Come May 15, New York City will transform into a design studio with exhibitions, street spectacles, pop-up installations, et al., immersing more than 30 neighborhoods across all boroughs in its wake. Walking down the city blocks will not feel the same as every day until May 21. A pleasant rendezvous with sculptural lighting or a glimpse at the wonderfully crafted relationship between memory and material through sculptural forms could become common when the NYCxDESIGN 2025 kicks energy into the city, and it speaks the language of design.
A celebration of creativity, community, and the belief that design isn’t just for designers — it’s for all of us — NYCxDESIGN isn’t just another design festival confined to a city center. It’s a citywide creative fest that curates a fascinating lineup of established brands and unseen talents – from within the city and around the world – showcasing furniture, lighting, architecture, interiors, and futuristic product designs.
“NYCxDESIGN is more than a showcase of creative talent… It’s a unifier,” says Ilene Shaw, Executive Director of the Festival. “It reflects the energy, innovation, and boundless creativity that make New York a global design capital. More than that, it brings people together around the idea that design truly can change lives.”
Design is for Everyone
Rolling out at the heels of Salone del Mobile 2025 in Milan, which emphasized the importance of human-centered design through its “Thought for Humans” theme, the NYCxDESIGN is based on the theme “Design is for Everyone.” With it, the week-long program of events will delve into the abyss of how design shapes our space, communities, culture, and our sense of belonging.
What to Expect This Year?
Last year’s festival pulled in over 200,000 visitors, and 2025 is set to be even bigger. Whether you’re a student, an executive, a maker, or just someone who appreciates cool spaces and clever design, there’s something in the design fair for you. Some highlights you shouldn’t miss are:
Design Pavilion by Lexus: This year, New York’s public design exhibition, Design Pavilion, will coincide with NYCxDESIGN in 2025. It will present an interactive and immersive environment courtesy of Lexus Ambiance. The installation by artist Nick Thomm will allow visitors to interact and create their own environment using light as a medium at the Hudson Yards Public Plaza and Gardens from May 10 through May 19.
Keynotes exploring intersection of design with photography, AI, and wellness: The keynote series to watch out for at the NYCxDESIGN will kickstart with glimpse of Coca–Cola’s never-before-seen photography legacy.
With the exhibition titled Contour, Coca–Cola will for the first time open its vault to reveal a decade’s worth of creative visuals from photographers Guy Aroch and Anna Palma that showcase how “photography has helped shape Coca–Cola’s global identity.” This exhibit will also celebrate the 110-year anniversary of the iconic Coca–Cola Contour Bottle.
Post the visual parade of the Coke company will be a story of how IBM is embracing artificial intelligence and implementing it in its design practice. Through the keynote session, IBM invites visitors to explore how AI is transforming the future of design from generative imagery to data-driven art. If you’re less into AI and wish to explore the design’s healthy meaning in our life instead, an engaging conversation chaired by Life Time’s Chief Creative Officer, Nic Berglund, will take you through how design enhances mood and creates an environment that helps us thrive.
NYCxDESIGN xSouvenir: An exhibition partnered with Cool Hunting, curated and exhibited by Boym Partners in sponsorship from Kikkerland Design, xSouvenir would feature a consortium of 73 amazing designers and artists, including Karim Rashid, Scott Henderson, David Weeks, and Joey Zeledon, displaying their unique collectible pieces inspired by New York City’s energy, culture, and charm.
The International Influence: NYCxDESIGN has its wings spread out to embrace international collaborations, especially from Italy and France. The Italian influence will be visible through “Interni,” which returns with a special U.S. edition and the ‘Big Italy in New York,’ which will feature events in over 50 Italian design stores in NYC.
Oui Design by Villa Albertine highlights French craftsmanship through curated open studios and demos. North America’s leading platform for furnishing design, The International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF), at the Javits Center (May 18–20), will explore human-centred and multicultural design, while WANTED spotlights rising talent through showcases and workshops.
Follow Homecrux on Google News!
