DesignPhiladelphia Festival

Mission Statement:

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.

About:

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.