As the first and only UNESCO City of Design in the United States, the festival serves as a platform for creative collaboration, celebrating Detroit's role as a national and global design capital.

This year's theme, "City of Design," celebrates the 10th anniversary of Detroit's designation as a UNESCO City of Design. It highlights how cities in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network use design to help build a more sustainable future. We encourage submissions that showcase how Detroit designers are addressing these global challenges locally.

As the stewards of Detroit's UNESCO City of Design designation, Design Core uses the festival as an opportunity to amplify the work of Detroit designers with our UNESCO Partners, increasing the global visibility and value of Detroit's creative