The Dutch Design Week is an event dedicated to Dutch design that takes place in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, in the last week of October. Eindhoven, partly due to the presence of the Philips Headquarters for Benelux, is a city devoted to design. Established in 2002, the design festival takes place during the last week of October and lasts nine days. It features exhibitions, studio visits, workshops, seminars, and parties throughout the city.
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Dutch Design Week 2023, Waterwall Fountain, photo Max Kneefel
Eindhoven: a city devoted to design
The event hosts companies such as Philips, Philips Design, as well as the famous Design Academy Eindhoven, which participates here with numerous installations and talks. In 20 years, Dutch Design Week has reached about 120 different events, and more than 300,000 visitors. Ambassadors of past editions include Li Edelkoort, president of the Design Academy Eindhoven from 1999 to 2008, Stefano Boeri, Marcus Fairs, Formafantasma, and other renowned architects and designers.
The social side of design
DDW (Dutch Design Week) is a stage for all the world’s design. Here designers meet, exchange knowledge and information, and the general public can explore and see where the design of the future is going. Innovation, expertise and talent are the keywords throughout the design festival, which brings together more than 2,600 designers. For the general public and the professionals this is an opportunity to delve into the social aspect of design.
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Dutch Design Week 2023, photo by Max Kneefel
Dutch Design Week 2024
The Dutch Design Week 2024 edition runs from October 19 to 27 and takes place in many different locations. The festival revolves around different leading themes and hosts various kinds of events and locations. The exhibitions are on different subjects: Signature & Collectible Design, Speculative & Social Design, Product & Craft Design, Service & Innovative Design, and Independent & Critical Design. The leading themes are Thriving Planet, Living Environment, Health & Wellbeing, Equal Society and Digital Future. Of particular interest is the youth program, DDW Young Route. It’s divided by age groups: 6-10 years, 10-14 years and over 14 years.
Real Unreal
The theme for 2024 is Real Unreal, and we can mention various exhibitions. In the Living Environment theme, at Piet Hein Eek, Strijp-R area, Teun Zwets showcases furniture from waste materials. Secrid Talent Podium, at Klokgebouw, spotlights talented product designers using creativity to drive sustainable industry change.
In the Thriving Planet theme, the Cooling Down the city exhibition, at NRE Terrain, Canal Zone. An innovative collaboration between designers and nature to tackle urban heat stress. With immersive speculative installations, including a green spa surrounding a revived oak tree. Designing Society, a Ketelhuisplein blends creativity, scientific insight, and corporate responsibility to envision a sustainable future.
For the Digital Future theme, Poetics of Prompting, at the MU Hybrid Art House, explores the emerging “language” of AI-human collaboration. The installation Processing the Unprocessed, in the Health & Wellbeing theme, in the Sectie-C area, invites visitors to experience the healing journey.
The Equal Society theme hosts the Trilix Bamboo Pavilion, at Ketelhuisplein, an eco-friendly architectural marvel, demonstrating bamboo’s potential in sustainable urban design. Temple of Peace at Ketelhuisplein, is a powerful artistic installation that brings together 80 unique flags, symbolizing new narratives of peace.
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Dutch Design Week 2023, photo by Max Kneefel
New 2024 program: Mission Days
DDW Mission Days, a new program for Dutch Design Week 2024, aims to facilitate meetings between designers and trade visitors. From Monday, October 21, to Friday, October 25, DDW and partners will host five themed days around missions.
During these Mission Days, DDW’s design and expert community will share insights, expertise, and networks through various workshops, conferences, tours, and events. Each day, there is a broad program with morning sessions, afternoon tours, and an evening program called DDW at Night. Professionals can curate their own Mission Day based on their preferences and schedule.
Why Visit
Dutch Design Week is one of the most interesting design festivals, thanks to the participation of the Dutch Design Academy in Eindhoven, and the presence of Philips, which has its Headquarters in Belgium here, and Philips Design. DDW thus becomes an ideal destination to discover where design is going, as a tool to change reality. Design, innovation, technology, are the drivers driving tomorrow’s world. The themes investigated by designers in this edition, which features more than 120 events, are global warming, digital future, and inclusive society.
Dutch Design Week, October 19-27, 2024
For professionals and general public
Size: over 120 events, 300,000 visitors
Visit Dutch Design Week website Ddw.nl for info
Some images from Dutch Design Week 2023
