Community Corner
Call for Proposals for Detroit Design Festival
Proposals Due for DDF – North America’s Festival of Independent Design – August 11
The Detroit Creative Corridor Center (DC3) is accepting proposals for Design Happenings at www.detroitdesignfestival.com now through August 11 from designers to exhibit in this year’s Detroit Design Festival (DDF) Sept. 18-22. Designers also have the opportunity to apply for micro grants, ranging from $50 to $1,000, to support their vision.
“Nearly every concept submitted has been brought to life at DDF,” says Matt Clayson, DC3’s director, about the website submission process. “Our team connects designers with partners, venues, resources and each other to help make the idea happen, so we urge all designers in all genres to contact us,” he explains.
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Created as a vehicle to position Detroit as a global center for independent design and creative innovation by DC3, the third-annual DDF will put Detroit’s creative community on display. More than 300 designers and creative practitioners will create 60 Design Happenings, which are open to consumers to experience during the festival. Dozens of design installations, fashion shows, product previews, performances and workshops will take place at venues along Detroit’s Creative Corridor, from Downtown Detroit to New Center, and in various neighborhoods throughout Detroit, including Eastern Market.
The DDF website will serve as a portal where designers can post their proposed Design Happenings and the general public can also view ideas and pledge support. By creating this online submission process, the DC3 also hopes to build a network between the creative class in Detroit and the international design community.
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“We’re hoping to attract new talent to and to continue to work with the more than 300 designers who have participated in the past,” says Melinda Anderson, engagement manager for DC3. “The Detroit Design Festival has something for everyone, including interactive design experiences for children, fashion shows, automotive sketch battles, installations, lectures, bike and walking tours, typography exhibits and anything design related, so we’re really open during the proposal process and encourage everyone excited about design to enter. We’re also eager to hear from venues and design-related businesses who want to get involved in DDF,” says Anderson.
Design lives here. Metropolitan Detroit is home to the highest concentrations and quantities of commercial and industrial designers of all U.S. metropolitan regions. Detroit’s professional creative industry is the third largest private sector employer in the city, employing approximately 12,300 individuals. Detroit’s Creative Corridor is home to 4,000 creative sector employees, 200 individual creative sector companies and $640,000,000 in aggregate annual revenues.
For more information about how to submit a Design Happening, apply for a micro-grant, attend events, become a Design Ambassador or sponsor, visit www.detroitdesignfestival.com.
TYPES OF DESIGN:
Applied arts
Architecture
Communication design
Engineering design
Fashion design
Game design
Graphic design
Information Architecture
Industrial design
Instructional design
Interaction design
Interior design
Landscape architecture
Lighting design
Military Design Methodology
Product design
Process design
Service design
Software design
Web design
Urban design
Visual design