DesignTO is a nonprofit arts organization that promotes design awareness to the general public. Indeed, it believes that design is the engine of a more sustainable world.
DesignTO is best known for the DesignTO Festival, Canada’s largest annual design festival, founded in 2011. The Toronto Festival celebrates design as a multidisciplinary form of creative thinking and creation; each edition hosts more than 100 free exhibitions and events, bringing Toronto Design Week to life each January.
In January 2023, the DesignTO festival featured more than 500 artists and designers, and welcomed more than 160,000 visitors.
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Bartlett March Urban Design – Videogame Urbanism Student Exhibition, 2017
DesignTO in Toronto: a design festival impacting the territory
Some data show that the DesignTO festival has a very positive impact on Toronto. In 12 years, the Festival has produced over 1,000 events, over 100 in 2023 alone. It has involved over 6,000 artists and designers, over 500 in 2023 alone. Visitors to the various events, including exhibitions, presentations and talks, totaled more than 160,000 in 2023, over 950,000 since 2011, attracting more than 19,000 tourists. And the figures on the economic impact generated by the DesignTO festival on Toronto are really interesting. In fact, the Festival produced more than $11.3 million in tourism spending, increasing direct GDP +$5.9 million, and $9.5 million in total economic impact on GDP.
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DesignTO festival and the promotion of schools and young designers
In collaboration with the University of the Arts London (UAL), DesignTO highlighted Canadian and British designers. In addition, faculty, students and alumni from UAL and OCAD dialogued with each other and with experts in the field, talking about research and creativity in design.
DesignTO Youth, on the other hand, is a community engagement program that gives young people access to creative disciplines, culminating in a public exhibition of their work at the DesignTO Festival. For 2022-23, DesignTO Youth has partnered with JAYU, a charity that shares human rights stories through the arts and conversation. Thus, young artists have the opportunity to imagine Toronto’s future.
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The DesignTo Awards
The DesignTO Awards started in 2013 with the iconic design brand Herman Miller. Since then, the DesignTO Awards has partnered with organizations such as DIALOG and Yabu Pushelberg.
DesignTO recognizes design excellence in the Festival each year with up to 24 DesignTO Awards. An annual jury of designers and industry experts vote for the ‘Founders,’ ‘Emerging Artist/Designer’ and ‘Best Product’ awards, as well as three ‘Best in Festival’ categories and three ‘Juror’s Choice’ each, while the public votes for four ‘People’s Choice’ awards.
Awardees are recognized and celebrated through DesignTO’s extensive network. Prizes accompany most awards.
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Why visit
The DesignTO festival engages the design community and citizens in a positive development throughout the city. The events, exhibitions, and presentations revolve around all the issues surrounding design. Several talks, with experts and internationally renowned designers, address a wide range of topics.
The aim of the Festival, in fact, is to make the general public love design and understand its value.
With more than 100 exhibitions and product presentations, talks, and guided tours, the DesignTO festival is an ideal place to expand design knowledge, especially among the general public.
DesignTO, various locations, Toronto, January 19-28, 2024
DesignTO is e design festival open to the general public
Size: 500 exhibitors, designers and artists, 160.000 visitors in 2023
Visit website DesignTo.com for more info on venues and exhibitions
