About
Who We Are
NYCxDESIGN is a non-profit organization dedicated to uniting New York City’s vibrant Design community. We are the essential resource for fostering connections and nurturing partnerships between disciplines, practitioners, scholars, and supporters of New York City’s diverse and vital Design community.
Mission
Unite, advance and strengthen NYC’s diverse and global design community.
Beliefs
As a discipline focused on making our world more accessible, sustainable, functional, equitable and beautiful, Design is most powerful and effective when practiced amongst an inclusive, connected and vital community.
New York City is a place of unmatched diversity and vitality, where the positive impact of its Design community—the largest in the world—can be greater here than anywhere else.
By uniting New York City’s design practitioners, leaders, scholars and supporters in meaningful ways, we ignite solutions that can provide positive individual and societal improvements.
Vision
New York City will serve as a global beacon and destination for Design across all its forms and disciplines, to produce sustainable and positive impact that meets individual and societal needs.
Value
NYCxDESIGN plays a vital role in connecting and amplifying the robust design culture of New York City. It not only enriches the creative landscape but also has far-reaching economic, educational, and cultural benefits for the industry, the City, its businesses, residents and visitors.
NYCxDESIGN’s core values are centered in community and creativity with an ever-present consciousness of inclusivity, equality, diversity, sustainability and regenerative design for humanity’s greater good.
Economic Impact: The design industry is a significant contributor to New York City’s economy. NYCxDESIGN brings in a large number of visitors, which has a positive impact on local businesses.
Fostering Creativity and Collaboration: NYCxDESIGN creates a vibrant and dynamic environment where designers from various disciplines can come together, share ideas, and collaborate on projects.
Showcasing Innovation: NYCxDESIGN serves as a platform for designers, artists, and innovators to display their creations and ideas.
Educational Opportunities: NYCxDESIGN often includes workshops, seminars, and lectures, providing valuable learning experiences for emerging and established designers, students and aspiring designers.
Promoting Design as a Career: By showcasing the achievements and impact of designers, especially those based in NYC, it encourages young talent to consider design as a viable and fulfilling career path.
Cultural Exchange: NYCxDESIGN attracts a diverse range of participants and attendees from around the world, fostering cultural exchange and exposing attendees to different design philosophies, styles, and techniques.
Sustainable Design Advocacy: NYCxDESIGN often features discussions and exhibitions focused on sustainable and eco-friendly design practices, encouraging the industry to adopt more environmentally conscious approaches.
Supporting Diverse Local Talent: NYCxDESIGN provides a platform for local designers and artisans of all backgrounds to gain recognition and exposure. This is crucial for sustaining a thriving design community within the city and ensuring inclusivity and attention.
City Branding: NYCxDESIGN helps in establishing New York City’s reputation as a global design and cultural capital, and attracts designers and design enthusiasts, elevating the city’s overall image and appeal.
History
In 2011, a comprehensive Bloomberg Administration survey underscored the immense size and influence of New York City's design community and prompted the creation of NYCxDESIGN through a City Council initiative. This endeavor aimed to convene and promote the flourishing design industry within the city and promote industry tourism.
The overseeing City organizations NYC & Company – now known as NYC Tourism and Convention – and the New York City Economic Development Corporation, appointed Edward Hogikyan to spearhead the official ‘design week’, named NYCxDESIGN Festival. Over its eight formative years, Hogikyan successfully elevated NYCxDESIGN Festival to become one of the preeminent design festivals globally, joining Milan, Paris, and London on the design world stage.
Inaugurated in May 2012, NYCxDESIGN Festival recognized and promoted the achievements of established design events and fairs in New York City, including ICFF, and the younger WantedDesign. Throughout the subsequent decade, additional anchor events were introduced to enhance the NYCxDESIGN Festival experience, including Design Pavilion that heightened public awareness, the NYCxDESIGN Awards presented by Interior Design Magazine, and the NYCxDESIGN Student Showcase.
In September 2020, with the support and assistance of SANDOW, the notable publishing company, NYCxDESIGN underwent a significant transformation, transitioning into a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. This strategic shift positioned the entity for sustained success in serving New York City’s dynamic design community and fostering increased tourism in celebration of its annual design festival.
Today, NYCxDESIGN initiatives are governed by a Board of Directors, implemented and managed by an Executive Director and team, and advised by a Steering Committee of industry, academic, and community peers.
The Power of Design in New York
New York City stands out as one of the foremost design capitals globally, with its design culture ingrained in its DNA, creative vitality, and economic fabric.
NYC boasts the highest concentration of designers and architects per capita compared to any other city worldwide, featuring an impressive landscape with over 60,000 designers and architects, 8,000 design and architectural firms, and a rich tapestry of 1,000 museums and galleries. The city is also home to ten of the world’s premier design schools.
As the epicenter of the world’s largest design community, New York City possesses an unparalleled inherent design audience, making it the prime gateway for brands seeking entry into the U.S. market.
NYCxDESIGN actively positions NYC as an authentic design destination, a pivotal nexus where design culture converges with industry. It functions as a dynamic connector and platform for idea exchange, bolstering and unifying the city’s influential and diverse design sectors.
NYCxDESIGN Festival
At the heart of NYCxDESIGN’s mission lies the NYCxDESIGN Festival, an annual citywide celebration featuring hundreds of design events, from exhibits and trade shows to talks and tours, drawing hundreds of thousands of attendees from near and far, making it a must-attend for design enthusiasts worldwide.
The NYCxDESIGN Festival is New York City’s official celebration of design, and its most impactful annual design event. Each year the Festival is an opportunity to spotlight New York City as a leading global design center, build opportunities for diverse design voices, and key to our position as a cultural capital.
Guests enjoy curated program tracks dedicated to these categories:
→ Architecture
→ Interior Design
→ Industrial + Product Design
→ Graphic Design
→ Landscape Architecture
→ Urban Design
→ Technology x Design
→ Art x Design
→ Entertainment x Design
NYCxDESIGN Opportunities
NYCxDESIGN extends its impact beyond the annual Festival by leading year-round programs that champion diversity, equity, and inclusion within the city’s design professions. Through public activations and open events, we aim to inspire young individuals to envision themselves as future designers and problem solvers.
Year-round, NYCxDESIGN amplifies the voices of New York City designers through:
→ NYCxDESIGN Keynote, high level presentations
→ Design Pavilion, immersive outdoor public activations
→ NYCxDESIGN Mic podcast
→ NYCxDESIGN Awards presented by Interior Design Magazine
→ NYCxDESIGN Design Tours and Talks, highlighting NYC’s most creative minds
→ Ode to NYC poster campaign
→ Emerging Designer Residency, supporting the work of designers in the early stages of their careers
→ And there is so much more to explore!
Board of Directors
Director
Michael H. Cohen
Global Marketing and Communications Executive
Secretary
Elan Cole
Designer, Writer, Creative Director
Director
Emmanuel Curling
Financial Advisor, Park Hill Wealth Management Group at UBS
Treasurer
Emanuela Frattini Magnusson
Founding Principal, EFM Group
Director
Pascale Sablan
CEO, Adjaye Associates NY
Director
Alan M. Siegel
Alan M. Siegel
Partner, Levy, Sonet & Siegel, LLP
Director
Amaechi Uzoigwe
Amaechi Uzoigwe
Co-Founder / CEO of Algorythmic Arts
Director
Kimberly Weinrick
Kimberly Weinrick
Strategic Communications
Rock The Street, Wall Street
Board Advisor
Sonia Park
Sonia Park
Vice President, New York City Economic Development Corporation
Team
Executive Director
Ilene Shaw
Producer
Bethany McHugh
Producer
Michael Ruocco
Communications
Nicole Tripodis
Web Manager
Kyrie Hanyong Yang
Ongoing Supporters
® I LOVE NEW YORK is a registered trademark and service mark of the New York State Department of Economic Development; used with permission.
Steering Committee
