grant, focusing on entrepreneurship in independent design. The grant seeks to fund independent designers or design businesses that embody the entrepreneurial, creative, and innovative spirit of NYC, with a foundational commitment to diversity, inclusivity, and sustainability.

NYCxDESIGN’s Steering Committee is comprised of representatives from New York City’s top design schools, museums, cultural institutions, membership organizations, city entities, and districts. These members act as NYCxDESIGN brand advocates, community influencers, event organizers, and programming partners.

NYCxDESIGN was first established in 2012 as a City Council initiative to convene and promote the design industry in New York. City organizations including NYC & Company and NYCEDC managed the “design week” for six years, growing it into one of the leading design festivals in the world alongside Milan, Paris, and London. The annual festival originated in the month of May to leverage the success of long-standing design events in NYC including ICFF and WantedDesign. Over the past eight years, new anchor events have been established to celebrate design week including Design Pavilion, the NYCxDESIGN Student Showcase, and NYCxDESIGN Awards. In 2019, the City of New York transitioned management of NYCxDESIGN to SANDOW, a company deeply rooted in design, to strengthen and grow the program. In November 2020, after assessment by SANDOW and several members of the NYCxDESIGN Steering Committee, it was determined that NYCxDESIGN should transition to a not-for-profit entity to best serve our community. The transition positions the organization for long-term success supporting NYC’s design community.

Design Days will be a focused, six-day series from May 13-18, 2021 to showcase NYC’s talented design community primarily through virtual events, in addition to outdoor experiences, select tours, and other small gatherings, depending on COVID-19 protocols at that time. Learn more about Design Days here.

We welcome all members of the design community to host a virtual or outdoor/live event that follows health guidelines promulgated by the NYC Department of Health. You can register an event here.

To participate in Design Days, there is a $50 fee for virtual events and $100 fee for outdoor/live events. Organizers that are looking for heightened exposure for their events can purchase NYCxDESIGN promotional packages. More details on these offerings can be found here. In 2021, NYCxDESIGN launched a complimentary event registration application for events that are organized by minority-owned design entities, or promoting racially inclusive practices in the design sector. For Design Days in May 2021, NYCxDESIGN will award 10 applicants complimentary registration for their Design Days event along with a promotional package for additional exposure.

NYCxDESIGN welcomes all residents and visitors (domestic and international) to experience Design Days. Most events are free to enter. Ticketed events are managed by host/organizing venues. Before attending, check the listing and details for each event you’re interested in.