Phoenix Design Week Returns October 21; Here's What You Need to Know

The Valley is drawing design professionals from across the country to the Phoenix Convention Center and other spots throughout town for the 2016 Phoenix Design Week, held October 21 to 28, and featuring the Method+Madness Conference.

Founded by Lost Creature in 2009 and now presented by AIGA Arizona, PHXDW 2016 acts as both a showcase of innovative design work, and an educational and inspiring experience for attending designers, illustrators, marketers, and students. The theme of Phoenix Design Week’s eighth annual collection of events is “Flux,” or structuring an ever-changing and endless amount of information through design in the digital world.

PHXDW 2016 starts with a lecture from CreativeMornings Phoenix on the morning of Friday, October 21, followed by the PHXDW 2016 Kickoff Party that evening. The weekend brings the Method+Madness Conference – the highpoint of the PHXDW 2016 schedule and the largest annual event by AIGA Arizona. M+M attendees will check in to the conference at the Phoenix Convention Center by 8 a.m. on Saturday, October 22, and the final event will end at 4:45 p.m. on Sunday, October 23.

“A diverse group of national speakers have been hand-selected for the 2016 Method+Madness Conference, including AIGA’s new executive director, Julie Anixter. Additionally, we’re excited about celebrating local talent and hearing several Arizona creative professionals speak about their work and processes,” says Liz Magura, president of AIGA Arizona and the 2016 Phoenix Design Week Director, in a press release.

Other M+M speakers include president and CEO of Creative Reaction Lab Antionette Carroll, Facebook product designer Cody Evol, ASU’s Herberger Institute for Design Arts Dean Steven Tepper, and Sean Adams, director at ArtCenter College for Design. Additional M+M events like a “Best of 2016” exhibit and Lightning Talks are also scheduled. Tickets to the two-day M+M Conference range from $59 to $369.

Additional events during Phoenix Design Week include a Calligraphy Boot Camp with Alison King at the Art Institute of Phoenix (tickets are $50 for both days), an Ironworks Meetup at Switch Studio, and the PHXDW 2016 Closing Party (free if you attended the M+M Conference).

Visit the Phoenix Design Week website for schedules, tickets, and more details.