The Seattle Design Festival (SDF), formerly known as Design in Public, was founded in 2011 to celebrate all the ways that design makes life better for Seattle, and to nurture relationships among multidisciplinary designers, civic leaders, business innovators, community organizers, educators, artists, and activists.
Through a broad range of events developed by our community partners, we are able to engage a diverse cross-section of the people that live, work, and play in our city. SDF believes that design is for everyone, and its benefits should be accessible, intersectional, and informed by a diverse public.
To learn more about past Festivals, visit our Festival Archive page.
Join us at some of our exciting Festival events! See the full lineup here!
Volunteer your time in the summer to bring SDF 2023 to life!
Sponsor the Festival to demonstrate your commitment to the Seattle design community, and help us unleash the design thinker in everyone to illuminate Seattle’s challenges and ignite action.
Donate to keep the Festival free to the public to ensure that everyone is able to participate in the design conversation.
Thank you to all of our partners who proposed the 60+ Installations, Pop Up Experiences, Mainstage Programs, and Mixers that will be happening during the Festival. Call for Proposals is now closed.
We are thrilled to invite you to join us for 6 days of transformative programming, all designed to unleash the design thinker in everyone and to build more equitable and thriving communities through design. Mark your calendar- save the date- and ask yourself WHAT IF? we can all harness the power of design?
Festival Highlights
SDF Block Party @ Lake Union Park Kick off the Festival with our Block Party on August 17 and 18! This fun outdoor event is an opportunity for the design community and the public to come together and interact through large-scale design installations and design activities, all centered around the Festival’s 2024 theme, WHAT IF? Attendance is free, so bring your friends and family!
Design Mixers Join us after the Block Party as we travel to other areas of the city, to build community and celebrate interdisciplinary design at our Design Mixers. Experience how design can bring people together and inspire positive change.
Mainstage This year the Block Party is expanding to include a mainstage featuring performances, talks, and demonstrations. Can’t make it in person? No problem! Our Mainstage will digitally broadcast as a Virtual Mainstage – so that you can engage with the Festival from anywhere and be part of the conversation.
Closing Party Join us on August 22 as we celebrate the close of the 2024 Festival with a memorable Closing Party. Reflect on the innovative ideas explored and raise a glass to the connections made throughout the week.
Be part of our vibrant community of designers, thinkers, and innovators as we explore the possibilities of design with the prompt: WHAT IF?We look forward to seeing you there and sharing in this inspiring journey!
We are excited to offer both in-person and remote engagements at SDF 2024: WHAT IF?, to help all of our community find their way to celebrate!
This year the Block Party will be held at Lake Union Park on August 17 & 18 from 10am-7pm. We’ll also be hosting four in-person social events via our Design Mixers and Closing Party. These events will be hosted in SLU, the Central District, and Downtown.
If you are unable to join us in person at the Park you can join us remotely for the Virtual Mainstage, which will rescreen Mainstage programs via the SDF YouTube Channel on August 20 & 21.
Almost every Festival experience is free and does not require registration. However, some of our experiences require registration, and our Closing Party relies on a ticket price of $25 to help offset the cost of food and drink.
See a list of events that require registration below:
SDF Design Mixer @ Pratt Fine Arts Center, August 19, 5:30-7:30 pm
Presented in partnership with Pratt Fine Arts Center
SDF Design Mixer @ Gates Discover Center, August 20, 5:30-7:30 pm
Presented in partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Discovery Center
SDF Design Mixer @ Gage Academy of Art, August 21, 5:30-7:30 pm
Presented in partnership with the Seattle Architecture Foundation
SDF 2024: WHAT IF? Closing Party, August 22, 6-9 pm
Join us at LMN’s The Shop, as we celebrate our partners, volunteers, and sponsors who make the Festival possible. Tickets start at just $25.
Lake Union Park is close to several bus routes as well as the South Lake Union Streetcar line.
For timetables and trip planning, consult King County Metro’s trip planner tool.
Bike parking is available in Lake Union Park. Plan your route with the City of Seattle’s Interactive Bicycle Map.
We encourage attendees to take advantage of public transit options but understand that you may need to travel by car. There are over 300 spaces available at the 320 Westlake pay lot, and several paid parking garages nearby. Guests who need to be dropped off can safely unload at the Pay by Phone parking lot directly in front of the Wagner Education Center.
The sun is finally out in Seattle! Be sure to slather on your SPF, pack some water and snacks, and stash a mask in your pocket if that would make you feel safer in large crowds. We’ve requested the splash pad be left on, so if you’re bringing young designers, you may want to bring items to enjoy the water!
Seattle Design Festival envisions a culture of design that fosters equitable, resilient, and thriving communities. To achieve this vision, it is critical that we cultivate and sustain an inclusive environment rooted in trust, mutual respect, and accountability.
To support this, SDF and AIA Seattle worked together to develop a Community Standard, to support our growth as members of this shared community.
It is the expectation that all Seattle Design Festival contributors agree to uphold and integrate these standards in all Seattle Design Festival-related activities and shared spaces (committees, site visits, programs, discussions, community events, etc.). We are grateful to everyone for helping further our mission, values, and goals!
Volunteer your time to bring the Festival together! We will be soliciting applications for our Festival Planning Team in the next few months if you’re looking for a long-term commitment. If not, consider joining us next summer as a day-of volunteer!
Sponsor the Festival to demonstrate your commitment to the Seattle design community, and help us unleash the design thinker in everyone to illuminate Seattle’s challenges and ignite action.
Donate to make a gift to support the design thinker in everyone and keep the festival FREE!
We prioritize accessibility as we plan all of our Festival events, and require all Festival Partners to prioritize safety, inclusivity, equity, and accessibility when designing their experiences. However, we are constantly aiming to increase support to our community. Read more about how we encourage accessibility in design.
If you have any specific concerns that aren’t addressed on event pages, please reach out to us at info@seadesignfest.org.
When you attend Seattle Design Festival events, you are entering an area where group photography, audio, and video recording may occur. By entering the event premises, you consent to such recording media and its release, publication, exhibition, or reproduction thereafter.
When 4 or less adults are being photographed in an image – or any number of children – our photographers will inform the subjects verbally of their representing the festival and asking for consent/parental consent. They will also have individuals fill out photo release forms.
These media materials may be utilized in SDF publications, news releases, online platforms, and other communications aligned with SDF’s mission only.
Contact info@seadesignfest.org with any additional questions.