ABOUT DESIGNPHILADELPHIA

DesignPhiladelphia is a 10-day festival that happens every October.  The festival is produced by the Center for Architecture and Design in order to highlight Philadelphia as a hub for design excellence, support economic opportunities for local designers, and demonstrate to the public the impact of design on our everyday lives.

We know that Philadelphia is a DESIGN city – we know that designers are a critical part of our local economy.  We want to provide them the opportunity, show them off to the rest of the world, and support them by serving as a resource to help them thrive.

We also believe that thoughtful design can inspire and empower people within their local communities. This is why we produce the festival and convene over 130 events every October – to show the public the impact and power of design and how it can make our city and our lives better.  We curate exhibitions, tours, programs, and workshops all over the City of Philadelphia so that locals and visitors alike can see Philadelphia the way that we do – one of America’s most creative and robust design cities.
 

HISTORY

Philadelphia is a unique city with a strong history and tradition in design, manufacturing, and architecture. The days of being called “the workshop of the world” are in the past, but Philadelphia’s identity as a hub for creative activity never vanished - instead it was transformed. The opportunities for design exploration and innovation through the wealth of cultural institutions, universities, and an expanding entrepreneurial base are endless. In this setting, the DesignPhiladelphia Festival emerged in 2005 to identify, celebrate and raise the profile of this city’s creative economy.

 

MISSION

DesignPhiladelphia’s mission is to make Philadelphia a hub for design excellence, support economic opportunities for local designers, and demonstrate to the public the impact of design on our everyday lives.

 

	STAFF			STEERING COMMITTEE
	Rebecca Johnson | Executive Director			Tim Barnes | Shiftspace
	Elizabeth Paul | Communications Director			Cary Betagole | Sidedoor Co-op
	Jermaine Jenkins | Director of Development and Strategic Partnerships			Karin Copeland | Creativexchange
	The Mercer Suite, Tiffany Mercer-Robbins | Communications and Creative Design			Royce Epstein | Mohawk
				Saeed Ferguson | ALLCAPSSTUDIO
				Neil Frauenglass | 36 Craven
				Sylvie Gallier Howard | City of Philadelphia, Department of Commerce
				Kristina Jenkins | Visit Philly
				Antoinette Marie Johnson | COHERE
				Eric Kaplan | NextFab
				Shannon Maldonando | Yowie
				Bernardo Margulis | AIGA Philadelphia + Makes Me Happy
				Chris McAdams | Temple University, Tyler School of Art, Architecture Department
				Natalie Nixon | Figure8 Thinking
				Walé Oyéjidé | Ikire Jones
				Pia Panaligan | Senpai+Kohai + Humanitas Movement
				Amy Rees | ex;t
				Bela Shehu | Ninobrand