San Francisco Design Week

Inside of Nebula - A Multisensory Healing Exhibition by XINYE LIN
2025-06-05 14:00 - 18:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Google’s Community Space, 188 The Embarcadero,,, San Francisco, California, 94105, United States
What if fragrance could be a portal? What if design could become a healing language?
Inside of Nebula is a one-day immersive art and design experience created by internationally acclaimed multidisciplinary artist and designer Xinye Lin, founder of XINYE LIN LLC.
Blending fragrance, light, sound, and spatial storytelling, the experience explores solid perfume as a multisensory design medium—one that reconnects emotion, ritual, and spatial perception through sensorial interaction.
At the heart of this journey is Nebula—a design-driven solid perfume object developed through Lin’s research into healing rituals, poetic materiality, and sensory innovation. Visitors are invited to journey through scent rituals, soundscapes, and ambient architectural forms, engaging with a space designed for presence, introspection, and quiet connection.
This exhibition is not just a showcase—it is a sensorial constellation in motion
Event Schedule
2:00 – 6:00 PM Immersive Exhibition
Walk-in experience with scent altars, interactive installations, and sensorial spaces.
6:00 – 6:30 PM Afterlight Social
Ambient music, light refreshments, and conversation to close the constellation.
Visit anytime between the hours of 2pm and 6pm to experience this multisensory exhibition.
Artist & Speaker Bio
Xinye Lin is a multidisciplinary healing artist, architectural designer, musician, and curator of immersive sensory experiences.
She is the founder of XINYE LIN LLC, a future-forward fashion-art brand dedicated to exploring the intersections of scent, space, and sensory transformation.
Formally trained at the Rhode Island School of Design and exchanged in The Royal Danish Academy, and having served as a research fellow at the bio-architecture laboratory Terreform ONE, Lin’s work spans installation art, sound healing, spatial storytelling, and fragrance design.
Her immersive projects have been presented at the United Nations Headquarters, Times Square NYC, the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, CICA Museum, and international biennales.
She is also the author of Artful Awakening: Multisensory Art & Meditation, a book weaving together Eastern philosophy, contemporary art, and sensory healing practices, currently held in libraries and published across 17 countries.
Through her work, Lin invites audiences to experience art as a living ritual — a bridge between spirit, body, and imagination.
ADDITIONAL EVENTS HOSTED BY Xinye Lin:
Join Xinye Lin for an opening ceremony and artist talk 1:00PM– 2:00 PM, June 5

Design Reimagined: An AI-Powered Open House by Freepik
2025-06-05 15:00 - 18:00 | Freepik SF Office, 398 5th St, San Francisco, CA, 94107, United States
Join us at the Freepik San Francisco office for an open house experience exploring how AI can reimagine and enhance the creative process.
As part of SF Design Week, we’re inviting the SF creative community into our space to see how Freepik is building tools that amplify human creativity — making content creation faster, more intuitive, and accessible, while keeping artistic vision and direction in the hands of creators.
This casual, drop-in event will feature:

Interactive demos of our latest AI-assisted design tools
Real-world examples of how designers and creatives are using Freepik’s tools in their workflows
Conversations with Freepik’s design and marketing teams
Light snacks and drinks, open dialogue, and a chance to connect with fellow creatives

Whether you’re a designer, artist, technologist, or simply curious about the evolving role of AI in art and design, this event is meant to spark ideas, encourage exploration, and highlight the ways design, creativity and technology can work together.
Come meet the team, test the tools, and explore what’s possible when human imagination meets intelligent design.

Build Less, Solve More: Where Accurate Data Informs Efficient Design
2025-06-05 16:30 - 18:30 | Ocean Plant, 800 Great Highway, San Francisco, CA, 800 Great Hwy, San Francisco, California, 94121, United States
In a world of over-designed solutions, what if the best answer is to do less, and do it smarter?
Hosted by MKThink, a pioneer in innovative spatial design for over 25 years, this talk, and interactive workshop explores the power of accurate as a lever for design impact.
Rooted in the firm’s Build Less, Solve More (BLSM) philosophy, the session examines how data, cultural context, and environmental intelligence can drive decisions that reduce physical footprint while increasing value across social, environmental, and financial dimensions.
Attendees will hear from MKThink’s design and spatial intelligence leaders as they share recent, local case studies:

How Stanford Law School identified the equivalent of 81,000 sq ft of new classroom space, without building, through utilization modeling and environmental benchmarking.
How LBNL’s Efficient & Healthy Schools Campaign achieved up to 30.7% energy reduction and 48.5% air quality improvement with targeted retrofits, not renovations.

Participants will then roll up their sleeves in a collaborative workshop. The challenge? Reframe a spatial problem through the lens of build less, solve more. With guidance from MKThink’s structured spatial analytics model and CARD standards (Clarity, Accuracy, Relevance, Defensibility), teams will shift from “What should we add?” to “What can we solve by building less?”
Event Agenda:

Welcoming and Networking: 4:30 to 4:50
MKThink Team’s Presentation: 4:50 to 5:15
Hands-on Workshop: 5:15 to 6:00
Closing and Networking: 6:00 to 6:30

This session is for designers, architects, planners, strategists, and systems thinkers looking to increase their impact, while reducing their footprint. It offers real tools and real metrics, guided by the idea that just enough is a feast.

Echoes of Future Matter: A Panel on Co-Invention and Material Futures
2025-06-05 17:00 - 18:00 | Diaspora Hub, 221 11th Street, San Francisco, California, 94103, United States
Panel Description:
How do we design for a world that doesn’t yet exist? In this interdisciplinary panel, creators and technologists from the Echoes of Future Matter exhibition come together to explore the evolving relationship between materiality, emerging technologies, and speculative design. Rooted in San Francisco’s layered ecological and cultural contexts, this panel invites reflection on how design can move beyond aesthetics to act as a speculative and systems-based tool for transformation.
Moderated by architect and educator Andrei Hakhovich (Gradient Matter), the discussion will feature:

Alexey Dubov, Co-Founder of BuildTech VC and Mighty Buildings, pioneer in 3D-printed sustainable housing;
Daghan Cam, Co-Founder of Aibuild, known for AI-driven robotic fabrication;
Oluseun Taiwo, Co-Founder of Solideon, a startup behind autonomous micro-factories;
Damaso Mayer, Founder of Estudio Material, artistic and design practice is defined by an exploration of often overlooked and raw materials;
Thom Faulders, founder of Faulders Studio, an award-winning, multidisciplinary architecture and design practice based in Oakland, California.
To anchor the dialogue in practice, each panelist will contribute a tangible design piece or artifact from their work.

Together, they will share insights into how design and technology co-evolve in practice—from robotic additive manufacturing and generative tools to embodied craft processes—and how these collaborations generate new modes of making and meaning.
Attendees will leave with a broadened view of how architecture, objects, and spatial experiences can become instruments for ecological intelligence, poetic speculation, and creative provocation.
Panel Format:
Moderated conversation followed by a 15-minute audience Q&A.
Target Audience:
Designers, architects, technologists, artists, researchers, and anyone interested in the future of making.
Learning Outcomes:
• Understand how digital and manual fabrication techniques can be hybridized.
• Gain insight into how emerging technologies are transforming the material landscape.
• Learn how speculative design can drive cross-disciplinary innovation.
• Explore new models for collaboration between designers, technologists, and investors.

Mid-Career Reset: Design an energizing af work/life
2025-06-05 17:00 - 19:00 | The Nook SF, The Nook SF, San Francisco, CA, California, 94103, United States
Is this you?
“Work is fine, but I feel like I’m meant to do more…”
“I wanna do something that’s more meaningful to me…”
“Am I really maximizing my potential? How would I even know?”
“I worked so hard to be here but do I wanna keep going in this direction?”

You’ve checked the boxes, climbed the ladders, and built a career you should be proud of—yet lately, it feels like you’re running on autopilot.
You’re waking up uninspired, drained, or quietly wondering, “Is this really it?” You’re craving deeper self-expression, creativity, and creative entrepreneurship. The call for reform in your work and life is clear, but you’re uncertain and haven’t made the space to explore.
You hear a persistent whisper that something more vibrant, meaningful, and genuinely exciting awaits ?️
Join us during SF Design Week for a dynamic, interactive workshop rooted in the 2025 theme of “Reform,” specifically designed for ambitious creative professionals ready to reformulate their careers, reclaim their spark, and intentionally design a work/life that genuinely energizes the f out of them ⚡️
In this workshop, you will:

Discover clues about what truly lights you up, reigniting your passion and energy.
Dream big and craft an expansive vision for your next meaningful chapter.
Address and overcome limiting beliefs, creating empowering new narratives for yourself.
Develop a clear, actionable plan to bring your vision to life.
Connect deeply with a community of supportive, like-minded professionals committed to meaningful reform in their careers and lives.

Expect honest conversations, insightful exercises, and actionable takeaways that empower you to confidently make your next bold move toward reform.
Who should attend:
Mid-career creatives, designers, marketers, entrepreneurs, and multi-hyphenates who:

Desire an intentional, authentic career path centered around continuous growth and meaningful reform.
Seek work/life that fuels their creativity, aligns deeply with their personal values, and inspires ongoing reform.
Crave a community of supportive peers committed to reforming and designing vibrant, fulfilling work/lives.

Outline
5-5.30pm: Doors open, bites & intentional connections
5:30 – 7:00pm: Workshop
Who’s leading the workshop?
This workshop is hosted by Space to Grow’s founder & coach, Tina Yip.
Tina is a coach, community builder, and creator who focuses on the future of work and personal development. She’s been featured in Randi Zuckerberg’s book Pick Three, Campaign US, Adweek, and spoken at Her Conference, Youth Marketing Summit, Pattern Brands and more. She’s also hosted and organized over 200+ events that range from conferences and hackathons to safe rooms and a brunch series, all intentionally designed for folks to feel, connect, and learn.
After spending the last decade as a brand strategist at agencies such as R/GA and Big Spaceship, working on brands like Google, Samsung, and Mastercard, she realized that what she cared most about was people. Bringing people together, maximizing their human potential, rethinking their relationship with work, and challenging societal norms so that they can thrive.
*****
Your mid-career moment is your opportunity for meaningful reform—let’s design your next vibrant chapter together ?️
Space is limited. Reserve your spot today and start your mid-career reset!

Opening Night Reception: Show of Hands Art Exhibition
2025-06-05 17:00 - 19:00 | Heath Ceramics Showroom Gallery, 2900 18th Street, San Francisco, California, 94110, United States
Show of Hands Artist Showcase
Presented by Heath Ceramics
Heath Ceramics is excited to announce Show of Hands, a showcase of new works curated by Clay Studio Director Tung Chiang. As part of Heath’s month-long Design Made Good celebration, this event highlights a range of artists whose work explores new possibilities in material, process, and perspective.
Hosted within Heath San Francisco’s intimate gallery space, Show of Hands offers a unique opportunity to embrace unfamiliar experiences and outlooks; to see and feel how a group of groundbreaking artists interpret, navigate, and ultimately shape the world around them by hand.
Engage with artists at different points in their journey—some just starting out, others evolving their practice—each bringing something new through clay, paint, textiles, metal, and more. Despite their varied backgrounds, all share a commitment to making by hand and a respect for the traditions that inform their work.

Meet the Featured Artists

Ayano Shioya
Brendan Monroe
Brian Madden
Max Frommeld
Rafi Ajl
Sarah Wertzberger

Curated by Tung Chiang
Since 2013, Tung Chiang has led the Heath Clay Studio, a small team of artisans who push the field of ceramics forward through experimentation with form, glaze, and technique. With a background in graphic and industrial design—and a lifelong passion for craft—Tung’s practice is rooted in observation, discovery, and a belief in the quiet power of objects that speak for themselves.
Tung took a deeply personal approach to curating Show of Hands, hand-selecting a diverse group of artists who—across a range of backgrounds and disciplines—challenge convention and offer a refreshing perspective on craft. His curation reflects a blend of creative curiosity, thoughtful execution, and a dedication to uplifting new and exciting artistic voices.

Opening Night Reception
Thursday, June 5 · 5–7pm
Join the artists and the Heath team for an evening of art, conversation, and community.
Exhibition Details
June 5–22, 2025
Heath Showroom Gallery, 2900 18th Street, San Francisco

Additional events for Design Made Good Month
The Good Flea: A curated vintage market
June 14 & 15
As part of Heath’s month-long Design Made Good celebration, The Good Flea complements the Show of Hands artist showcase by bridging the gap between design’s past and present—and building excitement for what’s on the horizon.
The Good Flea is Heath’s take on a classic flea market, offering visitors a chance to shop a wide selection of rare and interesting antiques pulled from the private collections of expert curators, vendors, and creative leaders. This group—assembled by Clay Studio Director Tung Chiang—will bring not only hand-chosen vintage finds, but also a deep well of knowledge on design and craft history.
Hosted within Heath’s SF tile factory, The Good Flea showcases objects that span eras and styles—including some special finds from Heath’s archive! Enthusiasts, collectors, and connoisseurs are invited to discover unique, curated vintage pieces in an energetic, community-driven space.
The Good Flea is not just a market—it’s an opportunity to discover and connect with design history. Don’t miss the chance to explore rare finds and meet the experts behind them!

Studio Crawl Night 2 - Thursday, June 5th
2025-06-05 19:00 - 21:30 | CA
Deepen Your Connection With the SF Design Community.
Continue your exploration of San Francisco’s vibrant design scene with the second night of our Studio Crawl. This event offers One Pass holders another opportunity to discover new studios, see design in action, and meet the creators behind innovative projects.
What’s Happening?
The selection process is still underway as the San Francisco Design Week team carefully curates a lineup of participating studios. Please check back on this page soon to see the updated list of studios and access the map detailing their locations.
Stay Updated: Keep this page on your radar for the latest updates and prepare for another enriching evening of design exploration.

*Picture created by Vince Cimo at Empowered Streaming

Whipsaw Open Studio
55 Mississippi St, San Francisco, CA 94107
Join the Whipsaw team at our studio in Potrero Hill. See the light-filled industrial-chic space, enjoy our product gallery, and meet members of the team. We’re looking forward to seeing you in person!

Licorice Chocolate Tasting @ Norden Living
2865 18th St, San Francisco, CA 94110
In Scandinavia, chocolate and licorice are two great tastes that taste great together. This intriguing combination, first developed in Iceland, is showcased beautifully by Danish confectioner Lakrids by Bülow. Stop by Norden Living to sample sweet or salty licorice wrapped in luxurious chocolate, some with complementary flavors like passion fruit or raspberry. We’ll also be raffling off one of our showroom favorites: a Flowerpot VP9 portable lamp.

PA: Pay Attention!
517 York St, San Francisco, CA 94110
The PA design and engineering teams formerly known as Astro Studios and Cooper Perkins have joined forces under one roof. We’ve merged our SoMa and Mission locations and are now working together at 517 York Street! Join us for a studio warming to celebrate together and see what we’ve been working on. We’ll be showcasing our recent projects and combined global talent, skills, and capabilities. Have a drink on us and meet the new-ish team.

Small Team, Big Dreams: Designing Consumer Electronics with a 3-Person Studio
Nanu Studio – 1450 Mariposa St, San Francisco, CA 94107

Join us at the Nanu studio for a behind-the-scenes look at the journey of designing consumer electronics with a small but mighty team of three. We’ll delve into how we built Arc, a contemporary take on the classic alarm clock. We’ll walk through our sketches, prototypes, brand formation, and launch plan from initial concept to manufacturing. Whether you are an entrepreneur, seasoned designer, or just curious about the process of building consumer electronics, this event will share lessons learned from a team in the midst of it (we are launching Arc this summer)! We look forward to seeing you there 🙂

Faulkner Architects
2025-06-05 19:00 - 21:30 | Faulkner Architects, 603 Battery Street, San Francisco, California, 94111, United States
The Faulkner Architects design team invites you to an evening at our San Francisco studio to check out both past and present projects while enjoying refreshments.
Faulkner Architects was formed in 1998 by Greg Faulkner. The office remains as it began with Greg as the single principal who guides the design process for each project. A small staff works across three locations – San Francisco, Truckee, and Denver. The work of the practice exists along a varied range of typologies, from hospitality and institutional buildings (including master planning), to private houses and renovations.

Volume Inc.
2025-06-05 19:00 - 21:30 | Volume Inc, 725 Filbert St, San Francisco, CA, 94133, United States
Five-dimensional design for the three-dimensional world to cure one-dimensional thinking? Join Volume at their North Beach studio to learn about their specialty in place-based identities, branded environments, and other spatial activations. Plus: Free stuff!

Studio Hinrichs
2025-06-05 19:00 - 21:30 | Studio Hinrichs, 2064 Powell St, San Francisco, CA, 94133, United States
Kit Hinrichs
Principal and Creative Director of Studio Hinrichs, San Francisco
Kit Hinrichs studied at Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles, California. He served as principal in several design offices in New York and San Francisco before spending 23 years (1986 – 2009) as a partner of Pentagram, the international consultancy. In 2009 Hinrichs opened an independent design firm in San Francisco called Studio Hinrichs. Kit’s design experience incorporates a wide range of projects, including identity design, corporate communications, promotion, packaging, editorial and exhibition design.
Read the interview we did with Kit at Design Bay Area: The Design Whisperer—Celebrating the Legacy of the Legendary Kit Hinrichs

Hinrichs is a recipient of the prestigious AIGA medal in recognition of his exceptional achievements in the field of graphic design and visual communication, and his work is included in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, New York, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the Library of Congress. He is co-author of four books, including Typewise, Long May She Wave, 100 American Flag Icons and The Pentagram Papers.
A Point of View

“There are many passions in my professional life. The predominant one is telling stories. As a consequence, I have become an obsessive narrative designer. I find stories everywhere waiting to be told, and, fortunately, I have been able to do that through design. By story, I mean more than editorial content. I mean communicating a sense of the subject, albeit a client’s business and philosophy or an event, graphically through print, packaging, videos or environmental signage. For me, design, at its best, is a visual story with the same excitement, pacing and emotional power of a great play or musical composition. And like producing a play, design is not a solitary act, but a collaboration that requires inspiring the talent and spirit of writers, illustrators, photographers, typographers and technicians. A successful outcome demands a strong, clear, consistent focus so that all elements ’speak’ in a single voice that engages the audience.

Although I’ve worked on many high-profile projects, I strive to give equal attention to the more commonplace assignment. This is the visual minutiae—the directional signs, informational folders, video sign offs, product packaging, corporate collateral, etc.—that bombards us from all directions and impacts our collective culture. It is the face unaware that we present to the world. I feel it is the responsibility of those of us in the design profession to not treat this lightly. For me, the role of design is to make the complex, simple; the opaque, transparent; the unstructured, concrete; the obtuse, accessible, and the ordinary, beautiful. After 40 years of practice, I am still excited by that challenge and the possibilities it presents.“
—Kit Hinrichs

The New Company
2025-06-05 19:00 - 21:30 | The New Company, 2215 Powell St., San Francisco, CA, 94133, United States
We’re opening our doors for SF Design Week’s North Beach Studio Crawl. The team will be in the building, merch will be on the walls, with llloyd spinning records all night. Refreshments provided by Fort Point and Eteilla Wines, snacks curated by our very own Seth Mroczka, and maybe even a ‘big’ surprise.

Friends, collaborators, and curious strangers — all are welcome. It’s been a jam-packed year (so far), and we’re excited to celebrate, connect, and share our space with you.

The New Company is a Design and Marketing agency working with brands around the world to create forward-thinking creative solutions. Established in 2018 by Matt Luckhurst (ECD) and Seth Mroczka (President), The New Company works with category leaders and challengers to strategically articulate the company’s vision and story. We offer a unique breadth of capabilities that allow us to think through a brand’s unique challenges from concept through to execution. We believe strategic insights drive innovation, that creativity requires experimentation and a dedication to craft, and that delivering effective solutions on time and on budget is our responsibility to our clients.
Instagram: @thenewcompany

Rapt Studio Open House
2025-06-05 19:00 - 21:30 | Rapt Studio, 201 Post Street 7th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94108, CA, 94108, United States
Rapt is an integrated design studio building brands from the inside out.

Headquartered in San Francisco, with studios in Los Angeles and New York, Rapt unites architecture, interiors, and brand strategy to create unforgettable environments and experiences for some of the world’s leading brands.

Founded in 2011, the practice has delivered award-winning work for Google, Tinder, The North Face, Goop, Norwest, and Vans—projects recognized by Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies, Interior Design’s Best of Year, the FRAME Awards, Dezeen, and the Top 100 Giants of Design list.

The studio’s portfolio spans hybrid campuses, hospitality-infused workplaces, immersive retail, and brand activations—each tailored to foster belonging and spark creativity.

Learn more about our CEO and Chief Creative Officer, David Galullo’s, recent induction into Interior Design’s Hall of Fame.

We’re excited to open our doors to the community and invite you to tour our space, meet other designers, and partake in some small cocktails, small bites, and small drawings.

The Scent of Nostalgia: A Living Green Wall Within Reach
2025-06-06 08:00 - 15:00 | Aura Tea and Coffee at Rincon Plaza, 101 Spear Street Suite B5, San Francisco, CA, 94105, United States
Presented by Ovata

Description:
What if a wall could carry memory, scent, and greenery—all at once?

Inspired by the traditional Korean 병풍 Byung-poong (folding screen) , Ovata presents a site-flexible installation: a portable living wall composed of hinged, frame-based panels filled with California native plants. Spread throughout the event venue, these sculptural pieces are more than dividers—they are multi-sensory green moments that offer a breath of nature, evoke regional nostalgia, and serve as quiet visual anchors within the event energy.

Each panel transforms the space with natural scents, living textures , and a subtle reference to the cultural practice of honoring people and place. Think of it as a living scroll of memory and nature —brought into the present.

Rather than serving as a static backdrop, this installation gently guides the flow of people , encouraging organic circulation while shaping cozy niches for gathering, pausing, and connecting. Like a breeze through a forest, its layout invites movement and mingling while offering soft, intimate pockets of calm

Schedule:
No fixed schedule. The green wall installation is designed to be explored freely throughout the venue during the event.
This is a self-guided, standalone installation —no formal presentation.

Bonus Features:
– Portable green wall panels placed throughout the venue
– Designed with California native species
– QR codes on each panel to explore featured plants and their ecological stories
– Subtle natural fragrance in the air
– Visual and spatial flexibility to frame or divide areas
– Inspired by 병풍(Byung-poong) , traditional Korean folding screens

SFDW Co-Working Space with Rivian X Design Bay Area
2025-06-06 09:00 - 18:00 | Rivian, 340 Fell St, San Francisco, CA, 94102, United States
Need a workspace during SF Design Week? The Rivian Space in Hayes Valley is opening as a co-working studio with free, strong Wi-Fi and complimentary morning coffee. Plus, when you’re done working, you can get an up-close look at Rivian’s electric adventure vehicles—explore the features and even take one for a spin.

re*form - Panel Discussion with Carolyn Flannery & Susie Novak
2025-06-06 10:00 - 11:00 | Make It Home Warehouse, Northgate Mall in San Rafael, San Rafael, California, 94903, United States
Event Overview:
Make It Home is excited to present re*form, a full-day immersive event celebrating the power of design to transform spaces and lives. Rooted in sustainability and social impact, re•form aligns with SF Design Week’s mission to highlight the unique intersection of ideas, design, business, and entrepreneurism that defines the Bay Area. Through interactive experiences, discussions, and a curated pop-up shop, attendees will explore how repurposed materials and thoughtful design can shape the future of interiors.
10:00 PM – 11:00 AM Panel Discussion with Carolyn Flannery & Susie Novak
A thought-provoking conversation featuring Make It Home’s founder, Carolyn Flannery, alongside a Bay Area Designer Susie Novak. The discussion will delve into the intersection of sustainability, high design, and community impact.
Visit our other events:
10:00 AM – 4PM Curated Pop-Up Shop
A unique shopping experience featuring Make It Home’s beautifully curated furniture and decor, alongside pieces from local artisans. Guests can explore one-of-a-kind finds while enjoying a glass of champagne.
11:00 AM – 1:00PM Upcycling Workshop with Cris
A hands-on session led by Cris, our in house upholstery expert, guiding participants through the art of upcycling and furniture transformation. (Limited to 6 participants)

Interactive Wearables Workshop in CCA’s Hybrid Lab
2025-06-06 10:00 - 12:30 | California College of the Art’s Hybrid Lab (D104), Simpson Family Makers Building, 145 Hooper Street, San Francisco, 94107, California College of the Art’s Hybrid Lab (D104), Simpson Family Makers Building, San Francisco, California, 94107, United States
Calling all tinkerers, makers, hackers, artists, designers, and creative technologists. Spend time in the California College of the Arts (CCA) Hybrid Lab, an interactive electronic makerspace where students explore their artistic voice by prototyping designs with sensors, motors, creative coding, AI, and much more! No experience is necessary—just bring your curiosity!
In this hands-on session, you’ll learn to program your very own interactive DIY wristwatch. You’ll walk away with the M5StickC PLUS 2, a palm‑sized IoT development kit with a built-in LCD screen, buzzer, button, microphone, gyroscope, and much more—all at your disposal to customize and interact with. This device empowers you to reform your own technology– programming it to do whatever you want it to!
Hosted by the Design Division and led by CCA creative technologist Romy Aboudarham, this workshop features custom materials and prototyping design principles taught in the Hybrid Lab, developed in collaboration with faculty member Dr. Sudhu Tewari.
For guests who want to continue tinkering and playing with the device, we highly encourage you to bring your own laptop (PC or MAC). If you are bringing your own computer, you will need to download the Arduino Software beforehand.
We will have Mac laptops with the software ready to go for those who prefer just to show up and play. For those who get the programming bug, you can always download the software in your own time after the workshop.
Workshop Fee: $50 per person. Attendees will take home a DIY interactive watch programmed with Arduino software!
These workshop sessions are designed for kids and adults who are comfortable navigating and troubleshooting computers.

Hosted by California College of the Art’s Design Division.
California College of the Arts cultivates ideas, industry, and impact in the progressive San Francisco Bay Area, educating our students as global changemakers through purposeful practice and critical discourse. The Design Division at CCA advances contemporary practice by positioning the designer as a dynamic agent of cultural, social, and ecological change.
Romy Aboudarham is a creative technologist and immersive designer. They have a B.S. in Computer Science from Tufts University School of Engineering. They’re passionate about exploring how we can use technology as a tool for empathy-driven storytelling and deepening our connection with ourselves and others. Romy has a wide range of art and tech skills on their toolbelt, creating historical walking tours in Augmented Reality, therapeutic experiences about grief in Virtual Reality, and countless interactive digital and physical prototypes, as the manager of CCA’s Hybrid Lab.
Dr. Sudhu Tewari is an electro-acoustic composer, improvisor, and bricoleur in sound, kinetic, and interactive art. He holds a B.A. in Music from Sonoma State University, an M.F.A. in Electronic Music and Recording Technology from Mills College, and a Ph.D. in Cultural Musicology from UC Santa Cruz. His passion for design, re-design, and recuperation has led to the creation of experimental musical instruments, kinetic sculptures, interactive installations, audio electronics, and wearable sound art.

re*form - Curated Pop-Up Shop
2025-06-06 10:00 - 16:00 | Make It Home Warehouse, Northgate Mall in San Rafael, San Rafael, California, 94903, United States
A unique shopping experience featuring Make It Home’s beautifully curated furniture and decor, alongside pieces from local artisans. Guests can explore one-of-a-kind finds while enjoying a glass of champagne.
Event Overview:
Make It Home is excited to present re*form, a full-day immersive event celebrating the power of design to transform spaces and lives. Rooted in sustainability and social impact, re•form aligns with SF Design Week’s mission to highlight the unique intersection of ideas, design, business, and entrepreneurism that defines the Bay Area. Through interactive experiences, discussions, and a curated pop-up shop, attendees will explore how repurposed materials and thoughtful design can shape the future of interiors.

Visit our Other events:
11:00 AM – 1:00PM Upcycling Workshop with Cris
A hands-on session led by Cris, our in house upholstery expert, guiding participants through the art of upcycling and furniture transformation. (Limited to 6 participants)
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM Panel Discussion with Carolyn Flannery & Susie Novak
A thought-provoking conversation featuring Make It Home’s founder, Carolyn Flannery, alongside a Bay Area Designer Susie Novak. The discussion will delve into the intersection of sustainability, high design, and community impact.

Show of Hands Art Exhibition at Heath Ceramics
2025-06-06 10:00 - 17:00 | Heath Ceramics Showroom Gallery, 2900 18th Street, San Francisco, California, 94110, United States
Show of Hands Artist Showcase
Presented by Heath Ceramics
Heath Ceramics is excited to announce Show of Hands, a showcase of new works curated by Clay Studio Director Tung Chiang. As part of Heath’s month-long Design Made Good celebration, this event highlights a range of artists whose work explores new possibilities in material, process, and perspective.
Hosted within Heath San Francisco’s intimate gallery space, Show of Hands offers a unique opportunity to embrace unfamiliar experiences and outlooks; to see and feel how a group of groundbreaking artists interpret, navigate, and ultimately shape the world around them by hand.
Engage with artists at different points in their journey—some just starting out, others evolving their practice—each bringing something new through clay, paint, textiles, metal, and more. Despite their varied backgrounds, all share a commitment to making by hand and a respect for the traditions that inform their work.

Meet the Featured Artists

Ayano Shioya
Brendan Monroe
Brian Madden
Max Frommeld
Rafi Ajl
Sarah Wertzberger

Curated by Tung Chiang

Since 2013, Tung Chiang has led the Heath Clay Studio, a small team of artisans who push the field of ceramics forward through experimentation with form, glaze, and technique. With a background in graphic and industrial design—and a lifelong passion for craft—Tung’s practice is rooted in observation, discovery, and a belief in the quiet power of objects that speak for themselves.
Tung took a deeply personal approach to curating Show of Hands, hand-selecting a diverse group of artists who—across a range of backgrounds and disciplines—challenge convention and offer a refreshing perspective on craft. His curation reflects a blend of creative curiosity, thoughtful execution, and a dedication to uplifting new and exciting artistic voices.

Exhibition Details
June 6–22, 2025
Heath Showroom Gallery, 2900 18th Street, San Francisco
Monday–Friday 10am–6pm
Saturday–Sunday 10am–5pm
Opening Night Reception
Thursday, June 5 · 5–7pm
Join the artists and the Heath team for an evening of art, conversation, and community.

Additional events for Design Made Good Month
The Good Flea: A curated vintage market
June 14 & 15
As part of Heath’s month-long Design Made Good celebration, The Good Flea complements the Show of Hands artist showcase by bridging the gap between design’s past and present—and building excitement for what’s on the horizon.
The Good Flea is Heath’s take on a classic flea market, offering visitors a chance to shop a wide selection of rare and interesting antiques pulled from the private collections of expert curators, vendors, and creative leaders. This group—assembled by Clay Studio Director Tung Chiang—will bring not only hand-chosen vintage finds, but also a deep well of knowledge on design and craft history.
Hosted within Heath’s SF tile factory, The Good Flea showcases objects that span eras and styles—including some special finds from Heath’s archive! Enthusiasts, collectors, and connoisseurs are invited to discover unique, curated vintage pieces in an energetic, community-driven space.
The Good Flea is not just a market—it’s an opportunity to discover and connect with design history. Don’t miss the chance to explore rare finds and meet the experts behind them!

Designing the Future of Aging
2025-06-06 10:15 - 12:30 | IDEO.org, 320 Florida St, San Francisco, CA, 94110, United States
We are in the midst of a longevity revolution. This isn’t just about longer lifespans; it’s about living those years more fully. The number of people over 80 globally is projected to triple between 2020 and 2050. As this population expands, so does the diversity of their preferences, interests, passions, and ambitions. They are not a monolithic group defined solely by age, but a vibrant tapestry of individuals.
So, with that, how can we design for a future that celebrates that complexity?
Join us for a hands-on workshop where creativity meets foresight. AGE OF_ and Near Future Laboratory will guide participants through design fiction methodologies—a unique, immersive approach that brings imagined futures to life through artifacts, storytelling, and scenario-building. Together, we’ll explore the cultural, technological, and emotional shifts reshaping the aging experience and prototype future products, services, and narratives that challenge the status quo.
This is more than a conversation—it’s a collaborative act of future-making. Let’s stretch our imaginations, spark unconventional thinking, and design a world where getting older unlocks new possibilities.
Join us to make “better with age” not just a mindset—but a movement.

One-of-a-Kind: Make It, Wear It! Embellishment workshop with fashion faculty at California College of the Arts.
2025-06-06 10:30 - 12:30, 2025-06-06 14:00 - 16:00 | California College of the Arts, Nave, California College of the Arts, Nave, 145 Hooper Street, San Francisco, California, 94107, San Francisco, California, 94107, United States
Join California College of the Arts (CCA) and CCA’s Design Division’s Fashion Faculty members Greg Climer and Zoe Cobb for a hands-on embellishment workshop at CCA’s new campus, where creativity meets craft to celebrate local design and making. This two-hour session invites you to create a one-of-a-kind embellished t-shirt or to apply the same techniques to a personal garment ( e.g., a basic tote bag or a sturdy button-up shirt).
The workshop includes demonstrations and guided instruction on a range of techniques:

Learn intro techniques for hand embroidery, including visible mending, and continue your embellishment journey at home.
Zoe Cobb will demonstrate the chain stitch embroidery machine and assist guests in placing a name or word into bold, stitched graphics.
Greg Climer will demonstrate the heat press, share materials and methods for applying foil and fabric appliques so you can make your own one-of-a-kind design.

All tools and materials are provided, including a high-quality cotton t-shirt (sizes requested during registration). Guests are also welcome to bring a basic cotton tote-bag or a sturdy shirt of their own to customize.
Workshop Fee: $30 per person. Attendees will leave with a custom-decorated shirt using heat press and chain stitch embroidery!

California College of the Arts cultivates ideas, industry, and impact in the progressive San Francisco Bay Area, educating our students as global changemakers through purposeful practice and critical discourse. The Design Division at CCA advances contemporary practice by positioning the designer as a dynamic agent of cultural, social, and ecological change.
Zoe Cobb is a Senior Professor in the Fashion Department at California College of the Arts, where she teaches at the intersection of craft, design, and storytelling. With nearly 20 years of experience, she focuses on hands-on techniques like pattern making, draping, and chain-stitch embroidery, drawing on her background in both fashion and interior design. Inspired by nature and music, Zoe brings a sense of rhythm and sustainability to her creative practice, fostering a playful, process-focused environment that encourages curiosity, experimentation, and the joy of making by hand.
Greg Climer is the chair of the fashion program at California College of the Arts and chair of the board of directors at the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles. Climer’s textile work has been shown in the Museum of Art and Design (NYC), The Leslie Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art (NYC), The DeYoung Museum (San Francisco, CA), The Mint Museum of Art (Charlotte, NC), The Museum of Craft and Design (San Francisco, CA), the International Fibre Art Triennial 2019, and many galleries. In addition to being an artist, he is also a fashion designer. He has worked on the design teams for the Victoria’s Secret Runway Show, Karl Lagerfeld, Imitation of Christ, John Bartlett, and many Broadway shows and movies.

Designing from the Land: Fire Resilience Through Architecture and Landscape
2025-06-06 11:00 - 13:00 | 1 Hotel San Francisco, 8 Mission St, San Francisco 94105, California, 94105, United States
Designing from the Land: Fire Resilience Through Architecture and Landscape
Presented by Backen & Backen in partnership with Design Bay Area and 1 Hotel San Francisco for SF Design Week 2025
Event Series Overview:
This is the first in a series of co-branded events with Backen & Backen and Design Bay Area. This series will consist of multiple events throughout the year, each focusing on a specific aspect of design and its future implications: LAND, BODY, BUILDING.
Event Overview:
As climate and fire risks intensify, the practice of how we build must evolve, and our relationship with where we build must follow. What does it mean to design from the land—not just on it?
In a time of increasing climate volatility and wildfire risk, this conversation explores how fire-adapted design can emerge from a deeper relationship with place. Rather than imposing resilience from the top down, we’ll ask how the land itself can shape design—through its vegetation, water cycles, cultural memory, and regenerative potential. We’ll explore the tension between human intervention and letting nature lead, and how landscape, vegetation, and site planning can create a future where buildings are more deeply attuned to the land they inhabit.
Moderator:

Heather Sandy Hebert – Author and Founder of True North Creative Studio

Panelists

Colby Eierman – Director of Gardens, Stone Edge Farm; Author and garden consultant
Carson Howell Costa – Regenerative Practices Department, Backen & Backen
Lucas Dexter – President, DEXTER estate landscapes
Johnson Bullard – Partner and Studio Director of Ground Studio

re*form - Upcycling workshop with Make It Home
2025-06-06 11:00 - 13:00 | Make It Home Warehouse, Northgate Mall in San Rafael, San Rafael, California, 94903, United States
Morning Workshop with Cris
A hands-on session led by Cris, our in house upholstery expert, guiding participants through the art of upcycling and furniture transformation. (Limited to 6 participants)

Event Overview:
Make It Home is excited to present re*form, a full-day immersive event celebrating the power of design to transform spaces and lives. Rooted in sustainability and social impact, re•form aligns with SF Design Week’s mission to highlight the unique intersection of ideas, design, business, and entrepreneurism that defines the Bay Area. Through interactive experiences, discussions, and a curated pop-up shop, attendees will explore how repurposed materials and thoughtful design can shape the future of interiors.
Visit our Other events:
Curated Pop-Up Shop (Open All Day)
A unique shopping experience featuring Make It Home’s beautifully curated furniture and decor, alongside pieces from local artisans. Guests can explore one-of-a-kind finds while enjoying a glass of champagne.
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM Panel Discussion with Carolyn Flannery & Susie Novak
A thought-provoking conversation featuring Make It Home’s founder, Carolyn Flannery, alongside a Bay Area Designer Susie Novak. The discussion will delve into the intersection of sustainability, high design, and community impact.

Participatory Experiential Futures: Co-designing technology for human-centered public services
2025-06-06 13:15 - 15:30 | Mindspace San Francisco, 575 Market St., San Francisco, California, 94105, United States
At CivicMakers, we’ve been using Participatory Experiential Futures (PXF) with government partners across the state. Through a series of workshops, we’ve explored whether AI can elevate lived experience in program and policy design. These immersive simulations have given us tons of insights for how government decision-makers would use AI to inform design decisions, and how people accessing public services would want to be represented by these technologies.
This is where YOU come in…help us design how that technology looks, feels, and behaves by experiencing our “Ridiculously Hopeful Future” of human-centered government in California! A future where the voices of end users have a seat at the table through speculative technology and deeply collaborative co-design processes.
You will step into a future meeting and test out the new proposals, desired features and critical nuances we’ve gathered. Bring your conscious design skills to reshape better outcomes for public services. And don’t forget to wear your comfiest time travel uniform!
Event schedule:

Introductions & Orientation to Time Travel – 15 min
Immersive Experiential Future (AI for better public services) – 30 min
Step Back into the Present and Reflect – 15 min
Co-design Charrette (with insights from civic partners) – 45 min
Debrief & Next Steps – 15 min

Your participation could improve public service delivery experiences for the people who need them most. We look forward to co-designing with you!

Interactive Wearables Workshop in CCA’s Hybrid Lab
2025-06-06 13:30 - 16:00 | California College of the Art’s Hybrid Lab (D104), Simpson Family Makers Building, California College of the Art’s Hybrid Lab (D104), Simpson Family Makers Building, 145 Hooper Street, San Francisco, 94107, San Francisco, California, 94107, United States

Join us! Designing AI-Powered Ads with TikTok
2025-06-06 14:00 - 16:00 | TikTok San Jose Office, 1199 Coleman Ave, San Jose, CA, California, 95110, United States
Agenda:
2:00 PM – 2:15 PM | Check-in & Networking

2:15 PM – 2:30 PM | Opening Speech – Welcome remarks from Jingxi Li, Head of Design.

2:30 PM – 3:15 PM | Presentation:

GenAI for Video Ads: Tackling Creative Fatigue with Scalable Design – Eva Luo, Design Manager, GenAI

How we designed a GenAI product for video ads to help advertisers overcome creative fatigue, using the Double Diamond process to craft scalable, elegant patterns within model constraints.

Designing for Tomorrow: An AI Designer’s Journey – Justin Ma, Lead Product Designer

A presentation about working in the AI landscape, focusing on conversational AI and its implications for the role of designers.

Scaling with Intelligence: How a Design System Prepares Products for the AI Era – Yuhan Wu, Design Manager, Design System

Discover how TikTok’s Keystone design system helps business products scale with clarity and adaptability while evolving to meet AI-driven demands.

3:15 PM – 3:45 PM | Hiring Manager Share-out: Future-Ready Talent – Current openings and key mindsets for success with Chris Tompkins, Jianzhou Song, Landi Yu, and Justin Gabbard

3:45 PM – 4:00 PM | Q&A

Melina Finkelstein Rug Co.Labs Pop Up at Flora Grubb
2025-06-06 15:30 - 18:30 | Flora Grubb Gardens, Flora Grubb Gardens, San Francisco, California, 94124, United States
Melina Finkelstein Rug Co.Labs is popping up at Flora Grubb Gardens. Melina Finkelstein, formerly of Peace Industry, will be showing new felt rug collections in collaboration with Jen Garrido and K’era Morgan, two California painters and textile designers. She will talk about her residency in Nepal and how she taught her new team of women artisans the unusual art of felt rug making keeping it alive for old and new audiences.
3:30pm: refreshments and networking
4:30pm: Melina talks about her rug work in Nepal and new collaborative projects with other local artists.
5pm: informal conversations
6:30pm: event ends

The Right to Create: A Design Week Happy Hour at Creativity Explored
2025-06-06 15:30 - 18:30 | Creativity Explored, 3245 16th Street, SAN FRANCISCO, California, 94103, United States
Celebrate community, creativity, and connection at Creativity Explored—a trailblazing progressive art studio that partners with artists with developmental disabilities. As part of San Francisco Design Week, we’re hosting a vibrant happy hour and mixer in our award-winning studio space—voted Best Gallery and Best Nonprofit in the Bay!
Mix and mingle with fellow creatives, designers, and art lovers while surrounded by powerful, original artwork by CE’s neurodiverse artists. Enjoy drinks, light bites, music, and the inspiring energy of a space that’s been championing inclusion, self-expression, and dignity in the arts since 1983.
On view: Main Characters, an exhibition highlighting a wide selection of ceramic sculptures from Creativity Explored’s archive.Plus: Special behind-the-scenes access to pieces from our archive—a unique chance to view and purchase rare artworks not regularly on display.
Whether you’re curious about our mission, eager to connect with the local design community, or just want to toast to creativity in a dynamic setting—you’re invited to join the celebration.

Creative Happy Hour: Cheers to SF Design Week at CCA’s New Campus
2025-06-06 16:00 - 18:00 | California College of the Arts, Simpson Family Makers Building, Upper Level, California College of the Arts, Simpson Family Makers Building, Upper Level, 145 Hooper Street, San Francisco, 94107, San Francisco, California, 94107, United States
Join CreativeMornings San Francisco and the Design Division at California College of the Arts (CCA) for an inspiring early evening of connection, conversation, and creativity.

This social happy hour brings together designers, architects, artists, and makers from across disciplines to spark ideas, meet new collaborators, and celebrate the end of SF Design Week in style. Alongside the presentations, there will be a DJ, light bites, and a bar serving wine, beer, and non-alcoholic beverages.
We’ll kick things off with three provocative lightning talks on re-forming design practice from:

GRL GRP – a feminist-inspired design collective
Amy Karle – bio-artist and futurist exploring the intersections of technology and humanity
Jo Marini – (big) systems thinker + doer specializing in systemic transformation of legacy industries.

Come for the inspiration, stay for the people. Drinks, good vibes, and fresh ideas await.
Hosted by California College of the Art’s Design Division.
California College of the Arts cultivates ideas, industry, and impact in the progressive San Francisco Bay Area, educating our students as global changemakers through purposeful practice and critical discourse. The Design Division at CCA advances contemporary practice by positioning the designer as a dynamic agent of cultural, social, and ecological change.
Creative Mornings is the world’s largest creative community; hosting local chapter events in cities around the world every Friday, Virtual FieldTrips every week, and job postings and company profiles via the CreativeGuild.
GRL GRP is the feminist-inspired, collective design practice of Sarah Chieko-Bonnickson, Abigayle Cosinuke, Ashlyn Jackson, Chloe Looker, and Meg Quarton aimed at making space for women to lead, not just produce in the field of design. GRP GRP thinks about reform through a multifaceted lens, including materials, process, and attitude. Operating in a non-hierarchical structure rooted in empathy, they blend craft-based techniques with digital tools, using a highly collaborative and iterative process in which there is no single author.
Amy Karle is an internationally award-winning artist and futurist working at the intersection of digital, physical, and biological systems. She has exhibited in 54 international shows, including at the Centre Pompidou, Mori Art Museum, the Smithsonian, and Ars Electronica and was named one of the BBC’s 100 most inspiring women and “Most Influential Women in 3D Printing,” Her work invites reflection on what it means to be human in a tech-driven future, aiming to inspire, provoke, and pioneer in the fields of bioart, contemporary art, and healthcare innovation.
Jo Marini is a 4x founder, MBA professor, United States Air Force Academy graduate, and IndieBio NY alum who specializes in systemic transformation within legacy industries. She is also a NYC EDC/NewLab Founder Fellow and co-founder of Mothership Materials, a biomanufacturing startup using Targeted Molecular Recovery to sort ag & food wastes into feedstocks that power the foods, fuels, and fabrics of our future. Alongside her entrepreneurial ventures, Jo teaches Venture Studio in the MBA in Design Strategy program at California College of the Arts, guiding students through the capstone course focused on turning ideas into viable companies.

Bould Design 30th Anniversary Open Studio
2025-06-06 16:15 - 18:30 | Bould Design Studio, 1135 North Amphlett Blvd, San Mateo, California, 94401, United States
Join us as we celebrate 30 years of innovation at Bould Design! Our open studio event is your chance to meet our team, mix and mingle with other designers while enjoying delicious appetizers and beverages. We look forward to welcoming you!
We’re a San Francisco based design studio offering a range of services to hardware companies including industrial design, branding and identity, packaging design, packaging design, product visualization and engineering support.
