Header: Barcelona Design Week
The Barcelona Design Week (BDW) is finally here, and we couldn’t be more excited to see which designs will challenge our perspectives in the next few days. Organized by the Barcelona Design Centre, this year’s event celebrates its 19th edition and will take place from October 16 to 26. Since 2006, BDW has been one of the most important design events worldwide, attracting professionals, students, and design enthusiasts from all around the globe.
Our Future in the Spotlight
This year’s theme is “Design for Human Future,” which strongly emphasizes water scarcity, a critical issue made worse by climate change. Given Barcelona’s ongoing challenges related to water resources, the city is the perfect place to discuss how design can address such an urgent problem.
To ensure the theme is explored in depth, the fair will host several exhibitions, talks, and workshops, all focused on showcasing how design can help conserve and manage water supplies while contributing to broader environmental goals.
More Than 100 Events
Visitors will enjoy over 100 activities spread across the city, including exhibitions, workshops, discussions, and special networking sessions. The event is known for its inclusive environment that connects professionals and the public, something that becomes even better when one considers the high-quality designs surrounding it.
Museu del Disseny will host most of the events, particularly the exhibitions, all focused on the event’s main theme. Visitors are invited to reflect on current challenges—most involving water, though not all—while exploring the central question on everyone’s minds: How can design solve our environmental problems?
Key Exhibitions and Contributors
One of the must-see exhibitions of this year’s event is “Inspired in Barcelona: Terra Rossa,” curated by Júlia Esqué. This exhibition examines the relationship between design and natural resources, with a focus on ceramics and sustainable production methods. By connecting local crafts to global environmental issues, the exhibition encourages visitors to rethink how we use materials and products in ways that align with nature.
But the exhibitions will be more than just static pieces. Interactive installations will put visitors at the center of the experience. These installations will challenge visitors to consider the impact of design on our world, asking them to look beyond aesthetics and practicality and give greater weight to sustainability and the natural world.
The fair’s success cannot be separated from the work of the skilled collaborators and curators who ensure everything goes according to plan. Key collaborators include Fomento de las Artes y el Diseño (FAD), a Spanish cultural organization, and the World Design Weeks Network, of which BDW is a founding member.
Sustainable Development Goals
This year’s fair strongly emphasizes the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) and SDG 13 (Climate Action). By bringing these goals into the conversation, the fair wants to remind visitors of the ethical responsibility designers have in creating a more sustainable future.
