The BERLIN DESIGN WEEK
in a nutshell
The BERLIN DESIGN WEEK presents new approaches and trends in a design culture focused on innovation and sustainability. As an international podium for contemporary design from teaching, research and practice, once a year it gathers the industry players and their most exciting interfaces in the capital of creatives.
BERLIN DESIGN WEEK is a platform for showcasing the diversity and depth of design in full. Design is seen in its entirety – not just as an aesthetic discipline, but as a means of offering solutions to social, technological and ecological issues. Design creates realities.
Here, designers and brands from around the world show how they can boost social change and innovation through their work.
Every spring, BERLIN DESIGN WEEK presents the work and ideas of international designers, companies, and educational and research institutions. The festival programme comprises exhibitions, talks, presentations, workshops and networking events that are held at different locations in Berlin.
Our festival formats:
One roof, one motto, many formats, many participants across Berlin.
YOU ARE THE PROGRAMME
You are completely free in what you offer as part of the BERLIN DESIGN WEEK – as long as the context of design is given and you demonstrate novelty value, relevance, quality and ethical responsibility. Typically, designers, brands, companies of all sizes, agencies, country representatives, museums, educational and research institutions present their own formats here, from exhibitions to talks, presentations and guided tours.
The program often takes place in the locations of the participants, who thus become an integral part of the BERLIN DESIGN WEEK. However, we will be happy to arrange suitable rooms for you if required.
Specialized formats as part of the BERLIN DESIGN WEEK:
Design is the bridge from research to application. With DESIGN + SCIENCE, we are creating a platform that focuses on the interplay between design, science and research. Through a series of talks, panels, workshops and exhibitions, we connect designers, architects, researchers, engineers, innovative companies and academic institutions. Our aim is to demonstrate the potential of interdisciplinary collaboration and to explore how these synergies can shape the future.
We shed light on how research and technology open up unlimited possibilities and how design makes these innovations accessible, gives them social relevance and creates an ethical framework. We want to inspire reflection and show how the influence of design and science can shape a positive future.
The DESIGN POOL is a hybrid format of trade fair and market. Designers and producers are here to make deals: either to take home or for the order-book. The DESIGN POOL only lasts two days, but our participants are always on site to talk to shoppers and trend spotters. They are typically looking for small series, special editions, products with sophisticated craftsmanship or unique materials in the areas of interiors, furniture, fashion, jewelry and accessories. 2025 DESIGN POOL will take place on May 17—18. The location is yet to be announced.
During the BERLIN DESIGN NIGHTS, a wide variety of locations celebrate a design event for two evenings (sometimes even nights) across the city of Berlin. Design studios, galleries, agencies and universities open their doors and invite the public from Berlin and around the world to get to know their work, engage in conversation and network.
Our visitors plan their Tour de Design with the help of our online and offline maps and are offered routes that are optimized by district and opening time. In 2025, the BERLIN DESIGN NIGHTS will take place on May 15.
Questions?
When does the BERLIN DESIGN WEEK take place?
Every year in May. In 2025 it will take place from 15-18.05. takes place.
What is the story behind the BERLIN DESIGN WEEK?
Berlin, UNESCO City of Design since 2006, has not had a design event since the end of the DMY festival in 2016. In response to this gap, Alexandra Klatt and Max Borka activated a group of Berlin design players. In the same year, a small design festival with exhibitions, panels, showrooms and film evenings was created at 10 different locations in Berlin. Coordination Berlin, Atelier Haussmann, Made in Sishane, Crafting Plastics, Bezalel Design Academy, Joa Herrenknecht, Schömig Porzellan, UDK and HTW Berlin and others prepared the ground for something new. Alexandra Klatt, CEO of state of DESIGN GmbH, then initiated today's BERLIN DESIGN WEEK, which has become Berlin's leading design event with a growing community and international reach.
Since summer 2024, BDW has been supported by state of DESIGN GmbH, on time PR Gmbh and H.O.M.E. organized as a joint venture with the clear vision of establishing BERLIN DESIGN WEEK as a significant design hub in Europe. The BERLIN DESIGN WEEK sees itself not just as an event, but as a movement that brings the city's creative potential to the world stage.Which design disciplines are represented at the BERLIN DESIGN WEEK?
We are interdisciplinary: visual communication, product design, textile and surface design, interaction design through to circular design, new materials and manufacturing processes, urban planning and architecture. New focal points emerge from year to year.
What event formats does the BERLIN DESIGN WEEK offer?
Exhibitions, talks, presentations, lectures, showrooms, product presentations, experiments, interactive installations, pop-up stores, performances, workshops and networking events that take place at various locations in Berlin.
What is different about the BERLIN DESIGN WEEK compared to other design weeks around the world?
Every Design Week carries the DNA of its city. Berlin is an internationally attractive location as the capital of creativity, an internationally renowned science hub and a dynamic business location in the heart of Europe. As a major laboratory for sustainability, research and entrepreneurship, it is a breeding ground for innovation - and so at BERLIN DESIGN WEEK you will find a focus on sustainable projects, interactive approaches and bridges to technology and science. We see design not only as a creator of beautiful things, but also as a driver of solutions for socially relevant challenges.
Why should you visit the BERLIN DESIGN WEEK?
Fill up on inspiration, learn, network, immerse yourself in Berlin: no other event presents design in such a holistic, networked and diverse way. From up-and-coming to established designers, from design studios to research institutions - everyone comes together here to exchange ideas, drive innovation and talk about the future of design. Everyone can be in the thick of it.
Which visitors is the BERLIN DESIGN WEEK aimed at?
It is aimed at an audience of design professionals who are looking for an intensive exchange and want to absorb the latest findings, as well as anyone who is curious, looking for inspiration and wants to help shape the future.
Does the visit cost anything and do I need a ticket?
Most of the BERLIN DESIGN WEEK events and locations are free of charge, but we do ask you to register. Individual events may be subject to a fee or limited in the number of participants. You can find information on this in the program under the respective program item.
I would like to visit the BERLIN DESIGN WEEK, how do I find my highlights?
Our program is usually online 8 weeks in advance. With various filters and an online map, you can find what interests you or what is currently on your way. If you register, you can bookmark your personal highlights. Subscribe to our newsletter and follow our social media channels so that we can provide you with updates and tips.
Are the locations barrier-free?
Generally yes, but as we want to enable many locations to participate, we cannot guarantee it for all of them. We will answer this question for each individual location in the program under the respective program item.
Why become part of the BERLIN DESIGN WEEK?
Which participants are well suited to the BERLIN DESIGN WEEK?
What does participation cost?
How can I become a participant?
Choose the right format for your topic, project or product and then register via our website. If you are unsure where you are best placed, please contact us(application@berlindesignweek.com). Please note that registration is binding.
What requirements do I have to fulfill as a participant?
Why become a partner of the BERLIN DESIGN WEEK?
Which partners are a good fit for BERLIN DESIGN WEEK?
How can I become a partner?
We are open to financial sponsorship, but we also appreciate partners who make contributions in kind: Locations, media, PR, media production, mobility and much more.
Would you like to look ahead with us? Get in touch with us:
sayhello@berlindesignweek.com.
