Behind every Seattle Design Festival is a group of dedicated volunteers who help transform ideas into a citywide celebration of design. We’re excited to share that the Seattle Design Festival 2026 Planning Team has officially begun their work.

Each year, a group of 10–12 volunteers come together to help shape the Festival alongside staff and the broader SDF community. Over the next several months, the Planning Team will meet regularly to guide key elements of the Festival—from refining the Call for Proposals to reviewing submissions and supporting the partners who ultimately bring installations, pop-ups, conversations, and events to life as we explore SDF IN[FLUX].

Planning Team members work within small subcommittees aligned with different Festival experiences, including Built Installations, Pop-Ups, Mainstage programs, and SDF Design Mixers. Together, they help ensure that the Festival reflects the creativity, curiosity, and collaborative spirit of Seattle’s design community.

This early stage of planning focuses on preparing the Call for Proposals, which invites designers, community organizations, artists, and creative thinkers to share ideas that explore this year’s theme. In the coming months, the Planning Team will also help host community mixers to spark new collaborations and encourage participation from across the region.

Because Seattle Design Festival is fundamentally community-powered, this volunteer team plays a vital role in shaping what the Festival becomes each year. Their work helps create the framework that allows hundreds of participants and thousands of visitors to engage with design in new and meaningful ways.