In October of each year, Dutch Design Week (DDW) takes place in Eindhoven. The biggest design event in Northern Europe presents work and ideas of more than 2600 designers to more than 335,000 visitors from home and abroad. In more than a hundred locations across the city, DDW organizes and facilitates exhibitions, lectures, prize ceremonies, networking events, debates and festivities.
DDW is notable in the calendar of design events in that it concentrates strongly on the designs of the future. Although during the event every imaginable discipline and aspect of design is on offer, the emphasis is on experiment, innovation and cross-overs. Exceptional attention each year goes to work and development of young talent.
DDW all began back in 1998. In that year the Vormgeversoverleg (a designers collaborative) organized the first Day of Design. Objective: introducing entrepreneurs to designers. The event, which took place annually in Eindhoven, attracted more interest each year and grew exponentially. The Day of Design became the Week of Design in 2002 and ultimately in 2005 it was renamed Dutch Design Week (DDW).
DDW is optimistic and believes in the problem-solving capabilities of designers. They have demonstrated that they dispose of the inventiveness and flexibility of mind that can lead to innovations that our rapidly changing world so craves.
This year’s DDW will take place from October 20-28, with registration now open, and a full programme published on the event’s official website, linked here. The registration deadline for 2018 has recently been extended to July 31.
