Founded in 2017, Design Nation seeks to bridge the gap between the growing awareness in design and lack of design education in colleges nationwide. Bringing together 100 students across US and Canada, this one-of-a-kind all-expenses paid program seeks to showcase how design exists across different mediums and industries and empower students with the skills to innovate.
Thought Leaders in Design
Attendees at Design Nation hail from a variety of backgrounds, ranging from UX or graphic design majors thorough in the language of design to students who have never had the opportunity to explore design. Whether they are an artist, entrepreneur, writer, or maker, all attendees are bound to each other by a mutual love for design.
Student Design Backgrounds
One of our attendees concentrates in biology, acting as a product designer on the side; another is a fashion designer interested in integrating accessibility into their work. Design Nation is one of the only conferences in existence that provides a space for young designers from diverse interests to network with and learn from each other.
For undergraduate creatives who have a very shallow pool of resources available to them, Design Nation creates long-lasting impact.
“As someone who has worked adjacent to design but is not a designer, I finally found my place in the design world. I met so many people who used design in their work even though their title was not a designer — entrepreneurs, product managers, creative technologists”
First Gen
COLLEGES
GENDER
CREATIVE agendas
Design Nation is not just a conference. It’s an exploration of the versatility of a career in design, how design has different applications across industries, and what it looks like to be a design leader facing the business and social challenges of our world. Our conference is unique for its interdisciplinary angles and hands-on workshops.
Students doing the wave before an exercise of the “Six Thinking Hats” led by Brian Bimschleger, Head of Strategy at Arthur.
WOrkshops
As one of the most interactive aspects of Design Nation, workshops encourage learning through collaboration, creativity, and critiquing design through the perspective of advertising, tech, and digital. An executive leads students through an exercise, leaving attendees with a newfound understanding of design.
After a workshop with Doug Melville, Chief Diversity Officer at TBWA, on idea disruption and 30-second stories, Jason Yuan speaks on his personal story of redesigning Apple Music.
NETWORKING
Design has not yet received greater recognition in higher education, making it difficult for students to connect with firms, not to mention with each other. With curated recruiting receptions, executive seminars, and networking sessions, Design Nation attendees are offered a chance to introduce themselves to potential future collaborators.
Students speak with design firms at the recruiting reception.
“Design Nation is an experience unlike any other — it’s a place for students and design leaders to meet face to face and have candid conversations not just about design practices, but about career paths, personal growth, and lessons learned.”
Tim Riley, Senior Director at Warby Parker, speaking on marketing.
Keynotes & Panels
Speakers in our keynotes and panels range from partners at large companies like McKinsey to owners of notable design firms like Pentagram. Executives leading these sessions answer the big-picture questions shaping design today and where the field will go tomorrow. Past speakers include Rob Schwarz (CEO of TBWA), Sandra Campos (CEO of Diane Von Furstenberg), Jamie Myrold (VP of Design at Adobe), Dan Sormaz (VP of Design at Spotify), and Deva Pardue (Creative Director at the Wing).
Online Recaps
