Navigate your way through the wonders of Dutch Design Week by following one of the many routes curated by DDW and its partners. No matter which one you choose, you’re likely to experience everything from the work of talented young designers to the latest technical innovations.
Missions
Thriving Planet
A thriving planet calls for design that strengthens, rather than harms, the natural world. This route highlights projects focused on circularity, biobased construction, agriculture, water, energy, and eco-centred design – all working towards a future where people and planet thrive in balance
Living Environment
How we live, move and shape our surroundings defines how we coexist. This route takes you along projects that reimagine our built environment – from urban planning and architecture to mobility and materials – all designed to enhance how we live together.
Health & Wellbeing
From food to care, from prevention to personal wellbeing – designers are working to improve our quality of life. This route guides you past projects that contribute to what matters most: our health.
Equal Society
An equal society starts with design that values everyone. This route takes you past projects that focus on safety, inclusivity and connection – exploring how we can create systems and interactions that bring people together.
Digital Futures
From virtual worlds to artificial intelligence – designers are shaping our digital realities and futures. This route takes you along projects that shed new light on technology and explore how digital and virtual worlds are transforming the way we live.
Perspectives
Speculative & Social
What if...? Designers on this route explore the future through experimentation, research and social interventions. Discover projects that challenge behaviour, spark imagination and invite us to rethink the world around us.
Signature & Collectible
Artistic exploration and individual expression take centre stage in this route. Discover projects that blur the lines between art and design – poetic, conceptual and full of personality. The designers you’ll meet here are guided by artistic identity, creating work that questions what design can be.
Service & Innovative
Technology is evolving fast – and designers are keeping pace. This route introduces you to forward-thinking concepts, smart applications and innovative ideas where design and technology come together to shape tomorrow.
Product & Craft
Everything we use is designed. This route showcases the craft, skill and innovation behind tangible products – from material research and production methods to a renewed appreciation for traditional craftsmanship.
Independent & Critical
Some designers simply refuse to be defined. This route takes you along independent and critical work that reflects on the discipline itself and questions established systems. Meet designers who think freely, create boldly and challenge convention.
Other
DDW Young
DDW Young 6-10
Design is for everyone – especially for curious young explorers! The DDW Young routes for children aged 6 to 10 invite you to discover the most fun, interactive and surprising projects at Dutch Design Week. Go on an adventure, meet inspiring designers, explore how creativity and technology come together, and get hands-on with exciting, educational design activities.
DDW Young 10-14
Ready to explore, experiment and create? The DDW Young route for ages 10 to 14 takes you past inspiring projects where design, technology and imagination come together. Meet young designers, discover fresh ideas for the future and experience how design can help shape a better world – perhaps with your own creation!
DDW Young 14-18
Step into the world of cutting-edge design and see how designers shape the future. The DDW Young route for ages 14 to 18 introduces you to innovative projects, thought-provoking ideas, and creative solutions to societal challenges. Meet designers, get inspired, and take part in interactive activities where you can design and create yourself.
DDW Young, Young Adult
Explore the future of design and be inspired by innovative projects, societal solutions, and experimental creations. This route is designed for young adults, giving you the opportunity to meet designers, take part in interactive experiences, and actively engage with creativity and technology.
Inspiring at the intersection of technology and art.
Part of the TalkTalkTalk-Sessions in collaboration with Dutch Design Foundation. Supported by ASML
Media partners
VPRO Tien Tips
Volkskrant Route
A versatile route that leads you along the full breadth of the overwhelming range at DDW.
Dezeen picks: 12 unmissable things to see at DDW25
For its 25th birthday, Dutch Design Week will present work by more than 2,500 designers and brands across 120 locations. Among our highlights is Studio Pauline van Dongen's Umbra Pavilion – the standout installation on Ketelhuisplein this year – covered by a solar textile canopy that provides shelter while also generating energy.
The Design Academy Eindhoven graduation show is always a must, but don't forget to check out some of the smaller showcases, too. The Class of 25 exhibition at Klokgebouw features students from eight European countries, while the German Design Graduates show, curated by Raw Color, takes over skatepark Area 51.
The rise of collectible design continues with the launch of the Forward Furniture show, set in a former dairy factory and organised by Liv Vaisberg, the powerhouse behind Brussels and New York design fair Collectible. Meanwhile, at de Kruisruimte, Show Not Show collective is showing work by seven designers, including brutalist furniture and experimental lighting.
For a more critical view on the business of design, Rotterdam's Nieuwe Instituut is hosting a talk on 22 October that explores how design weeks impact their host cities. With a similar aim, up-and-coming local designer Teun Zwets is showing his work from a trailer to highlight the growing struggle for independent makers to find a workspace in Eindhoven.
Several projects this year grapple with immigration and displacement. Among them is the speculative Gaza Travel Agency, which explores Palestinian's Right of Return, and an exhibition in the newly launched Kruisstraat Design District on the struggles of non-EU designers living in the Netherlands.
In happier news, prominent local studio Kiki & Joost is celebrating its 25th birthday this year with a show of new works and collaborations, and Hydro's much-hyped R100 exhibition, which debuted in Milan earlier this year, is returning to its origins in the Benelux area.
Stijlvol Wonen Design Route
For interior design enthusiasts, high-end design magazine Stijlvol Wonen has curated a route for Dutch Design Week. Use these addresses as a guide for your visit, and you'll be completely up-to-date on the most beautiful designs, cutting-edge designers, and innovative developments at this leading design event.
