New York City just wrapped another incredible edition of NYCxDESIGN, and from May 15 to 21, design took over the five boroughs with the energy and imagination only this city can deliver. With the unifying theme Design is for Everyone, the 2025 edition was a powerful reminder that great design doesn’t belong behind closed doors or velvet ropes. It lives in the streets, the showrooms, the schools, and everywhere people gather to share ideas.
NYCxDESIGN 2025 brought together an exciting mix of designers, brands, students, institutions, and locals, creating a true citywide celebration that blurred the lines between public and professional, local and international, future-thinking and firmly rooted in place.
A City Transformed
NYCxDESIGN launched with a party at The Refinery at Domino. A newer architectural icon lit by L’Observatoire International and powered by Signify, it was less “see and be seen” and more “see and reflect”—a refreshing shift for an opening night. The light was part of the experience, part of the message: design is both what we feel and what we see.
With more than 280 events on the calendar, it was impossible not to stumble into something thought-provoking or beautiful, whether you were in DUMBO, Harlem, SoHo, or Hudson Yards. For the first time in years, the Design Pavilion returned with a stunning installation at Hudson Yards, transforming public space into an immersive playground of light and interactivity, powered by Lexus. It was part exhibition, part experiment, and entirely unforgettable.
Meanwhile, neighbourhoods like NoMad, Atlantic Avenue, and the SoHo Design District were busy with new openings, artist collaborations, and street-level magic. Madison Avenue continued its elegant contribution with its third annual Design Week. At the same time, Grand Central Madison opened its doors for a special tour celebrating design, engineering, and art under one very iconic roof.
In a festival first, DUMBO x Design closed out the week in Brooklyn with an excellent program that showcased over 150 design and architecture firms. The event was capped by art projections on the Manhattan Bridge and one very memorable party at Superfine.
Talks That Mattered
This year’s Keynote Series was a true highlight, exploring the intersection of design with culture, technology, and wellbeing. At the International Center of Photography, Coca-Cola kicked things off with a photographic tribute to the brand’s iconic contour bottle. IBM’s talk explored AI’s role in shaping our future spaces, while Life Time’s keynote on wellness reminded us that good design isn’t just beautiful, it makes us feel better.
The conversations were as wide-ranging as the city itself, yet always came back to one thing: how design can (and should) improve lives.
A Focus on the Next Generation
One of the most meaningful aspects of NYCxDESIGN 2025 was how it celebrated emerging talent. The festival aligned with student exhibitions from Parsons, Pratt, SVA, FIT, NYIT, and, for the first time, Cornell Tech on Roosevelt Island, which opened its labs and MakerLAB to the public. NYCxDESIGN even organized guided tours for high schoolers, led by faculty and students, to get a first-hand look at the city’s top design schools.
In a city of many exceptional designers and artists with years of experience under their belts, there was something deeply refreshing about the optimism and originality of the student showcases. The future of design felt very present and very promising.
The Souvenirs We’ll Keep
Back by popular demand, the xSouvenir Exhibition with Cool Hunting and Boym Partners returned to the Oculus with collectible objects inspired by NYC’s quirks, chaos, and charm. From Karim Rashid to David Weeks, 72 designers offered objects that weren’t just for sale, but they also told stories. It was the perfect mix of high concept and heartfelt homage.
A Global Conversation
Design doesn’t stop at city limits—and neither did the Festival. Italian and French design houses were out in full force, with Villa Albertine’s Oui Design! and Big Italy in New York activating showrooms and studios with craft demonstrations and cultural flair.
Meanwhile, over at the Javits Center, the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) and WANTED carried the conversation into global territory. This year’s ICFF theme, Designing in Harmony, aimed to center human-centered, multi-sensory, and multicultural approaches.
WANTED once again stood out as a platform for emerging voices. Between the Schools Showcase, Launch Pad, and Design Schools Workshop, it was clear that the next generation of design is fluent in systems thinking, sustainability, and storytelling.
Design Is for Everyone. Now What?
NYCxDESIGN 2025 reminded us why design festivals matter. They create access, open up conversations, and turn galleries, sidewalks, and public parks into design labs.
At their best, these events show that design isn’t something reserved for the industry; it’s how we shape our spaces, cities, and systems. It’s how we communicate values without words. And sometimes, it’s just a chair that makes you feel something. In a global metropolis that’s New York City, NYCxDESIGN hit pause for just long enough to ask better questions, celebrate better answers, and bring people together who might not otherwise meet.
Header: Poltrona Frau Flagship | The Five Seasons
