International Design Day 2026: Exploring “The Spaces In Between”

26.04.2026 ICoD news

Once a year, the global design community does something that does not happen nearly often enough — we stop, gather, and remind one another why design matters.

On 27 April, designers, educators, students, organisations, and communities across the world will mark International Design Day, the annual celebration to reflect on the role design plays in shaping society.

In 2026, SEGD is honoured to serve as the global host, bringing together conversations and local activations across time zones under this year’s theme: “The Spaces In Between.”

Across continents, disciplines, and decades of practice, designers continue to return to the same belief — that design can do more. It can connect people to place, turn ideas into experiences, and help communities see themselves in the spaces they inhabit.

This year’s theme invites us to look beyond finished objects and toward the thresholds where design quietly does its most meaningful work: the moments between object and feeling, between institution and community, between where the profession is today and where it still hopes to go.

A Global Day of Conversations

To explore these ideas, SEGD has curated 11 free conversations, each premiering every 90 minutes beginning at 06:00 ET, on SEGD’s YouTube and LinkedIn channels.

Across 24 hours of programming, designers, curators, educators, and leaders will reflect on how design shapes connection, belonging, and the human experience.

Streaming Line-up

06:00 ET — The Global Context: Why International Design Day Matters 
Melike Taşcıoğlu Vaughan, Jonas Liugaila & Jacques Lange | International Council of Design
Three generations of ICoD leadership reflect on the origins and purpose of International Design Day, exploring how design advocacy has evolved globally and why a unified voice for design matters more than ever.

07:30 ET — The Theme Made Visible 
Lucy Holmes | Founder & Creative Director, Holmes Studio
The designer behind the International Design Day 2026 visual identity reflects on translating an abstract theme into a visual language that expresses connection, transition, and human experience.

09:00 ET — Imagination, Hope and the Possibility of Design
Ashley Lukasik | Founder & CEO, Murmur Ring
Sue Walsh | Principal, SYPartners
A conversation on design’s expanding role in shaping cultural dialogue, exploring how imagination and immersive experience can create new possibilities for the future.

10:30 ET — Architecture, Community, and What We Build Together
Carole Wedge, FAIA | EVP & CEO, American Institute of Architects
A reflection on architecture’s civic responsibility and how the built environment can strengthen communities through inclusive, people-centred design.

12:00 ET — Design at Historic Scale
Aki Carpenter | VP & Chief Creative Officer, RAA Global Studios | SEGD Board President
From presidential centres to national museums, Aki Carpenter shares insights from designing exhibitions that hold complex histories while creating space for dialogue and healing.

13:30 ET — The Philosophy of Experience
David Schwarz | Co-Founder & Creative Director, HUSH
A philosophical exploration of experiential design, examining how time, emotion, and storytelling shape the way people encounter and remember places.

15:00 ET — Equity, Community, and the Stakes of Design
Nu Goteh | Founder, Room for Magic | Co-Founder, Deem Journal
Nu Goteh discusses design’s power to create spaces of belonging and how equity-centred practice can reshape the environments people move through every day.

16:30 ET — Belonging, Learning and Radical Empathy
Lee-Sean Huang | Co-Executive Director of Learning & Programs, AIGA
A discussion about designing for genuine belonging, exploring how empathy and collaboration can transform communities and institutions.

18:00 ET — The Spaces We Inhabit
Cheryl S. Durst, Hon. FIIDA | EVP & CEO, International Interior Design Association
Cheryl Durst reflects on the values embedded in the spaces we inhabit and how design shapes who feels welcomed, recognised, and represented.

19:30 ET — Legacy, Curiosity, and What Endures
Lisa Demetrios | Chief Curator, Eames Institute of Infinite Curiosity
A conversation about curiosity, legacy, and the enduring lessons of Charles and Ray Eames as the Eames Institute builds a new museum campus.

21:00 ET — The Space Between a Brand and a Human Being
Joanne Chan | CEO, Turner Duckworth | SEGD Board Member
An exploration of the emotional connection between brand and audience, and how design creates meaning beyond visual identity.

All eleven conversations are free and open to everyone. To join the livestream throughout the day, simply subscribe to SEGD’s YouTube channel or join SEGD’s LinkedIn Event, where each session will premiere every 90 minutes beginning at 06:00 ET.

Design Happening Around the World

International Design Day is not only about conversations. Around the world, SEGD chapters are activating their local communities through workshops, tours, talks, and design labs, exploring how design connects people, place, and experience.

Latvia and Canada Events

Riga, Latvia 27 April | 14:00–16:00
International Design Day Workshop
A collaborative workshop at Design Studio H2E exploring how design fosters connection and shared meaning while strengthening Latvia’s design community.

Vancouver, Canada 27 April | 18:00–20:00
The Spaces In Between: Where Digital Meets Human
An evening of talks and discussion examining how design bridges digital and physical experiences.

United States Events 

Raleigh / Durham, North Carolina 23 April | 15:00–18:00
Experiential Graphics at Dollar Shave Club
A guided tour of Dollar Shave Club’s Durham headquarters exploring how murals, historic architecture, and brand storytelling shape the workplace environment.

Boston, Massachusetts (Virtual) 27 April | 19:00–20:15
SEGD – Careers that Bridge the Spaces Between Us
A virtual introduction to experiential graphic design and the interdisciplinary careers shaping environments and narratives.

Denver, Colorado 27 April | 17:00–20:00
Between Idea & Object: Inside Make West
A studio tour exploring the process of transforming ideas into physical experiences.

Salt Lake City, Utah 27 April | 18:00–20:00
International Design Day Charrette
A collaborative design charrette reimagining the future role of the Garden Center at Sugar House Park.

San Francisco / Berkeley, California 28 April | 17:30–20:00
Tinkering Monkey & the Future of Sign Fabrication
A behind-the-scenes look at how 3D printing and additive manufacturing are transforming signage fabrication.

Minneapolis, Minnesota 29 April | 15:00–17:00
The Spaces In Between – Mosaic Workshop
A hands-on workshop creating custom tile pieces while supporting a local community initiative.

Chicago, Illinois 29 April | 17:30–20:00
International Design Day Celebration
An evening gathering celebrating Chicago’s design community and creative culture.

Detroit, Michigan 30 April | 14:00–16:00
Dr. Ossian Sweet Memorial Park Tour
A guided exploration of an award-winning project where storytelling, history, and public space intersect.

New York City, New York 30 April | 17:30–20:00
Sound Design and the Built Environment
A discussion examining how sound shapes spatial experience and emotional connection.

Richmond, Virginia 30 April | 17:30–18:30
Tredegar Site Transformation Tour
A guided tour exploring the evolution of Richmond’s historic Tredegar site and Allianz Amphitheater.

Cincinnati, Ohio 30 April | 18:00–20:00
Illuminating the In-Between – Design Lab
An interactive workshop encouraging collaborative exploration of ideas connecting people and place.

Seattle, Washington 27 April | 17:00–19:30
International Design Day – Ride the Link
An urban adventure exploring transit design and wayfinding aboard Seattle’s new light rail line.

Charlotte, North Carolina 7 May | 16:30–18:00
The Spaces In Between Poster Design Workshop
A hands-on workshop using reclaimed materials to explore community and creative expression.