Conversations, Workshops, Tours, Open Studios
Hot Design Topics Include: AI, Robotics, Sustainability, Architecture & Interior Design
(May, 2024–San Francisco, Calif.) The 18th Annual SAN FRANCISCO DESIGN WEEK, is returning June 3-12, celebrating with the theme “Attention: Commanding and controlling a precious commodity”. The festival showcases the intersection of new ideas, design and entrepreneurism that promotes the Bay Area as the birthplace of the future. Highlights include talks, open studios., conferences, tours with design leaders held at multiple host venues throughout the region. The festival also presents the 2024 Design Awards, an international design competition, juried by top industry professionals, seeking to encourage thought leadership by supporting designers whose works can contribute towards a positive future for society.
SFDW 2024 Highlights include:AI and the Future of the Design and Make Workforce
June 7, 4:30pm-7:30pm. Autodesk Gallery, One Market Street, San Francisco
An exclusive, rare opportunity at the Autodesk Gallery: Learn from Design and Make experts on how artificial intelligence will influence the future workforce. Experts agree that AI will fundamentally change both how we work and the type of work we do, as it has the potential to raise productivity, inspire creativity, and overcome obstacles. Companies and employees across the design and make industrie–from architecture and engineering to manufacturing to media–must understand what’s required to gain the skills necessary to master rapidly changing technology and shape the future.
Robots, AI, and Making Courageous Futures
June 7, 5pm-8pm. IDEO, 320 Florida Street, San Francisco
Hear about what IDEO has been making in this era of emerging tech. The company will share insights on the current state of technology, highlighting the trends and exciting opportunities, showcasing some of its most dynamic work commercializing emerging technologies –like AI, XR, and robotics. Discover what IDEO has been making in this era of emerging technology with conversations, and hands-on activities.
Product Design for a Circular Economy: A Practical Guide
June 5, 5-8pm. Informal, 55 Grace St, San Francisco
A panel discussion addresses the massive human-created impacts from the last 100 years, covering topics such as sustainability, the circular economy and how a product designer can make informed, impactful design decisions in their daily practice. Panelists include: Andrew Dent (Research at Material ConneXion); Mike Elam (Whipsaw); Carsten Frauenheim (iFixit); Ingve Holmung (Logitech)’; Jon Lake (Tact); Andrew Zee (former product sustainability lead, Google). The event is co-sponsored by Tact Product Development, Whipsaw, and Informal.
Architecture, Home Interiors and Fashion talks and exhibitions, including:
“Dynamic Minds: Creative Brilliance” Seminar Series:
Addresses provided upon ticket purchase. 1-5pm:
June 1, San Francisco tour–Aidlin Darling Design; ODADA; BCJ
June 4, The Studio of Ken Fulk, St. Joseph’s Arts Society/ Basilica and headquarters
June 7, Sausalito tour–Studio Collins Weir; The office of Charles de Lisle; Martin Kobus
June 8, San Francisco Tour–The Wiseman Group; BAMO; De Sousa Hughes showroom
The Dynamic Minds Seminars Series produced and led by Diane Dorrans Saeks is four separate events. This year’s interior designer program follows on the great success of the previous ten years of the series. The program offers a rare opportunity to tour top architecture and interior design studios, meet with designers and architects one-on-one, as well as attend talks and seminars led by Dorrans Saeks, including:
Top architecture firms and Aidlin Darling Design, BCJ, as well as leading interior designers Ken Fulk, Studio of Martin Kobus, Charles de Lisle, Susan Collins Weir, and design firms BAMO and ODADA. A special visit to the new De Sousa Hughes showroom is a highlight.
Each highly accomplished designer and architect will speak of works in progress, new work, and what they see happening in the near future. The studio visits celebrate achievement, creativity, the power of ideas, and the power of optimism.
Erica Tanov: The Fine Art of Collaboration: The dynamics of successful creative partnerships
June 5, 5-7pm. Erica Tanov Studio | Showroom, 1808 Fifth Street, Berkeley
Leading lifestyle and clothing designer Erica Tanov is joined by other talented creative women: interior designer Elena Dendiberia (Studio Ahead), textiles expert Amy Kerger (Creative Growth), and artist Emily Payne, in a discussion exploring the art of creative collaboration for home and fashion collections, moderated by acclaimed design editor Diane Dorrans Saeks.
Armadillo and CA Home + Design Present A 1000 X Better” Rebel by Design Book Signing with Interior Designer Kirsten Blazek
June 6, 4pm-6pm. Armadillo, 3695 Sacramento Street, San Francisco
Book signing event: Kristen Blazek, founder and principal designer of A 1000 X Better, debuts her book “Rebel by Design – Interiors by Kristen Blazek“, hosted by Armadillo. In conversation with CA Home + Design editorial director, Lindsey Shook,Kristen will share her design philosophy and more.
Rafi Ajl at the Future Perfect
June 7, 6-8pm Opening Reception. The Future Perfect, 3085 Sacramento Street, San Francisco
The Future Perfect gallery, celebrates the exhibition opening of latest works by Berkeley-based artist Rafi Ajl, including furniture, glass works, and more. He is driven by the possibilities of materiality, curiosity, and reverence for the pressures of the creative process.
This year’s timely concept is an opportunity to gather and discuss inspiring stories through the lens of design – complete with unexpected chance encounters, bold characters, and thrilling outcomes. Design visionaries from some of the region’s leading tech firms discuss current design debates include: IDEO, Autodesk, Logitech, and many others.
San Francisco is a city built on twists and turns around a convergence of factors: a strong culture open to new ideas, extensive research and development, a long history of investor start-up funding, all of which have created the ripe conditions for its flourishing world class design leadership. Whether intentional or unexpected, change in these factors presents new opportunities for invention and creativity.
San Francisco Design Week showcases the Bay Area’s rich tradition of digital creativity and innovation. Celebrating the region’s unique blend of entrepreneurial spirit and design excellence, the festival offers insights into the factors that have propelled the Bay Area to global prominence in technology and design.
“The event facilitates critical discussions on emerging technologies and the transformative impact of design on our future.” Remarks SF Design Week Executive Director Dawn Zidonis, “The Bay Area has been the cradle for major tech giants, influencing billions of people worldwide. By pooling resources, we provide a platform for sharing the revolutionary ideas that originate from here.”
Admission: All-Access Professional One Pass $99; students/$59; Design Leader $149 (unless event is noted otherwise: some have a per event ticket price, and some are included in the OnePass price). Visit Registration Here.
The 2024 San Francisco Design Week Awards:
Where Innovation Meets Social Responsibility
Not just another design competition. The San Francisco Design Week Awards is an international design competition seeking to encourage thought leadership by supporting designers whose works can contribute towards a positive future for society. SFDW is the premier gathering of the world’s most active design community.
Entries for the prestigious SFDW Awards will be judged by a jury composed of leading Bay Area design professionals; those selected will be showcased and have a permanent presence on the SFDW Awards website. For more than 18 years SFDW has provided design professionals with the opportunity to grow their networks, enhance their visibility, find investors for future products that are shaping the future and build their careers. SF Design Week welcomes applicants from across the entire range of design industries.
Juried by top industry professionals:Jay Ganaden, Director, Adobe FireflyKarin Hibma Cronan, Co-Founder, Hibma::Cronan “100 Most Creative People in Business” Fast CompanyJohn Clarke, Founder, John Clarke ArchitectsSabra Ballon, Principal of ballonSTUDIO Xiaobi Iris Pan, Sr. Product Designer, AmazonSheldon Eaton, Founder, Vicinity ArchitectsHoman Rajai and Elena Dendiberia, Co-Founders, Studio AHEAD
About San Francisco Design Week
The Future Started Here:
Launched in 2006, San Francisco Design Week (SFDW) is an essential week-long regional festival that showcases the unique intersection of ideas, design, business & entrepreneurism that makes the Bay Area the birthplace of the future.
Now a global phenomenon, San Francisco’s international success is born from a historically free-spirited entrepreneurialism, coupled with the imaginative vision of contemporary design and state-of-the-art technology. Pioneers of new ways of looking at the world, nimble Bay Area start-ups are now among the world’s most influential design-led companies, producing products, services and experiences that profoundly influence the daily lives of billions of people globally.
Through approximately 75 events, SFDW celebrates this spirit of newness by providing attendees unique access to conversations and virtual tours with the designers who are shaping the future — from architecture to fashion, product design to digital services, and everything in between.
SFDW is produced by nonprofit organization Design Bay Area in partnership with IDSA,Center for Architecture+Design, AIA, SFFAMA, SEGD, SDN, IXDA, local consulates, design universities, neighborhood associations and museums.
2024 THEME PARTNER:
The SFDW theme, visual identity, and campaign has been created in collaboration with design firm Pact Studio, a San Francisco-based branding studio committed to developing distinct and strategic brand identities with intentional points of view.
2024 Major sponsors include: Adobe, Mucho, Pact Studio, Robert Half, Retronyms, and others.
