San Francisco Design Week Kicks Off with the Dynamic Theme 'POWER'

The 15^th edition annual San Francisco Design Week (SFDW), which typically attracts 60,000 visitors yearly from around the world, kicked off its all-online program on June 7, celebrating the dynamic theme ‘Power’. Power is everywhere. It's local and global, personal and public, selfish and selfless. There is power in the food we eat, the music we make, and the ideas we share. Power is 'a seat at the table', a movement, a path forward, and a new beginning. The event will go on until June 13. 

San Francisco Design Week Logo. Photo credit: Designed by Manual.

SFDW invites the design community to reconsider the way we think about power and how, by questioning existing institutions, we can use our collective abilities to help distribute and delegate power with equitable intentions.

'A Seat At The Table' - HERO Image. Photo credit: SF Design Week 2021 Campaign by Landscape.

Discussions about societal change, and the role of designers in leading the charge, will be at the forefront of many SFDW events. Highlights include talks, webinars, web conferences, and virtual tours with leading designers in multi-disciplines, from user experience, interactive design, VR Experiences, and Virtual Art to branding, architecture, interior design, and fashion.

Most events require an All-Access Pass, $39.99 unless otherwise stated in the registration information.

'With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility' - POWER Poster. Photo credit: SF Design Week 2021 Campaign by Landscape.

Highlights

OFFICIAL KEYNOTE KICK-OFF: ALANA WASHINGTON 

Monday, June 7, 8:30 am PDT

PODCAST: TECHNICALLY SPEAKING WITH HARRISON WHEELER

Monday, June 7; Tuesday, June 8; Wednesday, June 9; Thursday, June 10; Friday, June 11; Weekdays 12:00 PM PDT

The Technically Speaking podcast amplifies the voices of underrepresented leaders to inspire the next generation of black and brown designers through authentic, thought-provoking, and immersive story-telling.
The conversations will cover a wide scope of insightful topics like communication effective design, activism, career tips, and everything in between. Take a journey through the in's and out's of UX with host, Harrison Wheeler.

Event Series

How to Design for Emoji Inclusivity with Jenny 8. Lee, Co-Founder, Emojination and Yiying Lu, San Francisco Arts Commissioner & Adobe Global Creative Ambassador 

Thursday, June 10, 2:00 PM PDT Details

'How To Design for Inclusivity', Adobe Webinar along with 'The Emoji Story' documentary film screenings. Photo credit: Courtesy of Adobe and SF Design Week.

The Reinvention of Illustration with Adobe’s Vice President of Design Eric Snowden 

Tuesday, June 8, 4:00 PM PDT Details

A WORKSHOP ON HOW AN EMOJI BECOMES AN EMOJI

Wednesday, June 9, 1 pm PDT Details

'How an Emoji Becomes an Emoji', Adobe Workshop along with 'The Emoji Story' documentary film screenings. Photo credit: Courtesy of Adobe and SF Design Week.

THE EMOJI STORY, A Documentary

June 7 - June 13 PDT Details

‘BLOODLINE’ FILM SCREENING AND A COOKING
DEMO WITH CHEF TU

Friday, June 11, 9 am PDT Details

DESIGNING LEADERSHIP, Led by ELISE GRANADOS/ NIKE

Friday, June 11, 11 am PDT Details

THE POWER OF DESIGN: KIDS & ART FOUNDATION and CALIFORNIA COLLEGE OF THE ARTS

Sunday, June 13, 3 PM PDT Details

SUPERPOWER HOUR

Monday, June 7, 3 PM PDT Details

A workshop led by Eric Bailey (VP User Experience, Zillow Group) and design leader Donald Burlock Jr, including a light presentation mixed with individual drawing/writing exercises and closing with small group discussion.

SFMOMA VIRTUAL TOUR

Monday, June 7, 3 pm PDT Details

INCLUSIVE & ETHICAL DESIGN LEADERSHIP

Tuesday, June 8, 5 pm PDT Details

A HISTORY OF ARAB GRAPHIC DESIGN, Led by Bahia Shehab and Haytham Nawar

Tuesday, June 8, 5 pm PDT Details

"Spotlight with Zahid Sardar" series

This series is a dynamic virtual forum, hosted by acclaimed California design editor Zahid Sardar. The talks illuminate ideas and creativity where design is engaged to solve everything from global issues affecting billions of people, to rarified, customized design programs. The 60-minute webcast format includes a visual presentation of recent work, and a personal live interview with Zahid Sardar discussing some of the most creative ideas today we can all use.

• Architect GREG FAULKNER. Hosted by FLEXFORM (Thursday, June 10, 5:00 PM PDT)
• Geographer-at-Large EAMES DEMETRIOS (Friday, June 11, 3:00 PM PDT)
• Artist & Designer WALTER HOOD (Friday, June 11, 5:00 PM PDT)

Walter Hood, Portrait of the Artist and Designer. Event: Spotlight with Zahid Sardar. Photo credit: Courtesy of Hood Design Studio.

SMALL BATCH & MADE TO ORDER, Digital and In-Person Exhibit

June 7 to June 13

The exhibit “Bay Area Made: Small Batch & Made to Order” will showcase high quality, innovative, and locally made products of the broad and diverse Bay Area Made maker community. Founded in 2017, Bay Area Made is a platform dedicated to showcasing products made in the Bay Area and the people who create them.

HIRE ME, Led by Ire Catchings III and Julia Fernandez

San Francisco Deign Week invites you to participate in Hire Me, a way to showcase your talent and get the spotlight on your unique way of solving challenges. 

GETTING STARTED AS A DESIGNER IN AR/VR, led by Diego Mendes and Morgan Chin

Friday, June 11, 1:00 PM PDT

"Cocktails With Top Designers and Architects", Presented by Diane Dorrans Saeks

This trio of webinars produced and directed by best-selling design author Diane Dorrans Saeks, celebrates this current moment in design and architecture — and faces the future of design with optimism and renewed energy.

Monday, June 7, 6 PM PDT: (Designer Gary Hutton, Designer Mead Quin, Designer Eche Martinez)

Wednesday, June 9, 6 PM PDT: (Architect Joshua Aidlin of Aidlin Darling, Architect Anne Fougeron of Fougeron Architecture, Architect Zoe Prillinger of Ogrydziak Prillinger Architects)

Thursday, June 10, 6 PM PDT: (Designer Anne Wilkinson, Principal, BAMO, Designer Susan Collins Weir of Collins Weir, Designer Catherine Kwong, Designers Leanne Conquer and Alexis Tompkins of CHROMA)

Translucence House, by Fougeron Architecture. Event: Cocktails With Top Designers, Diane Dorrans Saeks 'Modern Women'. Photo credit: Joe Fletcher Photography.

2021 Innovation Design Awards

The 2021 Innovation Design Awards are juried by top industry professionals. Winners are announced on June 11th. The 2021 winners’ entries will be displayed prominently and permanently online at San Francisco Design Week.

About San Francisco Design Week

Launched in 2006, San Francisco Design Week (SFDW) is an essential week-long regional festival that showcases the unique intersection of ideas, design, business & entrepreneurism that makes the Bay Area the birthplace of the future. Through approximately 150 events, SFDW celebrates the spirit of newness by providing approximately 60,000 attendees unique access to conversations and virtual tours with the designers who are shaping the future — from architecture to fashion, product design to digital services, and everything in between. San Francisco Design Week is a nonprofit organization led by a team of advisors and a core committee that represents the diversity of design disciplines in the Bay Area.