Design is everywhere — from the built environment to the packaging on our groceries, from elevator music to fanciful public art. But it's not always easy to define.
"The answer that resonates with me the most is that design is what makes everything cool," said Eric Weiss, president of the Design Forward Alliance, which organizes San Diego Design Week (SDDW).
Weiss told KPBS last year that design is the way we dress, put our kids’ artwork on the fridge and organize files on our computers or phones. It's compelling logos, app user interfaces, sidewalks, hiking trails, freeway interchanges and latte art.
"Design is really about creativity, and it's marrying the art and creative sides of us with the functional side," Weiss said. "It's the fashion design, it's the interior design, it's the architecture, it's how we design products."
San Diego Design Week launched in 2020, spearheaded by Mingei International Museum. Since then, the program has grown to include nearly 75 panels, exhibitions, tours, events, installations, screenings, workshops, activities, lectures and more — most of them free.
Find the full San Diego Design Week 2026 program here.
Here are 15 free events to check out this week:
Thursday, Sept. 17
Designing What We Wear
'Zandra with a Zed' Documentary Exclusive Preview
700 Prospect St., La Jolla
Film
British fashion designer — and pink-haired style icon — Dame Zandra Rhodes splits her time between London and San Diego. Her impressive career has defined an era in fashion and textiles. A forthcoming documentary explores her work.
Noon | MORE INFO
British fashion designer — and pink-haired style icon — Dame Zandra Rhodes splits her time between London and San Diego. Her impressive career has defined an era in fashion and textiles. A forthcoming documentary explores her work.
Noon | MORE INFO
The Dazzle Lab: Stencil Design and Rhinestone Workshop
700 Prospect St., La Jolla
Workshop
Add a little sparkle to your shirts, totes or denim during this guided open-studio session, which includes stencils and rhinestone machines.
4-5:30 p.m. | MORE INFO
Add a little sparkle to your shirts, totes or denim during this guided open-studio session, which includes stencils and rhinestone machines.
4-5:30 p.m. | MORE INFO
Huerta x Huerta Showcase
1038 25th St., San Diego
Exhibition
Tijuana-based architect and multidisciplinary artist Sarah Irene Garcia Huerta will present an interactive collection of objects and works in progress that reflect her design process and ideas. The event also includes an artist talk.
5-7 p.m. | MORE INFO
Tijuana-based architect and multidisciplinary artist Sarah Irene Garcia Huerta will present an interactive collection of objects and works in progress that reflect her design process and ideas. The event also includes an artist talk.
5-7 p.m. | MORE INFO
Friday, Sept. 18
Designing Our Digital World
'Designing for Everyone': The History Behind Arts District Liberty Station
2848 Dewey Rd, San Diego
Tour
Learn the history of the former Naval Training Center and get a glimpse of its present as a creative hub. OBR + Lionakis architecture firm will guide the tour.
10-11 a.m. | MORE INFO
Learn the history of the former Naval Training Center and get a glimpse of its present as a creative hub. OBR + Lionakis architecture firm will guide the tour.
10-11 a.m. | MORE INFO
Design Showcase Tabling
10155 Pacific Heights Blvd., San Diego
Part of Digital World Design Day at Qualcomm, this offers a look at new projects from regional designers, with a focus on technology, sustainability, real-world design and more.
Noon to 2 p.m. | MORE INFO
Noon to 2 p.m. | MORE INFO
'Stop Designing Cars Like Phones'
10155 Pacific Heights Blvd., San Diego
Talk
Product designer and UX researcher Ben Kuhn, who has worked with BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Hyundai, will discuss the evolution of the automobile's user interface and why he warns that the industry's move toward smartphone-like interiors could be costly.
12:50-1:50 p.m. | MORE INFO
Product designer and UX researcher Ben Kuhn, who has worked with BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Hyundai, will discuss the evolution of the automobile's user interface and why he warns that the industry's move toward smartphone-like interiors could be costly.
12:50-1:50 p.m. | MORE INFO
Saturday, Sept. 19
Designing Our Spaces
Golden Door Country Store Fall Market
314 Deer Springs Rd, San Marcos
Tour
In the North County, explore a local spa, sustainable farm and farmstand while shopping at a community market featuring local creatives, food, live music and activities.
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. | MORE INFO
In the North County, explore a local spa, sustainable farm and farmstand while shopping at a community market featuring local creatives, food, live music and activities.
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. | MORE INFO
'From Space to Surface: Architecture through Painting'
600 B. St., San Diego
Exhibition
Visual artist Maha Bazzaria's abstract architectural works play with material, space and light. The exhibition features paintings, photography and more.
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. | MORE INFO
Visual artist Maha Bazzaria's abstract architectural works play with material, space and light. The exhibition features paintings, photography and more.
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. | MORE INFO
Guided Tour of Murals of La Jolla
1008 Wall St., La Jolla
Tour
One of San Diego's most accessible collections of local public art, Murals of La Jolla has peppered the coastal neighborhood with dozens of murals over the past 16 years, with artists ranging from emerging contemporary talent to local powerhouses like Baldessari. Saturday's tour hits up about half of the 16 murals currently on view, so wear comfortable shoes.
Noon to 1:30 p.m. | MORE INFO
One of San Diego's most accessible collections of local public art, Murals of La Jolla has peppered the coastal neighborhood with dozens of murals over the past 16 years, with artists ranging from emerging contemporary talent to local powerhouses like Baldessari. Saturday's tour hits up about half of the 16 murals currently on view, so wear comfortable shoes.
Noon to 1:30 p.m. | MORE INFO
'The Power of Color in Play'
600 B. St., San Diego
Talk
This talk explores how color is used in playground design and how it intersects with childhood cognitive and behavioral development.
1-2 p.m. | MORE INFO
This talk explores how color is used in playground design and how it intersects with childhood cognitive and behavioral development.
1-2 p.m. | MORE INFO
'Carved Stories': Persian Woodblock Printing
600 B. St., San Diego
Workshop
For the "Designing Our Spaces" day, Persian Place presents a series of workshops and panels exploring traditional and contemporary design practices in Persian culture. In this hands-on workshop, learn Qalamkari, a fabric-printing technique using carved woodblocks.
1-2 p.m. | MORE INFO
For the "Designing Our Spaces" day, Persian Place presents a series of workshops and panels exploring traditional and contemporary design practices in Persian culture. In this hands-on workshop, learn Qalamkari, a fabric-printing technique using carved woodblocks.
1-2 p.m. | MORE INFO
'Ritual By Design'
600 B. St., San Diego
A hands-on workshop will guide participants through designing meaningful rituals around everyday tasks, like making coffee or going on a walk.
4-5 p.m. | MORE INFO
4-5 p.m. | MORE INFO
Sunday, Sept. 20
Designing Multimedia Experiences
'Meditations on the Deep Sea Part 1'
401 B St., San Diego
Film screening and Q&A
Immerse yourself in the sounds and sights of the deep ocean with an unnarrated, barely edited montage of underwater footage set to an original score by oceanographer and composer Daniel Koestner.
2-3 p.m. | MORE INFO
Immerse yourself in the sounds and sights of the deep ocean with an unnarrated, barely edited montage of underwater footage set to an original score by oceanographer and composer Daniel Koestner.
2-3 p.m. | MORE INFO
Projection Exhibition: 'Human Made - After Dark'
1122 Fourth Ave., San Diego
This nighttime projection show pairs the abandoned California Theatre building with an immersive, looped projection display created from a collaboration with downtown arts district partners.
8-9 p.m. | MORE INFO
8-9 p.m. | MORE INFO
The We The People Museum Experience
6403 Imperial Avenue, San Diego
Exhibition
A daylong exploration of historic preservation guided by Our Genetic Legacy, a San Diego-based AI-assisted genealogy nonprofit. The interactive digital exhibit explores the Guerrero slave shipwreck and lets visitors pilot an underwater vehicle, fly a drone and experiment with mapping.
The Design Week coincides with Our Genetic Legacy's fifth anniversary event. Tickets to the anniversary event are sold separately.
9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. | MORE INFO
A daylong exploration of historic preservation guided by Our Genetic Legacy, a San Diego-based AI-assisted genealogy nonprofit. The interactive digital exhibit explores the Guerrero slave shipwreck and lets visitors pilot an underwater vehicle, fly a drone and experiment with mapping.
The Design Week coincides with Our Genetic Legacy's fifth anniversary event. Tickets to the anniversary event are sold separately.
9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. | MORE INFO
